Does Michael Cole ruin every debut/return???

[Splaya]

I've wanted to post this before but just haven't had the time. Michael Cole literally ruins every debut or return when the wrestler makes their return to the wrestling world.

AJ Styles...I was in shock when he came out but when you go back to watch the debut, Cole is cringeworthy.

Finn Balor Summerslam 2018- OHHHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYYYYYYY.....THE DEMON COMETH. Like stop trying so hard.

Sasha Banks return on RAW last night- Ruined again.


I know they have been grooming Graves to replace Cole. I just hope it happens ASAP because Cole literally ruins every big return.

[Big Vic]

COULD IT BE!?!?!? ARE THE RUMORS TRUE!?!?!?

[Evil Vito]

I sometimes wonder how much of it is Cole and how much of it is Vince thinking that hammering the point home with zero subtlety is the best way to do it.

[BigCrippyZ]

I sometimes wonder how much of it is Cole and how much of it is Vince thinking that hammering the point home with zero subtlety is the best way to do it.

It seems like it's got to be 90%-95% Vince. Even when you go back and listen to his commentary in 1999 when JR was out and then on SD, yeah sure, he's green and not good, but it's still SO much better than what we get from him today. His commentary on SD from 2000-2005 was solid and showed improvement, etc. I'm left to conclude, because of that and basically everyone else also sucking on commentary, that it must mostly be Vince who is primarily making Cole (and most everyone else) awful on commentary.

[slik]

Michael Cole ruins everything

[Stickman]

Yeah I'm in agreement. Michael Cole consistently makes big moments not big moments.

[Sepholio]

I was with you until the part about Graves replacing Cole. I would take Cole over Graves every single time without hesitation. Graves is brutal, awkward, unfunny and comes off as a crooked knob. And by crooked knob I mean bent penis.

[xrodmuc316]

Michael Cole ruins everything

Yeah, I wouldn't limit his ruining to just debuts and returns lol

Then again, he is still far better than a blubbering 70 year old talking about BBQ Sauce while seemingly drunk

[Emperor Smeat]

Yes.

His style of commentary is terrible at invoking a surprise or wow factor when it comes to these type of situations. Even worse is when he starts adding in buzz words or branding for certain wrestlers without fail taking the specialness out of the moment.

[Tom Guycott]

Michael Cole ruins everything

I whistled that theme. Thanks.

Oddly enough, it's still better than the utter bed-shitting that was Todd Grisham's "... it's Christian." that made it sound like he was just away for five minutes having a piss instead of 5 years in TNA after have becoming an NWA champion.

[Fignuts]

I don't judge commentators themselves because we know they don't have much control of what they say and how they act.

Corey Graves was at one time a great commentator. Now I can't even watch WWE because of him.

[Lock Jaw]

OHH MY! COULD IT BE?! IT IS!!! IT'S BOSS TIME!!!!!!

[OverTaker]

DONG
Oh no. I can't be.. Is it?!

The phenom. The deadman. The Undertaker.

[GD]

Cole will never outdo Señor Grisham's legendary call

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[Supreme Olajuwon]

Everything about Christian’s return was underwhelming. The announcers, the shitty updated theme, the fact it was on ECW. All terrible.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Grisham gets all the shit for that call but Matt Striker was equally dull. And we know Striker could get hyped because he lost his mind when Booker T and Kevin Nash returned at the Royal Rumble.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

But anyway I guess what I’m trying to say is the world would be a better place if Michael Cole was dead.

[Seanny One Ball]

JR and King were the best commentary team of all time.

[Seanny One Ball]

I would choose Attitude Era JR over any other commentator in any other sport.

[GD]

Grisham gets all the shit for that call but Matt Striker was equally dull. And we know Striker could get hyped because he lost his mind when Booker T and Kevin Nash returned at the Royal Rumble.

NO WAY, IT'S A MARK OUT MOMENT, I AM MARKING OUT BRO!

[Droford]

Cole ruins 95% of the entrances

[Rammsteinmad]

I thought it had already been established among the IWC that it's not so much Cole and co. but basically the way they're being force-fed all these terms and catchphrases and taglines that they need to emphasize.

[Tom Guycott]

I thought it had already been established among the IWC that it's not so much Cole and co. but basically the way they're being force-fed all these terms and catchphrases and taglines that they need to emphasize.

Shhhhhh! You'll ruin the cathartic fun some find of arbitrarily shitting on Michael Cole!

[XL]

JR and <s>King</s> Heyman were the best commentary team of all time.

[James Steele]

Michael Cole just can’t call big moments. That’s a gift really, and he’ll always be in the shadow of the greatest big moment caller of all time in Jim Ross. Add in all the shit they have to get in since he took over as the lead guy and it’s a recipe for his average to come off as absolute garbage juice shitty.

[GD]

JR and King were the best commentary team of all time.

People were complaining a lot about them too.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Just watched the Bray Wyatt Jerry Lawler segment from last night. Michael Cole could not have done a worse job than he did if he tried. Just absolute garbage.

[Splaya]

Just watched the Bray Wyatt Jerry Lawler segment from last night. Michael Cole could not have done a worse job than he did if he tried. Just absolute garbage.

It would have been so much better if he not said a fucking word the entire time and then when the lights came back on had quietly said “Jerry” or “oh my god”

[screech]

It would have been so much better if he not said a fucking word the entire time and then when the lights came back on had quietly said “Jerry” or “oh my god”

That's one of my biggest knocks on Cole. A lot of times, he can make moments better by just laying out during them.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Shhhhhh! You'll ruin the cathartic fun some find of arbitrarily shitting on Michael Cole!

It's not arbitrary -- he's just not that good. People love to cite the beast in the east show and the heavily edited Smackdowns of the Heyman era as proof that he's good. But I'm sorry, I heard the Beat in the East and he was OKAY. It was because he called the matches straight like a fucking commentator should somehow people got this idea that he was secretly great. All he proved was, AT BEST, he's decent.

Is he better than I'd be as a commentator? Of course. But even at his finest, he sounds like a shill. That's just the voice that god gave him. He lacks the authority in his delivery of a JR, Soley, Schiavonne (when motivated), or even Gorilla Monsoon (who was ridiculous but carried a certain weight with his words and delivery).

[Sepholio]

People were complaining a lot about them too.

People complained about them constantly, even more than it seems the current commentators get complained about. Everyone constantly harping on JR for his exclamations like OMGWTFBBQSAWCE. King constantly talking about puppies and being a creeper.

Feel like people are looking at the past through rose tinted glasses.

[Sepholio]

Not saying the current crop are better btw. I'm saying that they were all pretty shit.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

I fucking loved JR when I was growing up. He faded around the Invasion but so did everything about the product.

King... was King. Could be very good but also extremely annoying. He was probably better before the PG shackles of the early 90s were removed and he just had to be funny without relying on sex and boob jokes.

[Sepholio]

Announcer: Making his way to the ring, weighing in at all the pounds, VISCERAAAAAAAA.

JR, having seen Viscera a million times: MY GOD THATS A MONSTER!!! THIS IS GONNA BE SLOBBERKNOCKER!!

King: PUPPIES!!!!!!!!!

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

When the likes of Viscera made their way to the ring, JR used bowling shoe ugly.

Anyways, in around 2000, when WWF REALLY started pulling away from WCW, JR was critically acclaimed. The legend only grew when he and Heyman worked together in 2001. I'd say after the Invasion when King came back, they really started stinking out the joint.

[Destor]

The motion that JR isnt the gold standard is laughable. There are only 3 play by plays that can even be brought up as his equal

[Sepholio]

He may be the gold standard of wrestling commentators. Does not change my opinion that they are all objectively garbage lol. Not all of that is their fault either because a lot of the things that make me call them garbage were probably things they were directed to say/do.

I want to see what a real sports commentator could do with it at this point. I don't care if he has a couple standard guys flanking him, I just want one person out there that can stay focused, call a match, and not always say dumb stuff, over react, or have reactions that don't make sense.

[Sepholio]

Heyman was the tits though. F U.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Joey Styles used to call a match like a true play by play announcer and it was great. He knew his shit and was really engaging. And when he overreacted to something it was generally warranted.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

I feel like Mauro and Nigel are pretty close to a traditional sports announce team even with all of Mauro’s freakouts.

[Loose Cannon]

I'll just leave this here. Can't top JR


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[Ol Dirty Dastard]

I feel like Mauro and Nigel are pretty close to a traditional sports announce team even with all of Mauro’s freakouts.

I'd like Mauro more if he commentated like less of a mark for himself.

[Splaya]

I'll just leave this here. Can't top JR


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LC I feel like this is one of the most underrated returns in WWE history. When the lights first go out, you can tell the crowd thinks it's going to be Taker. I remember watching this live on TV and thinking to myself oh Shit, Taker going to mess people up. Then when Bearer comes out to Kane's music it's like OH SHIT.:eek::eek:

[Big Vic]

I also really liked JR and Heyman

[KIRA]

I also really liked JR and Heyman

Their dislike for each other just worked out so well on commentary

[Sepholio]

Damn can't believe I forgot about Joey Styles. Yeah he was good.

[Tom Guycott]

Damn can't believe I forgot about Joey Styles. Yeah he was good.

... just not good enough to call Backlash.

[GD]

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[KIRA]

Micheal Cole though, between that voice and the lines he said it's horrible and it seemingly only gotten worse with time

Mario Ronaldo may be a mark but I'd rather have vast and Michael Cole's robotic delivery fake excitement and WWE shill voice.