Tom Phillips (wrestling)
| Tom Phillips | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Thomas Hannifan |
| Born | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Alma mater | Penn State University |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Tom Phillips |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1] |
| Debut | 2012 |
Thomas Hannifan, better known by his ring name Tom Phillips, is a professional wrestling commentator and sports broadcaster signed to WWE. He is currently the host of SmackDown, a play-by-play announcer for WWE NXT, and a backstage interviewer for WWE Monday Night Raw.
Broadcasting career
Pre-WWE
Hannifan's first broadcasting experience was as a public address announcer for a football game in his sophomore year of high school, where he also played football and track and field. It was then he immediately knew he wanted to be in sports broadcasting. His quest to perfect his craft took him to Penn State Altoona and then Penn State main campus, majoring in broadcast journalism with an emphasis on sports broadcasting. During his time in Happy Valley, Hannifan was actively involved in COMRadio, the student-run radio station at Penn State.[1]
After working with Big Ten Network's Student U branch and graduating from Penn State, Hannifan did play-by-play for Juniata College's football and basketball teams in central Pennsylvania for $50 a game. While doing that in the summer of 2012, he was waiting tables to stay afloat financially. After a year and a half out of school, Hannifan was wondering if broadcasting was a right fit for him, when he received a job offer from WWE.
WWE (2012–present)
Hannifan conducted backstage interviews for the WWE App on Raw and was the lead announcer on WWE Superstars, WWE Main Event and SmackDown, flanked by color commentators Jerry Lawler and Byron Saxton,[1][2][3] until he was replaced by NXT's play-by-play commentator, Rich Brennan, on the August 27, 2015 episode of WWE SmackDown.[4] He also serves as the Social Media Lounge host on all WWE pay-per-view pre-shows as well as conducting backstages interviews for WWE.com.
Hannifan currently serves as lead play-by-play announcer for NXT brand tapings and broadcasts. He is also a member of the SmackDown commentating team.[5]
Other media
Hannifan has also been the host of one of WWE's most popular YouTube series, 5 Things, until October 21st, 2015, when Kyle Edwards replaced him.
References
- 1 2 3 "Tom Phillips". WWE.com. WWE. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
- ↑ Koller, Broxck (January 22, 2015). "Tom Phillips WWE Journey". WPVI-TV. Disney/ABC. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
- ↑ Trionfo, Richard (September 27, 2013). "WWE Superstars Report: Tag Team Action; Who Replaces Tony Dawson On Commentary?". PWInsider.com. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ↑ "Rich Brennan joins SmackDown announce team". WWE.com. WWE. August 27, 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- ↑ Medalis, Kara (November 8, 2016). "Phillips to join SmackDown LIVE announce team". WWE. WWE News. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
External links
- Tom Phillips on WWE.com
- Tom Phillips on Twitter
| Preceded by Michael Cole |
SmackDown Lead Announcer 2014–2015 |
Succeeded by Michael Cole |
| Preceded by Michael Cole |
SmackDown Lead Announcer 2015 |
Succeeded by Rich Brennan |
| Preceded by Rich Brennan |
NXT Lead Announcer 2016-present |
Succeeded by current |