It’s hard to imagine WWE without Michael Cole calling the action, but one day that’ll become a reality.
The veteran commentator, 58, has been part of the company since 1997 and has previously he suggested he could be taking a step back when he hits 60.
Fans needn’t worry though, with NXT star Vic Joseph, 40, earning high praise with many viewers hailing him a natural successor to Cole.
Speaking exclusively told Metro, his co-commentator Booker T, 60, insisted Vic already has the skills to step up to the main roster on a regular basis if the opportunity came up on Raw or SmackDown.
‘Really, he’s ready to go right now and do big things. He could be on the main roster doing Raw SmackDown, all the premium live events right now,’ he said.
‘To date, he’s been preparing for that moment. Preparation is the only luck you ever going to have. And for Vic, he’s been preparing and preparing and preparing for that moment, and even letting me sit at the desk with him, and guided me along.’
Longtime commentator Cole previously told the Pat McAfee Show that while he’s not planning on retiring ‘anytime soon’, he’s looking at ‘slowing down a little bit’ when he turns 60.
Meanwhile, Booker hailed broadcast partner Vic as a ‘maestro’ who is able to handle the pressures of being WWE’s play-by-play man.
‘He’s a great maestro. He knows how to keep the traffic going very, very well, which is something you need when you’re doing this line of work,’ the Hall of Famer explained.
‘So for me, I’ve just been the guy sitting in the passenger seat, you know, watching this guy navigate on a weekly basis, and it’s been so freaking awesome. He’s made my job really, really easy.’
Currently, Vic and Booker call the action on NXT, with Cole heard on both SmackDown with Corey Graves, while Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett are handling Raw duties.
Booker – who was speaking earlier this year around the launch of A&E LFG, which aims to find the next breakout WWE superstar – admitted he was only meant to be on the NXT desk for a short period of time.
He added: ‘That job for me was only supposed to be for three months, and it’s been. It’s been over three years now – crazy, right? And I know 100% that I couldn’t have done it without Vic Joseph being there by my side. No way.’
The former world champion has developed his own style too, including his ‘uh uh’ sounds to accompany Stephanie Vaquer’s viral Devil’s Kiss move.
The new Women’s World Champion has praised Booker for adding to her own performance, and he’s glad she took it in the spirit it was intended.
‘It was just about being a soundtrack to the move. It’s a great move, but you know, when you watch a movie, if it didn’t have that soundtrack behind it, it’s not the same,’ he pondered.
‘If you watch a fight scene, it didn’t have music behind it and the punches, it’s not going to be the same. So for me, I can’t do Corey Grave’s job, I really can’t. I can’t do Vic Joseph’s job – but I can do my job.’
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