8 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Michael Cole

6. His Incredibly Ill-Advised Heel Turn

Speaking of heel Cole, his run as a bonafide bad guy was one of the most painful, drawn-out periods of announcing in WWE history. Stretching from early 2010 to late 2012, Cole's heel period was an intensely confusing, annoying experience for most viewers. Play-by-play announcers are surely better leaning towards the babyfaces, nudging the audience's opinion in the right direction. The decision to have Cole as a heel threw the entire tone of Raw off kilter for years. We'll get to the finer details of this period a little later on, but the overarching reason WWE would want us to forget it is due to consistency. It's no secret that, as fans, we're not supposed to remember too far back (unless video packages and promos remind us of previous incidents). When Cole's heel run began, he immediately targeted a rookie Daniel Bryan, branding him an overrated "nerd" who wasn't cut out for the big leagues - while simultaneously fawning over The Miz. For many of us, it was incredibly jarring to hear Cole speak in respectful tones about Bryan on his recent retirement edition of Raw, while ripping on Miz whenever he appears.