Michael Cole was nowhere to be seen during the October 16 episode of WWE SmackDown, and now we know why the longtime WWE commentator missed the show.
Cole was absent from Friday Night SmackDown at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, leaving fans wondering why one of WWE’s most reliable voices wasn’t at the commentary desk. Considering how rarely Cole misses a show, his absence was definitely noticeable.
According to PWInsider, there’s nothing serious behind Cole missing SmackDown. He was simply on vacation, taking some time away from his WWE duties.
With Cole unavailable, Vic Joseph stepped in to handle commentary alongside Wade Barrett. The two have plenty of experience working together from their time calling WWE NXT, so WWE had a familiar team ready to go.
Cole taking a vacation might not sound like a huge deal, but it’s pretty unusual considering his track record. The WWE veteran went years without missing a broadcast and has built a reputation for being one of the hardest-working people in the company. There’s also no indication that Cole’s absence has anything to do with his future in WWE. As previously noted, Cole is under a long-term agreement with the company, so fans shouldn’t read too much into him taking a week off.
For now, it looks like Cole simply decided to enjoy some well-earned time away from the announce table. WWE didn’t miss a beat with Joseph and Barrett handling the show, and there’s no reason to believe anything bigger is going on behind the scenes.
What did you think of Vic Joseph and Wade Barrett calling SmackDown without Michael Cole? Would you like to hear them together more often? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
