Did Michael Cole leave WWE RAW commentary for good? What we know about his absence

Michael Cole has been the voice of WWE RAW for years. The 56-year-old has been with the sports entertainment juggernaut since 1997. With that said, Cole was absent from the red brand this week, leading fans to wonder about his status.

Kevin Patrick revealed on WWE RAW this week he was filling in for Michael Cole. The veteran commentator is most likely on a much-deserved break from his duties. Also, this week apparently marks the third time he’s missed a WWE show.

Cole previously told Seth Rollins he had only missed two shows during his 26-year stint with WWE. He currently serves as the play-by-play commentator for RAW as well as color commentator for Friday Night SmackDown.

Prior to joining WWE (then WWF) in 1997, Cole worked as a journalist. He covered various U.S. presidential campaigns before spending nine months in the then war-torn Yugoslavian on a high-profile assignment.

Cole’s WWE career started with the role of a backstage correspondent before he was chosen by Vince McMahon to be the play-by-play announcer for SmackDown in 1999. He stayed with the blue brand until 2008, when he was brought to WWE RAW as a trade for Jim Ross.

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How long has Michael Cole been doing dual show commentary?

Michael Cole has worn many hats throughout his two-decade-plus run in WWE. He’s been a backstage correspondent, on-screen enemy of Jerry Lawler between 2010 and 2012, and the lead voice on both WWE RAW and SmackDown.

Cole has been pulling off double duty since 2019, calling matches for both RAW and SmackDown. He’s also done commentary for NXT Premium Live Events alongside former WWE color commentators Nigel McGuiness and Mauro Ranallo.

It remains to be seen if the veteran will appear on WWE SmackDown this Friday.