25 Years Of WWE Raw Mistakes

6. 2012 - John Cena Vs Michael Cole (June 4th)

Shane McMahon Vince McMahon
WWE.com

WWE's 'Be A STAR' campaign launched in April 2011 amidst enough press that CM Punk was able to touch a nerve with it at the tail-end of his legendary Las Vegas 'Pipe Bomb', but the company took just over a year to completely contradict the message within the body of their own show.

Michael Cole's destruction at the hands of John Cena wasn't just a rotten Raw main event, though it absolutely was that. Cole had been a bully and a pest from the commentary desk for the better part of a year by the time he squared up to 'The Champ', but retribution came thick and fast from Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross and virtually everybody else he wronged.

His last villainous stand sent a cast-iron message about bullying alright - don't be a star, be a bigger bully. 'Big Match John' humiliated the announcer in a gross farce, stripping him nearly naked, physically dominating him, mocking his begging apologies and drenching him in barbecue sauce. He p*ssed himself laughing at the end too. What a star.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett