News broke earlier today that popular broadcaster and occasional wrestler Pat McAfee signed a multi-year contract extension to stay with WWE. The response from fans on Twitter was, of course, overwhelmingly positive, and many WWE employees and wrestlers joined in the congratulations by dropping their own excited takes. None of them were more meaningful, however, than the one that came from McAfee’s broadcast partner Michael Cole.
The voice of WWE for twenty-five years, Michael Cole has been doing, in my opinion, the best work of his entire career alongside Pat McAfee. Many fans have commented on how happy and engaged he looks on Friday Night Smackdown, and it seems the broadcaster feels the same way. He took to Twitter to celebrate the signing and got really honest. He said McAfee helped him "revitalize" his love for the business, and he’s "lucky" to work alongside him. Check out his quote below…
After 25 years in “the booth,” working with Pat McAfee is the highlight of each week. His excitement is contagious (even if he almost kicks me when standing on our table) and has helped revitalize my love for our business! WWE, our fans, and I are lucky to have him!
As a wrestling fan watching the product each week, all of that checks out. Michael Cole has always been a very good commentator, but WWE has also cycled him through so many different partners over the years. Objectively, some of those teams have worked a lot better than others. None have worked as well as this current partnership though.
Pat McAfee seems to just live his entire life like he’s jumping off the top rope. He has a natural excitement at all times, and that constant vibe of energy allows Cole to meet him at that level without sounding ridiculous or showy. Together, they’re able to get the most out of every big moment, which is why recent videos of Cole calling Liv Morgan’s cash-in and Wee Man’s bodyslam on Sami Zayn have gone viral.
WWE has been spoiled with some great commentary teams over the years Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon were so fun to listen to, as were Jim Ross and Jerry The King Lawler. In my opinion, Pat McAfee and Michael Cole are right there at that apex. They have really found something special together, and the idea of listening to them work together for another few years makes me so happy.
And of course, McAfee himself deserves his flowers for work outside the booth too. His match at WrestleMania was among the most hyped the crowd got the entire weekend, and I’m sure the crowd at SummerSlam is going to be screaming when he beats Bum Ass Corbin in Nashville (shoutout to Corbin for being a terrific heel). He has the natural talent, body awareness and promo abilities to be a full-time wrestler if he wanted.
There’s no reason to believe he’ll ever choose to be a full-time wrestler, and I’m not even really sure that would be the best path for him. He’s too good at the broadcasting side, and there’s just no way to do both effectively on a regular basis. The fact that we’re even having this conversation, however, is a testament to how good he is and what a slam dunk no-brainer signing this contract extension is. Whether in the booth or in the ring, expect him to be a focal point of many upcoming WWE premium live events.
