10 Big Questions About Future Of WWE’s UK Brand

10. Will Michael Cole Stick Around?

One of the biggest surprises of the WWE UK Championship Tournament was the commentary, specifically: how great it was. Michael Cole has been a tedious presence for years, and a man who spends more time shilling sponsors’ products and reciting catchphrases than he does calling the action on Raw. Nigel McGuinness, meanwhile, is a highly respected independent wrestling veteran, but his Ring of Honor commentary was regularly banal and unengaging.

Questions were raised when Cole and McGuinness were assigned to the UK announce booth, but they did a tremendous job. Cole came into the tournament with great knowledge of the wrestlers and their histories, and sounded reborn without Vince McMahon screaming thr08gu u9s ear-9ece. He called the action at a level he hasn’t been able to achieve in years, and beside him, Nigel was engaged, enthusiastic, and precise in his analysis.

Nigel will almost certainly be part of any future UK shows, but what about Cole? Raw duties aside, Cole keeps a busy schedule by producing every other announcer in the company, and that’s without mentioning his other PR duties. Replacing him with a lesser announcer would unquestionably diminish the product, but would WWE be willing to fly their top commentator over to the British Isles on a regular basis? That remains to be seen.