As I attempt to pass the time, anxiously awaiting the UPS truck that carries my precious Wii U console and sweet, sweet copies of Hyrule Warriors and Super Smash Bros, still encased in their shiny, plastic wrapped cocoons, I began thinking of something interesting to write a column about.
Mark Madden’s latest column touched on the current Team Cena vs. Team Authority angle, and is worth the read if you haven’t already. An obligatory reference to the played-out nature of authority figures was made, as was the mention of the great Mr. McMahon character circa 1997.
That got me thinking. What if the Authority loses on Sunday? History tells me to expect nothing to change. Even if everything changes, I expect nothing to change. Mr. McMahon was the most convincing, hated power figure in wrestling, ever. Triple H and Stephanie want to use fan’s knowledge of their real-life power to emulate daddy’s success. That’s fine, and maybe even the right call creatively, but as we’ve all mentioned a few hundred times, it’s old. Been there, done that.
So here’s a crazy idea… Why not let Michael Cole have a try?
I’ll let you take a minute to roll your eyes, pass that gag reflex, and try to get that mental image of him in tights out of your head.
Vince McMahon was 52-years-old when he got up from the commentary desk and came face-to-face with Bret Hart. He had been in the wrestling business all his life, paid his on-screen dues as an announcer for years, suffered the humiliation thrown at him by various personalities, and learned the business from the inside-out, on every level. When he became MR. MCMAHON, he was already a veteran.
Michael Cole is 45-years-old. He has been with WWE for over 17 years. He’s been humiliated by practically every babyface to come along since The Rock. He’s more a veteran than anyone left in the locker room.
The night Jerry Lawler suffered a heart attack was the night I gained an irreversible respect for Michael Cole. As a legitimate journalist, former war correspondent and presidential campaign reporter – not to mention the unpredictable nature of pro wrestling – Cole has shown more than most that he can carry a show in the face of any obstacle. That’s the kind of on-screen character I want to watch every Monday. It’s the quality Vince used to have. The same quality Eric Bischoff brought to Nitro, and later to RAW as its greatest general manager.
From a creative perspective, the story practically writes itself. After all, he’s been rallying against the Authority for months on commentary. He has a relationship with Vince McMahon. They even set the stage when he asked JBL “what will you do when the Authority loses, and you lose your job?”
Vince should put Cole in power of Raw and Smackdown. He’s on every show anyways, so his travel schedule wouldn’t change.
Cole has been sitting at that table for years watching every wrestler, manager, authority figure, ring announcer, etc. that has ever come along. No one is more qualified to take the job.
His first act of power should be to “fire” John Layfield, and possibly even Jerry Lawler. Replace them with the next generation of commentary. Vince leaving the booth was one of the major reasons Cole ended up at the table for the long haul. Cole leaving could be the catalyst for Renee Young, or one of the other stellar up-and-comers on Main Event and NXT. And while it’s a sexual harassment seminar in the making, Lawler and Renee might make for interesting television.
I’m not talking about another anonymous general manager stooge. This would be the real deal – Cole in charge of the WWE, calling the shots, making the announcements, booking those 6-man tag team matches (holla!). A fair shot at being a real on-screen character.
Triple H and Stephanie can still maintain a role on TV. They are too valuable to the product to completely disappear, although I’m sure the company would survive. Stephanie is still a “principle owner” of the WWE after all. I’m not sure exactly how they’d work all that out, but then again, I don’t get paid to write their TV show. Maybe I should.
So what do you think? Could Michael Cole take over the authority role in WWE? Is this the worst idea I’ve ever had? Discuss in the comments section below.
