"People don't give him enough credit" – Booker T praises veteran WWE personality
WWE commentator Michael Cole is a rarity in the wrestling business, as per Hall of Famer Booker T.
Cole has been a part of WWE since 1997 and has played several roles in the company. He started as a backstage interviewer and moved on to become a commentator – a role he holds to this day. He's also the current Vice President of Announcing in WWE, which he took up in 2020.
While speaking about the importance of commentary on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T lavished praise on Michael Cole. The Hall of Famer believes it's tough to find another solid hand like the SmackDown commentator:
"People don't give him (Michael Cole) enough credit because he's been there forever. To have had that job for as long as Michael Cole has had that job is extraordinary. To actually be able to do that 52 days out of the year, back then more than 52 because he was doing it twice a week and for three hours and two hours and then pay-per-views and voiceovers."
"There's a multitude of things that job entails. Someone like him is a rarity...a diamond. You want to hold on to guys like that as long as you possibly (can)."
The Hall of Famer also praised Jim Ross, saying it's hard to replace someone like him.
Michael Cole has attributed his recent success in WWE to his commentary partner
Besides Mauro Ranollo and Nigel Mcguinness, The commentary team of McAfee and Cole is hands down my favorite WWE commentary team in the last 5 years. #SmackDown #WWE https://t.co/cBZA5zSt69
Cole is now part of the SmackDown commentary desk, where he announces matches alongside Pat McAfee. The veteran commentator believes McAfee's addition to the commentary desk has revitalized his career:
"I do want to say that you have completely revitalized my career. I've been doing this for almost 25 years now, and I've seen everything in WWE. You go through different partners over the years, and everybody I've worked with has been great. But you're different than those guys because you're a true fan."
McAfee has been a breath of fresh air with his over-the-top enthusiasm, which has complimented Cole's exceptional play-by-play announcing.
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