Michael Cole wants to call WWE matches until he’s 65, and he’s asked Triple H and his bosses to tell him if he starts slipping before then. The longtime voice of WWE laid out his retirement plans in an interview with OutKick’s Bobby Burack.
Cole said he signed a multi-year contract a year ago and is “here for a little bit longer.” He turns 60 this year and named 65 as the target. “I want to get to retirement age,” he said. “I’d like to get to 65 if I can.”
The request to management is the new part. Cole said he has told Triple H, his producers and his boss Lee Fitting that he wants to hear it if they think he’s slipping, because “I want to get out at the top of my game.” He won’t hang on until 75 or 80, he said, and he pointed to broadcasters across wrestling and sports who have done that and become shells of themselves. “I don’t want that.”
He wants to be remembered as “a damn good commentator,” not as someone who wore out his welcome. Cole said he has a few more years left and still loves the job. “When it’s not fun anymore, then it’ll be time to hang things up.”
The target keeps moving
Cole’s finish line has shifted. In 2023, he told The Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch that 30 years in the job would be a good goal and that he wouldn’t be calling shows at 75 or 80. A month later, on The Pat McAfee Show, he said 60 sounded like a good age to slow down. That conversation also put Pat McAfee in the retirement debate with Cole. Now the number is 65.
The contract timeline is murky. The Ringer reported in August 2024 that Cole signed a new deal that spring, and in early 2025 he told Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast he had eight years on it. A deal signed “a year ago” doesn’t line up with that date, so it’s unclear whether he means the same agreement or a newer one.
Cole also said he was on the road roughly 200 to 230 days last year, and that he stepped back from his behind-the-scenes announcer management role a couple of years ago to focus on being talent. He named Wade Barrett, The Miz and Seth Rollins as people who could become strong analysts down the line.
Money in the Bank is tonight in New Orleans, and Cole will host the countdown show before calling the action at ringside. He said he often doesn’t know the finishes and expects to come up with his cash-in call on the fly.
The rest of the interview covers Roman Reigns’ behind-the-scenes leadership, CM Punk’s return, Nick Khan, and why WWE stays out of politics on air. Cole also gives his takes on the New York Jets and Mets.
