During the main event of WWE NXT last night, announcer Michael Cole went off on a rant against Internet fans and the independent wrestling “universe.”
The main event featured NXT rookie Daniel Bryan against World Heavyweight champion Chris Jericho. Announcer Josh Matthews played up Bryan’s wrestling credentials, putting over the fact that he’s been wrestling on the independent scene for nearly a decade and has established his name across the world. Michael Cole seemed to get pissed off over Matthews comments, repeatedly dismissing Bryan’s accomplishments, saying performing at “high schools” does not impress him in the least.
Cole sided with The Miz’s character, downplaying Bryan’s accomplishments and insisting he show more respect for the WWE Pros. Cole added that he had never really heard anything about Daniel Bryan prior to the debut of NXT and put down smart fans who read the “dirt sheets.”
Some fans reacted with outrage, feeling as if Cole’s comments represented a deliberate disrespect for diehard wrestling fans and what talent like Daniel Bryan have accomplished outside of the WWE ring. But it was apparent to most, however, that Cole was simply trying to stir up some controversy.
The “WWE Universe” Twitter account posted the following Tuesday night:
“Michael Cole has requested his @WWEUniverse profile be removed from our site, not wanting to associate with “online fans” any longer.”
In typical WWE fashion, there’s a real life situation that’s out of their control (smart fans going online and reading wrestling news & learning about other wrestling products) – so they’re turning it into a storyline.
UPDATE: Joey Styles posted the following messaages on Twitter in regards to the on-air exchange between Michael Cole and Josh Matthews:
“So who is the bigger online fan favorite now, Bryan Danielson or Josh Mathews for acknowledging the wrestling world outside WWE?”
“I can assure you that the exchange between Josh Mathews and Michael Cole was very real. Cole lives in the WWE bubble.”
There are now several I hate Michael Cole threads in the NXT forums on wweuniverse.com. Vintage hatred for Michael. Oh My. Josh is a hero.
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