Michael Cole Confirms He Had No Idea About Pat McAfee's WWE Royal Rumble Return

WWE lead announcer Michael Cole recently appeared on the Pat McAfee Show and discussed his reaction to McAfee's surprise WWE return at the Royal Rumble. McAfee made a shock return to the commentary team at the beginning of the broadcast - a moment Cole was reportedly not aware of beforehand. Cole explained:

"I usually know everything going on in our world today because of the position that I'm in. This is the first time in probably a decade that I legitimately was surprised at something that happened on the show. [...] I legit didn't know if we would ever see you again in the WWE. We talked back in September and you'd be back after football season, a lot in your life has changed since then, a lot in our company has changed since then. I legit didn't know if you were ever going to be back. If you notice, I haven't said much to anyone publicly about when you were coming because no one knew. 

"When I sat down that day, Corey [Graves] and I prepared as a two-man booth like we always do, and when the music hit, when I think of Pat McAfee, I think of the White Stripes. When the first couple of bars of the new song hit, I didn't immediately recognise it. Then Hunter [Triple H] was in my ear, 'Are you going to sell it?' I mouthed to him in the spy cam, 'Sell what?' Then I looked up and saw your video board and I'm like, 'You're ribbing me.' The music hit and you came out; I didn't know what to say because I didn't know if you were coming out to be an announcer or to be the number one entry in the Rumble because we were starting with the Rumble match. Then I saw you in your blazer and I was like, 'He's coming out to be an announcer.' I was so excited."

H/T to Fightful.