There are only three constants in life: death, taxes, and, if you’re a pro wrestling fan who’s been watching the product for the past two decades, Michael Cole yammering on about how Monday Night Raw is the longest-running episodic TV show in the history of the galaxy or whatever.
However, for only the second time in 20 years, Michael Cole will be sitting out a week of WWE TV. The first time was after the post-WrestleMania 31 Raw, when Cole was F5ed by Brock Lesnar and lost his shoe in the process; he sat out the following week’s broadcast to sell his injuries.
The second time will be this Monday, as Cole will be taking the night off to attend his son’s wedding, according to WWE.com. Think about that: Dude hasn’t missed a date in two decades. (And yeah, he isn’t working house shows or anything, but given his increased responsibilities backstage, it’s a safe bet that Michael Cole’s life 100 percent revolves around WWE, 24/7.)
Covering for Cole this Monday in Denver will be Smackdown Live announcer Tom Phillips. While Phillips has been with WWE since 2012 and has previously called everything from NXT to 205 Live, this will be his first time calling play-by-play for WWE’s flagship show.
Given how much the 28-year-old has been groomed since entering the organization, it’s a safe bet that this will not be his last time. Hopefully, this means we get our first-ever “Shut up, Tom!” out of Corey Graves in Raw’s history. It’s the little things, people.
