Hall of Fame commentator Jim Ross has shared his take on how Michael Cole was able to get noticed as a play-by-play guy.
JR was the voice of WWE for many years but Vince McMahon knew he’d need another PBP ace. Cole was groomed to not only keep things fresh but to also fill in whenever Ross would get sick.
Today, Cole is WWE’s top play-by-play commentator and Vince has relied on him for several years. More recently, he has been praised for his chemistry with color commentator Pat McAfee on SmackDown.
Jim Ross Talks Michael Cole’s Early Days
Taking to his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross discussed how Michael Cole was able to get ahead early on in his career.
“He was always prepared and he writes notes that are minuscule. I couldn’t copy his homework if my life depended on it, so to speak.
“But he was always well-prepared, always had some notes, always had some information there that he could utilize, pull it out, use it pretty much anytime. The preparedness I thought was great.
“I’m not saying anything — his voice needed to continue to be cultivated but I thought he was a great student, great student of trying to learn how to become a good storyteller as a broadcaster in pro wrestling.”
While Cole has seemingly become a WWE mainstay, Jim Ross eventually made his way to AEW. He has been out of the booth due to skin cancer treatment but he will be making his return on the Dec. 29 episode of Dynamite.
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