Michael Cole Fires Back at Criticism Over Repeating Points on WWE Commentary

Michael Cole is pushing back on criticism about his commentary style — and he’s making it clear there’s a reason you keep hearing the same points during WWE broadcasts.

Speaking on The Sal Licata Show, Cole addressed the ongoing complaint from fans who feel like he repeats himself too much while calling matches. According to Cole, it’s not about over-explaining — it’s about making sure the story actually lands with the audience watching at home.

Cole explained that unlike others who prefer to stay in the dark, he needs to know exactly what’s going on so he can guide viewers through the bigger picture of each match and storyline.

“Sometimes. But the problem in the role that I have, like others that I work with — they don’t know what’s going on and they don’t want to know — I need to know because I need to be able to steer the audience in a certain direction of where our story is going.”

He made it clear that he’s not trying to tell fans what to think — but he does feel responsible for making sure the narrative is clear, especially when matches include subtle storytelling elements that could easily go unnoticed.

“I don’t want to think for them. I want them to make up their own mind, but I also want to make sure we’re going down the path creatively of where our story is going. So I need to make sure in the moment I’m telling everyone the story, because there are these little subtleties in our matches that, if we don’t point them out, 90% of the audience at home won’t get it.”

Cole didn’t shy away from the criticism either, directly acknowledging the backlash he sees on social media — but he doubled down on his approach, insisting it’s necessary for the majority of viewers.

“So we need to point out those subtleties. And fans say all the time on social media, ‘Oh, you’re beating us over the head with it! Why are you doing that?’ Because 90% of our audience misses those subtleties.”

For Cole, it ultimately comes down to balancing storytelling with clarity — even if that means repeating key points more than some fans would like. His stance shows just how much responsibility commentators carry in shaping how WWE stories are understood by a global audience.

Do you think Michael Cole is right about needing to repeat key points for the majority of viewers, or does it take away from the experience? Drop your thoughts below and join the conversation.

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