How Vic Joseph Became a WWE Commentator, Shawn Michaels' Influence, NXT, The Power Of Betting On Yourself

Vic Travagliante aka Vic Joseph (@vicjosephwwe) is a broadcaster, play-by-play commentator and the voice of NXT. He sits down with Chris Van Vliet in Hollywood, CA to talk about their friendship that started in Cleveland, how both of them worked at CBS Radio together, how Vic got his dream job as a WWE commentator, the power of betting on yourself instead of staying comfortable, filling Mauro Ranallo's shoes in NXT, meeting his wife McKenzie Mitchell in WWE, his love of the Cleveland Browns, his friendship with Johnny Gargano, how Shawn Michaels got him into wrestling and much more!

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On getting to WWE:

“Dude, it's really weird to look back. Because when we were in the car driving over here we talked about it's been nine years since I've seen you. And when I was at CBS, CBS approached me with a contract renewal, CBS Radio, and the Cleveland Browns network. They said, Hey, we want to re-up you for another two years. And I thought to myself, if I'm going to get to the WWE, I'm going to give myself 12 months to do it. Truthfully, balls to the wall. I don't know if I can say that without getting edited. I'm going to give it everything I've got. Tommy Dreamer and House of hardcore at the time. I do the with Rhyno, I do the loops, the Indy loops, I the stuff in Cleveland that we talked about. And I really said I'm going to give myself I told myself, I'm going to give it 12 months. And if it doesn't happen, well we'll see where we go. And I got a phone call. I was at a Guns and Roses show in Chicago at Soldier Field. And the day before I left for the show, Tom Phillips called me and said Michael Cole would like to know if you'd like to come in for an audition. That happened in September, and then I got signed in December. They let me finish out that Browns season, which I believe they went 0 and 16. And then I started in January. But I've never told anybody that before I came to the WWE, I walked away from CBS Sports, and I walked away from the Cleveland Browns. The place I had been that I had covered 4 NBA Finals. A city championship, which is near and dear to me still to this day to have done that a World Series, the drafting of Johnny Manziel, the releasing of Johnny Manziel, the self destruction of the Cleveland Browns, so to speak during that part, but that was, and it's weird to say now looking back, it was betting on myself. Knowing how much I loved the WWE, wrestling, sports entertainment, whatever you want to categorise as that this is what I want to do. This is what I love. This is what I am passionate about. And I don't think if I would have taken that year to say, I'm going to do this, that Tom Phillips would have never called me, that I never would have gotten a face to face Michael Cole, that I never would have gotten signed, that I wouldn't be sitting here with you today getting ready for Wrestlemania here in Los Angeles.”

On specifically wanting to be a part of WWE:

It wasn’t any other company. It wasn't just to do it. And it wasn't I want to call this guy's match. I want to be in this environment. It was this is the company I want to go to, this is the company I grew up watching. If it wasn't for this person and this person, am I the person I am today? It was my goal in life is to call the main event at WrestleMania, throwing it out there. Because we talk about talent that's in the ring. There's only one main event each night of WrestleMania there's only so many main events that have happened at WrestleMania there's been countless matches, there's only been one main event or two main events. I want to call a WrestleMania main event. I've called matches at WrestleMania. I've called championship matches at WrestleMania, but I've never called the main event and that to me is still what drives me to let me be different than what you're hearing. Let me continue to work twice as hard. Let me, give me Beth Phoenix or Wade Barrett and then Booker T or Nigel McGuinness or Percy like whoever it is, I'm going to make it work with their help, because everyone I've ever worked with has actually elevated me, which has been a beautiful thing in itself. But I want to call the main event of WrestleMania. And that is what drives me every Tuesday, or when I was doing Raw, or doing Mix Match Challenge or 205 Live or LVL Up or now even with NXT. It's to get to that specific moment.”

On finding your passion:

“That's a great question, because it took me probably about a year ago to finally realize, man, I really have been passionate about this industry. My kids need to have the same sort of passion. My son loves playing with garbage trucks, at the time. He wants to be a garbage man. Go be the best damn garbage man you can be. That's what you love to do, go for it. My daughter sings in the doorknobs and you know, will put on like Mackenzie's jewellery and walk around and dance and that. You want to perform? Be a performer. But I think something that maybe more so today I look at my siblings. What are you passionate about? Are you just waking up to live day to day? If you love the movies? Try to work on a movie set. Yeah, maybe write a movie. Maybe become a runner, a grip, whatever, whatever you want to do. If you love makeup, become a makeup artist. If you love clothes, become a designer. Like what drives you everyday? What are you passionate about? Because if you find a job that you're passionate about, you will never work a day in your life. I don't think I work on Tuesdays. I go sit with  2 time WWE Hall of Famer Booker T and call NXT. While Shawn Michaels, the greatest professional influence in my life. Yeah. Is the guy sitting in gorilla talking to me in my ear? my wife is the backstage interviewer So I go to work with my wife, and then we drive 10 minutes home.”

On Vic Joseph’s proudest match that he has called:

“I actually get the most compliments. And if you go back and listen to it, it's Rey Mysterio and it’s Brock Lesnar Survivor Series 2019. And Dominik is in his father's corner, which now we're at where we're at here in Los Angeles. It's kind of ironic to go back and look at it. But if you listen to the match, I forget where I'm at and kind of black out and I become a fan and my voice breaks. Where Dominik hits the Frog Splash Rey, it's the Frog Splash. This is going to be it and Brock kicks out and you hear me go, Oh, my God, there's like I thought they had it. But I lose myself because I'm still a fan. Every time I sit in that seat behind the desk, that's when I get the most compliments about that's the one I'm really proud of thus far. And this weekend, I think I have an opportunity with Johnny Gargano Grayson Waller because of my personal feelings towards Johnny. And then the main event of Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes, because as they said, they've been the two guys since that rebranding or that revolution, evolution, whatever buzzword you want to use of NXT was put in, so I may have a moment this weekend. But it also comes back to all these to me are steps of a ladder to get me to that WrestleMania main event.”

What makes a good commentator:

“Something you hit on earlier, not being the star. You know, knowing that you aren't the focal point. Also having great teammates. You know, I want to give a huge shout out to Booker T. Booker is Booker, Booker and I do not talk about much, we hang out for hours before the show. When we go out there on Tuesdays, what you hear is, is just live, off the cuff, off the top of our heads. When I was coming back to NXT when we talk about Mauro, Wade Barrett came in, and having done Mix Match Challenge, 205 Live, Monday Night Raw, NXT UK and all these different shows to finally have a little bit more of a permanent home. My confidence was hit a little bit, in all honesty, and Wade Barrett specifically helped me, he gave me my confidence back. And I'd be wrong not to include Beth Phoenix, in there. And so you have to have confidence. And those two, brought it back to me, Booker kind of lets me be me because I let him be him and it kind of goes, Okay, I do know what I'm doing. And when Shawn Michaels is sitting back there and goes, nice job, kid, great job. It's kind of like okay, I do know, I don't want to say self gratification. But you kind of have like, Okay, I do know what I'm doing. So you have to have that confidence. But also, to me, it's telling stories. Roman Reigns has had a beautiful story with The Bloodline that has included Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, and then you throw in Cody Rhodes.”

What is Vic Joseph grateful for:

“My wife, my children and the opportunity to commentate every Tuesday.”