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During his time in WWE, play-by-play announcer Michael Cole has always been a bit of a lightning rod. From his days as a backstage announcer to becoming Vince McMahon's number one mic man, the 53-year-old has pretty much seen it all.
As WWE was on the rise in the late 90s, Cole came on board via the recommendation of fellow broadcaster Todd Pettengill. 25 years later? He's still manning the microphone for the promotion.
A product of Syracuse University, Cole celebrated a quarter-century with the company this week. Beginning as a backstage interviewer, Cole would spend some time cutting his teeth before he was given a more expanded role.
While Cole was paying his dues, he also had some memorable and comical moments involving WWE Superstars. His deadpan delivery, mixed with his youthful appearance, made him the perfect candidate for on-air humor. He was like a straight arrow in a crooked world.
Cole took everything in his stride and embraced any opportunity for interaction and TV time. Not only was he an absolute pro, but he also knew what his role was as he was searching for sound bites.
The WWE announcer may have been part of some real laughter, but in reality, he was in on the joke the entire time
Michael Cole already had the training to be a journalist. But it was in his first few years with WWE where he learned how to combine those skills while also being an entertainer. Many classic Cole moments occurred when he would cross paths with The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment, The Rock.
As the years passed, he would move up to have almost equal billing as living legend and Hall of Famer Jim Ross. That upset some of the fan base at the time, as Ross was recognized by most as the best play-by-play man of the modern era. And maybe in the history of professional wrestling altogether.
Michael Cole was the man in line to replace a hero. This didn't sit well with a large portion of the WWE Universe, and he received a boatload of backlash for a long time.
Critics and observers would often try to find anything to complain about. They thought Cole was too polished and too filtered. Or that he was basically just parroting the dialogue fed to him by Vince McMahon.
So, he was being given no credit for his skills as a journalist or an entertainer. To a portion of the audience, he was just bland.
Others found him to be hokey or arrogant. When Cole became a heel announcer and feuded with Ross, fans relished the opportunity to boo him. That was then, and this is now.
JR has long departed, and Cole is now the clearcut top guy for the biggest promotion on the planet. It's a spot he's earned through hard work and dogged dedication. According to WWE, he's only missed two shows in his entire 25-year tenure. It displays the incredible amount of loyalty and appreciation the SmackDown announcer has for his employer.
And speaking of appreciation, hopefully, the fans can have more of it for Michael Cole today. He may not be your favorite, but he's lasted all this time where many others would have folded. He's helped World Wrestling Entertainment advance into a whole new era, and he's done so with a lot of odds stacked against him.
