So, I was watching some wrestling the other night, Raw I think it was, and I got really curious about the guys talking, you know, the commentators. It’s different from regular sports, feels more like part of the show itself.
I started trying to figure out who’s been doing it the longest, just poking around online a bit. And one name kept popping up over and over again: Michael Cole. Man, I didn’t realize, but this guy has been with WWE since way back, like 1997 or something. Turns out he’s the longest-serving commentator they’ve ever had. That’s pretty wild when you think about how much stuff changes there.
Then I dug a little deeper. It wasn’t just about how long he’s been calling matches. I saw somewhere he’s also got a big title now, like Vice President of Announcing. Happened a few years back, apparently. Seems like a lot of responsibility on top of being the main voice for Raw every week. Although, I did read somewhere that maybe he’s stepping back from some of those background duties lately, just to really nail the on-camera stuff. Makes sense, that Raw gig is huge.
Finding Out More Stuff
While I was looking into all this, I stumbled onto a funny story. It involved Pat McAfee, you know, the super energetic guy who used to commentate too. Apparently, at one WrestleMania, Cole totally lost it at McAfee because McAfee wanted to wear shorts while calling the event. Cole apparently shouted at him, and McAfee got so mad he almost walked out and refused to do the show! They smoothed it over, obviously, but it’s just funny picturing that happening behind the scenes.
It just showed me a different side of it all. You see these guys calling the action, but there’s a whole structure and history behind who sits in that chair. And this Michael Cole guy, real name Sean Coulthard I found out, he’s been a central piece of that puzzle for a seriously long time. From just calling matches to being a VP, he’s seen it all there. Pretty interesting stuff once you start looking past the wrestlers.
