Joe Tessitore is an American sportscaster, born on January 1, 1971, which makes him 55 years old in 2026. Full name Joseph William Tessitore, he is best known as the lead boxing play-by-play voice for Top Rank Boxing on ESPN, a longtime college football announcer, and, since 2024, a WWE commentator. His booming, dramatic style has made him one of the most recognisable voices across combat sports and American television.
Over a broadcasting career that began in the mid-1990s, Tessitore has called world title fights, College Football Playoff games, Monday Night Football, and the biggest events in horse racing. This biography covers his age, early life, education, full career, WWE and boxing work, awards, wife and family, net worth, and the questions fans search for most.
Joe Tessitore Quick Bio and Profile
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph William Tessitore |
| Profession | Sportscaster and play-by-play announcer |
| Date of birth | January 1, 1971 |
| Age | 55 years old (in 2026) |
| Birthplace | Schenectady, New York, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | Not publicly disclosed |
| Education | Boston College, Carroll School of Management (1993) |
| ESPN debut | 2002 |
| Known for | Boxing, college football, WWE, Monday Night Football |
| Current networks | ESPN, ABC, and WWE |
| Wife | Rebecca Tessitore |
| Children | Son John and daughter Nicolina |
Who Is Joe Tessitore?
Joe Tessitore is an American sportscaster who has spent more than two decades as one of ESPN’s leading play-by-play voices. He is the lead announcer for Top Rank Boxing on ESPN, calls major college football games on ESPN and ABC, and in 2024 added professional wrestling to his resume by signing with WWE. His energetic, high-drama delivery has become a signature across several sports.
Tessitore has built a reputation for calling marquee moments, from heavyweight boxing title fights to College Football Playoff semifinals, and his versatility across boxing, football, and horse racing has made him one of the busiest and most respected broadcasters in the business.
Joe Tessitore Age, Early Life, and Education
Joe Tessitore was born on January 1, 1971, in Schenectady, New York, which makes him 55 years old in 2026. He completed his prep studies at Christian Brothers Academy in Albany before attending Boston College, where he graduated from the Carroll School of Management with a business degree in 1993.
He began his broadcasting career at local stations, with early work in the Dallas and Albany markets before becoming a sports anchor at WFSB-TV in Hartford, Connecticut, from 1995 to 2002. That local foundation set the stage for the national career that followed when he joined ESPN.
Joe Tessitore Broadcasting Career
Tessitore joined ESPN in 2002, and his very first assignment was a middleweight boxing match that February, fittingly for a broadcaster who would become closely linked with the sport. Over the next two decades he became a fixture across the network’s biggest properties.
In college football he has served as a lead play-by-play voice on ESPN and ABC, calling New Year’s Six bowls, College Football Playoff semifinals, and the network’s Saturday night primetime games. He also hosted ESPN’s College Football Live, was the first host of SEC Nation on the SEC Network, and is known for the network’s Heisman Trophy coverage. From 2018 to 2019 he served as the play-by-play announcer for Monday Night Football alongside Jason Witten and Booger McFarland.
Beyond the booth, Tessitore has hosted ABC entertainment programming such as the mini-golf competition Holey Moley and the 2017 reboot of Battle of the Network Stars, and he anchored ABC and ESPN horse racing coverage, including the Belmont Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup.
Joe Tessitore Boxing and Combat Sports Career
Boxing has been at the heart of Tessitore’s career from the very start. He is the lead play-by-play announcer for Top Rank Boxing on ESPN and ESPN+, calling the network’s world championship fights, and he has also taken on lead duties for TKO’s Zuffa Boxing venture. His dramatic calls have accompanied some of the sport’s biggest modern nights.
He was ringside for Jeff Horn’s shocking 2017 upset of Manny Pacquiao in Australia, and he called the 2020 heavyweight rematch between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, one of the most significant fights of the era. Tessitore also lent his voice to the EA Sports Fight Night video game series, further tying his name to boxing for a generation of fans.
Joe Tessitore WWE Commentary Career
In July 2024, Tessitore signed with WWE while remaining employed by ABC and ESPN, becoming a play-by-play commentator alongside analyst Wade Barrett. He began on Monday Night Raw in 2024, bringing his big-event broadcasting style to professional wrestling. In January 2026, Tessitore and Barrett moved to the Friday night SmackDown brand as its lead commentary team, making him one of the most prominent voices in WWE programming.
Joe Tessitore Career Highlights and Signature Calls
| Year | Event | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Joined ESPN with a middleweight boxing assignment | Boxing |
| 2008 | Called Big Brown’s Triple Crown bid at the Belmont Stakes | Horse racing |
| 2016 | Called the Texas vs Notre Dame overtime thriller | College football |
| 2017 | Ringside for Jeff Horn’s upset of Manny Pacquiao | Boxing |
| 2018 | Called the highest-scoring MNF game ever (Rams 54, Chiefs 51) | NFL |
| 2018 to 2019 | Monday Night Football play-by-play announcer | NFL |
| 2020 | Called the Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder II title fight | Boxing |
| 2024 | Signed with WWE and debuted on Monday Night Raw | Pro wrestling |
| 2026 | Moved with Wade Barrett to WWE SmackDown | Pro wrestling |
Joe Tessitore Awards and Honors
- Eclipse Award (2010) for his Belmont Stakes and Breeders’ Cup telecasts.
- Sam Taub Award for Broadcast Excellence (2010) from the Boxing Writers Association of America.
- Inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame (2010).
- Recognised as ESPN’s lead boxing voice and a Heisman Trophy expert for the network.
Joe Tessitore Wife and Family
Tessitore is married to Rebecca Tessitore, and the couple has two children. His son John Tessitore was a kicker for the Boston College football team, following his father’s ties to the school, while his daughter Nicolina played squash for the University of Virginia. Tessitore is generally private about his home life, though his children’s athletic pursuits have drawn attention from sports fans.
Joe Tessitore Net Worth
Joe Tessitore’s exact net worth has not been officially confirmed. As a leading network broadcaster with long-running deals across ESPN, ABC, and now WWE, his earnings are substantial, and published estimates place his wealth in the range of several million US dollars. Because his contract figures are not public, any single number should be treated as an unofficial estimate rather than a verified total.
Joe Tessitore Social Media Handles
Fans can follow Joe Tessitore for broadcast schedules, fight-night updates, and behind-the-scenes content on his official accounts.
- Instagram: @joetessitore
- X (formerly Twitter): @JoeTessitore
Why Joe Tessitore Is a Standout Broadcaster
The career of joe tessitore stands out because of its remarkable range. Few broadcasters move as comfortably between a heavyweight title fight, a College Football Playoff game, a Monday Night Football broadcast, and a WWE ring, yet he has done all four at the highest level. His dramatic, event-defining delivery has made him a natural fit for combat sports in particular, which is why his voice has become part of so many memorable boxing and wrestling moments.
Joe Tessitore Trivia and Fun Facts
- His full name is Joseph William Tessitore, and he was born on New Year’s Day in 1971.
- His very first ESPN assignment in 2002 was a boxing match, the sport he would become most associated with.
- He was the play-by-play voice for the EA Sports Fight Night boxing video game series.
- He called the highest-scoring Monday Night Football game in history, a 54-51 Rams win over the Chiefs in 2018.
- He graduated from Boston College, the same school where his son John later played football.
- He joined WWE in 2024 while continuing his work for ABC and ESPN.
Frequently Asked Questions
Joe Tessitore was born on January 1, 1971, which makes him 55 years old in 2026.
He is best known as the lead boxing play-by-play voice for Top Rank Boxing on ESPN, a college football announcer, a former Monday Night Football voice, and, since 2024, a WWE commentator.
Yes. He signed with WWE in July 2024 and worked on Monday Night Raw before moving to SmackDown with Wade Barrett in January 2026, while remaining with ABC and ESPN.
He is married to Rebecca Tessitore, and the couple has two children, son John and daughter Nicolina.
He graduated from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management in 1993.
He was ringside for Jeff Horn’s 2017 upset of Manny Pacquiao and called the 2020 heavyweight rematch between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, among many ESPN world title fights.
His net worth is not officially confirmed. Published estimates place it in the range of several million US dollars, but these figures are unofficial.
Also read: Tony Bellew: The Complete Bio of the Bomber, from Goodison Park to Hollywood