10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Dec 23)
5. Michael Cole Prefers A 3-Man Announce Boothe Over A 2-Man Dynamic
On social media, numerous comments have criticised WWE's decision to add Tom Phillips to the SmackDown announce desk. Now, there are four men behind the broadcast table, something which reeks of overkill. Meanwhile on Raw, the three-man dynamic used by Michael Cole, Byron Saxton and Corey Graves works a little better.
There are still those who feel three announcers is one too many, Cole isn't one of those people. Granting an interview to ESPN, the stalwart commentator claimed that he works better when flanked by more than one co-host. The three-man dynamic allows Cole to be more of a straight up play-by-play guy.
Interestingly, Cole then went on to say that he was never truly happy when working in a two-man unit. Feeling like he had to play either babyface or heel, the Raw announcer likes the fact that Corey Graves can be abrasive and Byron Saxton more happy-go-lucky.
This enables Michael to sit somewhere in between, more focused on linking between segments and directing focus towards the match happening in the ring.