It has been reported by Fightful that commentator on Monday Night Raw, Tom Phillips has been released by WWE. Phillips had served the company for over a decade.
Tom Phillips released by WWE
The news has not been officially announced by WWE but he is apparently not part of the mass releases earlier this week due to budget cuts.
Fightful also said that they have contacted WWE for confirmation but have yet to hear back.
Phillips had started his work on the WWE app back in 2012 where he would conduct interviews during Monday Night Raw back when the WWE app, which later became the WWE Network app. Vince McMahon ‘Selling’ WWE After Bad News?
Nick Hausman of Wrestling Inc. noted on the Wrestling Inc. Daily on Thursday that there was another major departure expected on the WWE commentary team.
It is understood that WWE is bringing in former UFC and Bellator commentator Jimmy Smith to replace Adnan Virk on the Raw broadcast team, and not Phillips, which may have cost him his job. It was rumored Vince McMahon wasn’t a big fan of Phillips’ work in the past, leading to his removal around WrestleMania, and likely ultimately ending his WWE career.
Smith is set to begin his work as early as this week’s edition of Raw on Monday night.
He has previously worked some NXT broadcasts. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter‘s Dave Meltzer also reported that WWE vice president had said that Michael Cole “has praised him heavily and found him to be very versatile.”
