WWE Changed Michael Cole’s On-Screen Name Because Of Shawn Michaels

Michael Cole signed with the WWE (former WWF) in 1997. Cole was recommended by the then on-screen backstage interviewer Todd Pettengi. Cole was moved to the position of broadcaster in 1998. The rest, as the say, is history.

Cole recently appeared on The Press Box podcast to promote WrestleMania 38. The 53-year-old talked about various subjects including WWE changing his real name because it sounded like Shawn Michaels’ and they didn’t want two Shawns on air.

“My real name is Sean Coulthard. I came from CBS News. I walked into sports entertainment as a fan not having any idea what I was getting myself into. I had to come up with a different name because at the time, Shawn Michaels was a major star in the company, and they didn’t want to have two Shawns on the air. So I took my middle name and half my last name. So I have a name that doesn’t belong to me, and I play a broadcaster on television.”

Somewhere during the interview, Cole shed light on his massive hearing loss. WWE’s lead play-by-play announcer cannot hear properly due to suffering from 65% hearing loss.

“Yeah, I need to hear myself when I broadcast, and it has to be loud. I think over 25 years of doing that, it’s just deteriorated the hearing where I have these special molds that have been made for me that go into my ears, that I wear my headsets over, and it increases the volume of what I can hear during the show. So they’re almost like hearing aids for ringside commentators.”

Cole has developed a great relationship with fellow commentator Pat McAfee. The two will be seen performing their duties this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at SmackDown and WrestleMania 38 respectively.

Transcription WrestlingNews

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