WWE’s Michael Cole dealing with 65 percent hearing loss
WWE’s Michael Cole revealed today on The Pat McAfee Show that he is dealing with 65 percent hearing loss.
The revelation came after a commercial break on the program. Co-host AJ Hawk asked Cole’s SmackDown broadcast partner what the two had discussed during the ad break. “Mike Cole’s deaf, so he can’t hear a f—ing thing we say,” said McAfee.
Cole confirmed the fact. “I’ve said three words to him in the three commercial breaks,” said Cole. “That is true, I’m actually, like, 65 percent hearing loss.”
Cole went on to explain how he is able to continue doing his job as WWE’s lead play-by-play announcer.
“They make these special in-ear pieces that go underneath my headsets on-air so I can actually hear,” Cole said.
McAfee commended his broadcast partner for his dedication to WWE.
“I’m like, man, I appreciate your commitment to the entertainment, because that’s 100 percent because of you having a headset on for 25 years,” McAfee said.
Cole sat in for all three hours of the McAfee Show today. He discussed his role as lead WWE announcer, plus commented on the sports news of the day. A video replay of the show is available below. The section where Cole discusses his hearing loss begins at 1:48:36.
An F4WOnline Editor since 2019, Ethan has been covering wrestling and MMA since 2011. He has hosted The Wrestling Life Podcast since 2014, and is a former Baltimore Sun TV/Tribune Media contributor. He is also a Baltimore Ravens and Baltimore Orioles fan.