WWE's Michael Cole On Relationship With Vince McMahon, Being Seen As His 'Puppet'

Michael Cole has been a WWE announcer for over two decades and is widely regarded as one of the best play-by-play commentators of all time. Cole has dealt with multiple challenges as WWE's lead broadcast man, recently opening up about the experience of having to work with Vince McMahon in his ear for nearly 25 years, and delved into how his job has been different since he left the company.

In an interview with "The Ringer," Cole went into detail about his relationship with McMahon, explaining that it was often difficult to listen to his former boss through the headset. He admitted that some may have viewed him differently due to having to continuously listen to McMahon's commands.

"I'm not going to lie, there have been times where he has said things to me that were inappropriate. I would go back to Gorilla after the show and get in his face and tell him, 'That was b******t.' He respected that I did that. Over the next few years, people still didn't accept me because they looked at me as being a puppet for Vince. And I think some of that probably was true." said Cole. "Listen, I'm not a rebel. I'm here to make money and take care of my family and provide myself a good living. And when your boss asks you to do something, you do it. I still think, at that time, I was a hell of a good announcer."

Cole also credited WWE CCO Triple H for giving him more freedom on the headset since "The Game" became the head of creative in WWE, stating that he has been able to experiment more with his personality. 

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Ringer" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.