10 WWE employees who have been with the company for the longest time

8: Michael Cole

Cole has been the voice of WWE for a very long time now...

Michael Cole is arguably the longest-tenured commentator in WWE history, having been an on-screen commentator for almost twenty years. He first started working for WWE in about 1997, but didn’t become a regular commentator until about 1999, as he replaced Jim Ross quite a bit during that period because J.R. was suffering from Bell’s palsy complications at the time.

As a commentator, Cole has been the subject of much criticism. Unlike Jim Ross, who would often show considerable enthusiasm in his commentary and sell the emotions he was feeling as a ringside commentator, Cole’s commentary has often felt too ‘sterile’ and professional, and thus lacking in the emotional emphasis of his predecessor.

This has worsened to an extent in recent years, as poor Cole has found himself in a position where he has to regurgitate what’s fed to him by Vince McMahon and company, even if Cole himself disapproves of it.

Yet given that fact, one should commend Cole for showing such immense patience and maintaining a sense of professionalism, especially since he might have to deal with actual shouting in his head-set on a weekly basis.