Michael Cole surprisingly namedrops major AEW star on WWE SmackDown

Michael Cole namedropped a popular AEW star tonight on WWE SmackDown during one of the matches. He compared them to one of the individuals who was in action earlier.

Taz may be one of the Jacksonville-based promotion's long-time commentators, but his legacy as a wrestler is unmatched. He was best known for his time in ECW and is considered one of the most dominant forces in wrestling during his era, hence why he is often referred to as the 'Human Suplex Machine'.

Tonight on SmackDown, Michael Cole compared his long-time friend to JC Mateo, who was in action against Jimmy Uso. He mentioned how they had similar wrestling styles, and were both competitors who could be considered masters of the suplex, and were powerhouses in the ring.

"Reminds me a lot of Taz, a former partner of mine, and also a great in-ring competitor in ECW and here in the WWE as well. Low center of gravity, tremendous ability with suplex and throws, a powerhouse," said Cole. [0:06-0:23]

See a clip of the moment below.

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Michael Cole brought up the AEW veteran during his tribute to Sabu

Last month, ECW legend Sabu passed away. The entire wrestling world grieved as they enjoyed his hardcore style of wrestling across decades.

The WWE commentary desk paid tribute to the Suicidal, Homicidal, Genocidal, Death–Defying Maniac during an episode of RAW at the time. Michael Cole discussed his career and highlighted his notable feud with Taz in ECW.

This was a great gesture from Cole and the commentary team. He has often discussed working with Taz in the past and has taken the time to reference and highlight his legacy with the company on multiple occasions. Now, the veteran is an integral part of AEW's commentary team as their color commentator. Both of them are thriving in their current roles.

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