Michael Cole has endured an illustrious and excellent run as a WWE commentator for 22 years, but it sounds like he'll be moving into a completely different role soon.
On Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Dave Meltzer explained that WWE seems prepared to move on from Cole as the lead commentator, with the other announcers ready to take over.
"Probably not that long, honestly," Meltzer said. "That’s why they’re hiring so many announcers to… I guess Tom Phillips will probably get the job, so then people — I don’t want to say they’ll wish for Michael Cole, but they probably wouldn’t like Tom Phillips in that spot either."
It's unknown when WWE would move Cole out, and what his next position would be with the company. But given his 22-year experience and massive success with the company, one has to think officials would find another key role for Cole to work - likely something to do with the backstage operations.
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As Meltzer notes, WWE has wasted no time in bringing new on-air personalities aboard. Renee Young was moved from a backstage reporter role and became part of Raw's broadcasting team. Tom Phillips and Corey Graves have brought fresh new energy and voices to the table, and both have showed they could take over for Cole as the new face of WWE commentary.
It's unknown if WWE has simply decided they want to move in another direction, or if Cole is the one who sought a new role instead. Either way, it doesn't sound like the long-time voice of Raw and WWE will be leading the broadcasts much longer. The only question at this point is when he'll be taken off of commentary.
What This Means
Many WWE fans have grown to really admire Cole, who has done an admirable job replacing the legendary Jim Ross as the main voice for the company. But in many aspects, the WWE is looking to get younger and fresher, which could explain why Cole's tenure as the top broadcast man will come to an end before long. It's safe to say that Cole is a lock for the Hall of Fame, too.