While Michael Cole is now a largely beloved presence on WWE television, that wasn’t always the case.
And not just because of his two-year run as a heel (bad guy) play-by-play announcer in the early-2010s.
As detailed by The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis, many fans were reluctant to embrace Cole as “the voice of WWE” because he was given the seemingly impossible task of replacing legendary play-by-play announcer Jim Ross. On top of that, many viewed the Syracuse native as a “puppet” for former WWE chairman Vince McMahon — a charge Cole didn’t totally deny while speaking with Curtis.
“I think some of that probably was true,” Cole conceded. “Listen, I’m not a rebel. I’m here to make money and take care of my family and provide myself a good living. And when your boss asks you to do something, you do it… I still think, at that time, I was a hell of a good announcer.”
Even before McMahon resigned from WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, in January following accusations of sexual assault and trafficking, his constant presence in Cole’s earpiece during WWE broadcasts had become accepted lore. To many fans, Cole was merely a vessel for McMahon — a former WWE play-by-play announcer and the head of WWE creative — to provide his own commentary.
Cole even admitted to Curtis that there were times in which McMahon’s “constructive criticism” crossed the line. But rather than sit back and take it, the 55-year-old said he often fired back, which he believes his now-former boss admired.
“There have been times where he has said things to me that were inappropriate,” he told Curtis. “I would go back to Gorilla after the show and get in his face and tell him, ‘That was bulls**t.’ He respected that I did that.”
With McMahon no longer in the picture, it’s now his son-in-law, WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, tasked with being the voice in Cole’s ear. The end result has been both a freer and more popular play-by-play announcer who is finally getting the credit from fans he has long deserved.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.