Theres a very important reason why Michael Cole is on this list: he is Mr. McMahons direct mouthpiece. Everything Cole says on RAW is fed to him directly from Vince himself. While Jerry Lawler and JBL have their own characters and mannerisms that make them unique, Michael Coles primary role is to tell the fans whats going through Vinces head. Theres a reason Michael Cole has been employed with WWE for such a long time, despite many fans bemoaning his inferiority to commentators like Jim Ross, and thats his willingness to say and do exactly what WWE wants, no matter how stupid or ridiculous. A great example of this loyalty was when his heel announcer gimmick really took off, and he started his feud with Jerry the King Lawler. Now, in reality, Cole and Lawler are good friends, as they have been working together for many years. This was shown by Coles legitimate concern and respect for Lawler when he had his on-air heart attack. But when Vince wanted Cole to play up his hostility towards Lawler and other WWE Superstars, Cole went through with it. When Vince wanted him to be as annoying with his catchphrases and mannerisms, he did just that. And when Vince gave Cole a (needlessly) long match at WrestleMania XXVII, despite anger from the actual wrestlers, Cole went through with it, and all the subsequent embarrassment that followed. So no matter how much you might dislike Michael Cole for his commentary, remember: hes showing his loyalty and doing exactly what the boss wants, even if he doesnt like all of it himself.
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
