25 Years Of WWE Raw Mistakes
7. 2011 - The Michael Cole Challenge (November 14th)
Nearly every year in this list could have been satisfied with something orchestrated by the company to poke fun at beloved and talented announcer Jim Ross, but limiting the selections to a scant few resulted in a surprising reliance on pulling things out of a*ses. In 2006, it was a collection of unfunny props. In 2012, it was the dying embers of Michael Cole's heel turn.
He'd lost conclusively to Jerry Lawler after an unnecessarily lengthy programme, and even been forced into a Monday Night Raw walk of shame and verbose apology for the whole ordeal. It was all the more excruciating then when WWE elected to revisit the character for one last tour-de-force.
Having returned to the commentary booth in the summer alongside a begrudging Cole, Jim Ross ended up taking 'The Michael Cole Challenge' following a victory alongside John Cena over Michael and Alberto Del Rio. A show-opening segment designed ostensibly to laugh at both of them, the pair engaged in arm wrestling, dancing and finally a weigh-in. The message couldn't be clearer from Vince McMahon to his audience - the pair were weak, uncoordinated, and overweight. Not that any of that mattered.
The joke wasn't funny anymore. And the final punchline was far from a last laugh...