Backstage Reaction to Tony Hinchcliffe’s WWE RAW Commentary Debut Revealed

Tony Hinchcliffe’s debut on WWE Raw commentary has been slammed by fans online—and now we know how it was received backstage, too. According to Fightful Select, people within WWE weren’t impressed either.

The comedian joined the April 7 edition of Raw to call the Tag Team Title match, but his attempt at bringing humor to the broadcast fell flat in a major way. Fans immediately lit up social media, calling the segment “cringe” and “unwatchable,” with some even questioning Triple H’s leadership for allowing it to happen.

Now, the internal reaction has came to light. “Those we spoke to backstage in WWE admitted the Tony Hinchcliffe spot came across as a dud,” Fightful Select reported. While Hinchcliffe may have tried to bring his brand of comedy to the table, it clearly didn’t land with anyone watching—either in the arena or backstage.

Despite the poor response, Hinchcliffe reportedly “was very respectful at the show,” which some sources noted, though that hasn’t been enough to soften the fan backlash.

One particularly tone-deaf moment came when Hinchcliffe made a controversial joke referencing Big E’s real-life neck injury—a line that upset fans and even caught Big E’s attention. The former WWE Champion didn’t publicly go scorched earth, but the message was clear: he wasn’t amused.

Social media didn’t hold back. One fan wrote, “Not a single person wants to hear Tony Hinchcliffe on commentary. Get this f***** dork outta here #WWERaw.”* Another said, “This #TonyHinchcliffe guy is not funny and ruined #WWERaw.” Others echoed the same sentiment, with comments like “F** Off Tony Hinchcliffe”* and “I speak for everyone when I say never give this guy a headset again.”

To make things worse, WWE is still planning to use Hinchcliffe for the Roast of WrestleMania after Night Two of WrestleMania 41. Based on the current reaction, that might be a tough sell for fans who already feel like they didn’t sign up for this version of Raw.

Backstage sources say he was polite and professional, but even WWE insiders are admitting that this one just didn’t work.