The October 18, edition of WWE SmackDown saw the blue brand continue on the road to WWE Crown Jewel, as well as the latest developments in the Bloodline saga. While the crowd inside the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina got a stacked show with top names, commentator Michael Cole was nowhere to be found.
Instead of Cole, Monday Night Raw's Wade Barrett donned the headset alongside Corey Graves. Graves shared that Cole was on a "special assignment" and as a result would not be a part of the show this week.
This marks the third time Michael Cole has missed an episode of WWE programming throughout his 27-year career with the company. Cole missed Monday Night Raw's season premiere in October 2023 due to a personal commitment. Before that, he missed a show back in September 2017 to attend his son’s wedding.
Michael Cole's WWE Future
With Cole signing a new contract with WWE earlier this year, fans can expect much more of him in the future, despite his absence this week. Cole is set to reunite with Pat McAfee in January 2025 once the popular sports broadcaster returns to WWE after hosting College GameDay. That same month, WWE Raw will move to Netflix, marking a new era in broadcasting for the red brand, one that Michael Cole will be a part of.
