Vince McMahon yelled at Michael Cole in "legendary meltdown" after botch, WWE HOFer says
Michael Cole began commentating for WWE in the late 1990s during the company's popular Attitude Era. World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) recently recalled how Vince McMahon once yelled at Cole after an error during a live RAW episode.
On January 11, 1999, Dennis Knight was renamed Mideon as part of The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness storyline. The segment was supposed to end with Mideon levitating while surrounded by smoke on the stage area. However, a special effects malfunction meant the wrestler did not move.
JBL said on Something to Wrestle that McMahon reacted furiously when Cole incorrectly stated on commentary that Mideon was floating:
"Mideon was supposed to levitate and they had some type of special effect and it didn't work, but Michael Cole had not gotten the note that he wasn't levitating, and so Michael Cole says, 'Oh, he's levitating,' and Vince McMahon blew a gasket. 'Michael! You dumba**!' Oh my God, yeah, it was a legendary meltdown by Vince." [23:45 – 24:08]
The segment concluded with a close-up of Mideon with his chest cut open. The superstar was clearly not moving when Cole excitedly exclaimed, "He's floating! King [Jerry Lawler], what the hell?! What the hell is going on?!"
JBL explains Michael Cole's botch
As the segment was filmed near the entrance ramp, Cole had to rely on television monitors to talk viewers through what was happening.
While Vince McMahon seemingly had no sympathy for Cole's difficult position, JBL understood why his former commentary partner made the mistake:
"Michael, not knowingly, had made it look more preposterous, but he had been told [beforehand] that [Mideon was going to levitate] and nobody didn't tell him not to say it. That was one of Vince's epic meltdowns on Michael Cole." [24:10 – 24:21]
More than two decades on, Cole has been WWE's lead play-by-play announcer for several years. He currently calls the in-ring action alongside color commentator Corey Graves on SmackDown.
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Please credit Something to Wrestle and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
