By Rich Twilling

Wednesday, AUGUST 11 - 3:22 P.M. (CT)

-For years, Michael Cole has been a WWE announcer. For years, he has taken a beating for how unspectacular he is. Think all the way back to WrestleMania 15. Jim Ross had been out for awhile, turned heel, and did not call that show. Cole did and then handed off to Ross for the main event.

During the hype for WrestleMania 21, Cole received a lot of positive attention for the video he taped because he was in excellent physical shape. Since the beginning of the NXT show, he has tried to develop a new, edgier persona.

Cole has been called a lot of things. Boring, monotone, and forgettable all come to mind. "Not Jim Ross" is also a popular one. It is difficult to take the place of a Hall of Famer and one of the best announcers of all time. However, Cole hasn't done himself many favors, until now.

Ross has some famous lines that people will always remember, but "Stone Cold! Stone Cold! Stone Cold!" is at or near the top of that list. Ross and Steve Austin had (and have) a legit friendship off camera, but on screen, they sort of came as a package deal. If Austin did something revolutionary, Ross was there to call it and solidify it as an unforgettable moment.

Well, it is no secret Cole is positioning himself to be known as "the voice" of The Miz. Miz is the best thing WWE has going right now and I'd be shocked if he was not a future WWE Champion. Cole is jumping on board now as the guy that will be heard in all of those videos we will see featuring Miz in the future.

Michael Cole will never be Jim Ross. However, he is who we have, so hopefully he can pick up his game as The Miz skyrockets to superstardom. The current problem is that nobody is taking Cole seriously. When he first started showing heel tendencies, it was the best work he has done in a long time.

However, he then became silly and campy again. His references to great coaches have just become eye rolling. His silliness at the beginning of NXT last night with the punching bag game is stuff we would never see from Jim Ross. Cole has a great opportunity here, but for him to make the most of it, he needs to figure out exactly who he wants to be.

If Cole really is a fan of The Miz, he should state that in a serious and genuine matter. He should call shows and matches with respect for the workers, the fans, those listening to him, and those who came before him. He should ditch the insecure comments directed at Jim Ross. Cole, you will never be as good as Ross, so be as good as you can possibly be.

The Miz can be and probably will be a top guy in WWE. Hell, he could end up being the guy. We do not need Michael Cole verbally masturbating every week. Cole is going to be that voice we hear. Let's hope he brings something worthwhile to the table in which The Miz will be the head of.

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