Once a mild-mannered and timid backstage interviewer getting pushed around by the likes of The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, Michael Cole has gone from strength to strength, becoming the self-proclaimed voice of Smackdown, then Raw and now of the WWE.
Unfortunately for everyone else at the announcing position this has generated a hugely over-inflated ego and at WrestleMania XXVII Jerry 'The King' Lawler will be hoping he can burst the bubble and put Michael Cole firmly back in his place.
Michael Cole Turns Heel
For far too long commentary teams in the WWE have been too 'nice'.
Long gone were the days when the likes of Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon would bicker and argue at the commentary desk, or even when Jerry Lawler himself would side with the bad guys and kick up a stink with long-time announcing partner Jim Ross.
But then gradually Michael Cole began to speak out.
Initially his heelish tendencies started to show as he played head-cheerleader for now WWE-Champion The Miz, talking about how friendly they were and how Miz was better than everyone else.
It all sounded like bluster, until The Miz too revealed that he and Cole were friends, at which point a more arrogant, cocky side of the 'legitimate broadcast journalist' began to show.
Cole Costs Lawler the WWE Championship
Cole really ramped up the heat back in November however, as on the aptly named 'King of the Ring' edition of Raw, Jerry Lawler got a shot at the WWE Championship against The Miz, in a Ladder Match.
Jerry all but had the match won when Michael Cole, who had already shown his dislike for Lawler 'putting himself in the limelight', jumped up from the announce desk and physically prevented King from unhooking the title and becoming champion.
Lawler subsequently lost the match and the following week on Raw promised to gain some revenge on Michael Cole.
Unfortunately for King, before he could get his hands on Michael Cole, the anonymous Raw General Manager stepped in and ordered that should he in any way lay his hands on his fellow announcer, he would be fired on the spot.
Michael Cole's Personal Trainer and Guest Referee
Eventually the tension reached breaking point and after comments from Cole about Lawler's mother, who sadly passed away just days before his WWE Championship match at Elimination Chamber, Jerry challenged Cole to a match at WrestleMania.
Surprisingly Cole accepted, but threw in a few stipulations of his own, namely that he would be allowed to have a 'trainer' at ringside, and that he could select the Special Referee for the bout.
Cole's personal trainer turned out to be The All American-American Jack Swagger, who wasted no time in attacking Lawler and teaching Cole the 'An-Cole Lock'.
The Special Referee announcement didn't go quite as Cole had planned though, as just when his chosen official, none other than John Bradshaw Layfield, was about to sign the contract, Stone Cold Steve Austin crashed the party and signed instead.
Despite this minor set-back Cole and Swagger have continually gotten the better of a valiant Jerry Lawler, even introducing his son Brian Christopher to the mix and attacking Good Ole' J.R.
What to Expect from Jerry Lawler Vs. Michael Cole at WrestleMania XXVII
The simple answer here is 'an entertaining mid-card match'.
It's not going to be the best match of the night, in fact it would probably struggle to be the best match of the night on any card at least in technical terms, but Jerry Lawler has a knack of getting the best out of people, and the majority of the WWE Universe will just be glad to see Cole get the beating he so desperately deserves.
The other thing to be expected from this match is Stunners.
Jack Swagger will undoubtedly take one, Cole will probably take one and if Lawler isn't careful around the Texas Rattlesnake he might end up on the receiving end of one too.
Prediction:
Jerry has spent far too long on the wrong end of this feud, and will and is almost 100% likely to get his revenge at WrestleMania.
Think McMahon Vs. Hart at WrestleMania XXVI but with a little more wrestling.
Find out more about WrestleMania XXVII including Live Results!
Jay Davies - Jay Davies is a 25 year old graduate of the University of Lincoln's School of Journalism, currently residing in South Yorkshire, ...
