Michael Cole’s Absence from WWE SmackDown: The Surprising Reason Behind It
In a rare flip of occasions, WWE SmackDown viewers had been left wondering about the absence of one of the maximum iconic voices in professional wrestling, Michael Cole. Known for his consistency and dedication, Cole’s absence from the October 18th edition of SmackDown raised eyebrows. Fans were keen to recognise what “special challenge” had taken precedence over his ordinary duties at the announcer’s table. Corey Graves, his colleague, broke the information on the start of the show, informing the WWE Universe that Cole could no longer be gift due to this mysterious task, with Wade Barrett stepping in to cowl.
What got here as a surprise to many changed into the authentic nature of this project—it wasn’t paintings-associated in any respect. Instead, it was a well-deserved family excursion. Speaking in an interview with Sal Licata of WFAN on October twelfth, Cole candidly revealed that he turned into taking a long-past due wreck together with his own family, specifically a holiday to Mexico. In his phrases:
“I’m taking a vacation next week, it’s the first one I’ve taken in a long while. It’s been pretty incredible to miss 3 or 4 television shows in 27 years.”
Cole’s declaration highlighted just how uncommon it is for him to miss shows, further underscoring the dedication he has proven to WWE over his long career. Missing best a handful of shows in his 25-plus years with the agency, Cole’s consistency is sort of unequalled. Fans had been reminded of his absence at some point of the season most fulfilling of Raw in advance in 2023 and any other uncommon incidence back in 2017 while he stepped away for his son’s wedding ceremony.
For Cole, this family holiday comes at a time whilst his profession is yet again evolving. He these days signed a long-time period deal with WWE, indicating that the long-lasting voice of wrestling will maintain calling the movement for years yet to come. Cole himself made it clear that he nonetheless has plenty of passion left for the activity:
“I still feel like I have a lot left in me. I just signed a long-term deal with the company, and I’ll be doing this for a few more years. I’ll be back on Netflix doing Monday Night Raw in January.”
This transition is a part of a broader shake-up coming to WWE’s observation groups in 2025. WWE’s flagship display, Monday Night Raw, is making a large circulate to Netflix. Michael Cole will return to helm statement at the red emblem alongside Pat McAfee, a pairing that many fans are excited about. Meanwhile, Raw’s current announcers, Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett, are set to make their way to SmackDown as part of this reshuffling.
As WWE enters a brand new technology, marked through its migration to streaming structures and widespread shifts in its presentation, it’s clear that Michael Cole will continue to be at the forefront of these changes. For fans who neglected his iconic voice on SmackDown, they are able to rest assured that Cole’s brief time away changed into simply a family holiday, and he’ll be returned, revitalized and prepared to retain calling a number of the biggest moments in WWE history.
h/t to TJR Wrestling for the transcription.
