REPORT: Status update on Corey Graves being cleared for physicality

Originally published at https://www.postwrestling.com/2022/01/12/report-status-update-on-corey-graves-being-cleared-for-physicality/

The status regarding Corey Graves (Matthew Polinsky) appears to have changed over the past year, according to a report from Fightful Select.

Sean Ross Sapp reports that Graves, who retired in 2014 and transitioned to broadcasting with the company, was moved off the ‘no contact’ list sometime last year.

Sapp spoke with people that stated Graves was outright cleared by WWE medical personnel, although WWE did not confirm that. Graves is no longer on the ‘no contact’ list as evidenced by his brief 24/7 title last November where he pinned Akira Tozawa on the floor and lost the belt seconds later to Byron Saxton.

After wrestling on the independent scene as Sterling James Keenan for over a decade, Graves signed a developmental deal with WWE in 2011. He was assigned to FCW, which became NXT.

With Adrian Neville a.k.a. PAC, the two became NXT tag champions in June 2013 and held the titles until September that year.

Graves retired from in-ring action at the end of 2014 stemming from concussion issues and quickly became one of the company’s top personalities on the booth before being called up to the main roster in the summer of 2016.

He is currently part of the Raw broadcast team with Jimmy Smith and Byron Saxton.