Michael Cole Admits He Almost Drove Pat McAfee Away from WWE WrestleMania

Michael Cole was once known to be one of WWE's colorful and passionate commentators, and names like Triple H have commended his work. But it has not been an easy road. In a candid confession, the veteran WWE commentator admitted that, at one point, he yelled at McAfee so badly that the former NFL guy almost walked out on WrestleMania. According to Cole's account of the episode on Logan Paul's "IMPULSIVE" podcast, it involved an argument between the two over WWE's dress code and some rather unanticipated backstage drama. In hindsight, Cole admits that he is not very proud of the situation and that it has been a learning experience for both of them.
During the interview, Michael Cole pointed out that chemistry between broadcast partners is important. He considers himself lucky to have had good chemistry with most of his colleagues-McAfee included. But on one WrestleMania night, that chemistry met with a real test.
WWE's formal dress code dictated that shorts were out of the question, so when Pat McAfee showed up in shorts, it was a shocker. He was the head of the announcers at the time, and it was quite the show. He snapped at McAfee in front of some key figures backstage, including Vince and Stephanie McMahon.

"What the f**k are you doing, Pat? Dude, you're in f**king shorts, it's WrestleMania!" Cole recalled saying. His comments caused McAfee to feel embarrassed and angry, which led him to storm off without announcing any longer.
Cole tried to stop McAfee after realizing the extent of his outburst, but McAfee would have none of it. "He told me, 'You just embarrassed me in front of everybody in this company,'" Cole said. In that instant, he understood that his tirade had hurt McAfee more than he had intended.
Somehow, they managed to shake hands. Ironically, Vince McMahon was okay with McAfee's outfit and even questioned the reason for Cole's extreme reaction. This revelation caused Cole to reflect on his mistake, leading to an understanding between him and McAfee.
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From that moment onward, the partnership between the two has grown stronger, both professionally and otherwise. McAfee is still one of the beloved voices of the WWE, thus showing that sometimes the hardest moments create a stronger mutual respect. This incident is also a strong reminder that professionalism is only as important as the respect you extend to your colleagues. Sometimes it's not about the rules-it's about how you enforce them.