---
title: "WWE Announcer Michael Cole Opens Up About Hearing Loss"
canonical: "https://wrestletalk.com/news/michael-cole-hearing-loss/"
type: "post"
language: "en-US"
author: "Sanchez Taylor"
section: "News"
published: "2021-11-03T21:00:00Z"
modified: "2021-11-03T21:00:00Z"
---

# WWE Announcer Michael Cole Opens Up About Hearing Loss

Michael Cole revealed that he is technically deaf during his appearance on [The Pat McAfee Show](https://youtu.be/8j3u2-Jykkc), explaining that he wears a special earpiece under his WWE headset while calling the action.

After speculating whether his hearing loss was due to years of wrestling commentary, or from explosions during his pre-WWE journalism career, Cole said:

> “I’m actually 65% hearing loss. They make these special in-ear pieces that go underneath my headset on air, so I can actually hear.
>
> “When the red light goes on, it’s fun. There’s a lot leading up to it and a lot of stuff that happens during the week, but Friday nights at 8 o’clock, when that red light goes on, it’s the best job in the world. You get to be play-by-play guy, color analyst, but you also get to be a storyteller and a narrator. You get to be an actor, you’re part of the show. It’s the best of every world possible.”

Cole has been associated with WWE since 1995, first appearing on-screen as a backstage interviewer in 1997. He currently serves as a commentator for SmackDown, and has been the WWE Vice President of Announcing since April 2020.

*Quotes via [Fightful](https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/michael-cole-has-65-hearing-loss-uses-special-ear-piece-hear).*

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