WWE HOFer JBL Lists His All-Time Favorite Announcers

John Bradshaw Layfield is both a veteran of the ring and of calling the action inside it. Speaking on "Something to Wrestle," the WWE Hall of Famer opened up about who he believes sets the gold standard for wrestling play-by-play, and he didn't hesitate to name the individual with whom he worked most closely during his time behind the desk. 

"Michael, to me, is the GOAT," JBL said of longtime WWE commentator Michael Cole. "Michael is the greatest of all time, period. And that's no offense at all to our good friend JR and Gordon Solie, who I did not know. JR was legendary. We're talking about great and greater; we're not talking about great and one that's not good. I put Michael Cole, Gordon Solie, and Jim Ross as the top three."

JBL suggested that Cole often gets overlooked in the conversation because of his run as a heel character, and the challenge of replacing an icon like Jim Ross. Beyond describing the happenings on-screen, JBL also credited Cole with helping WWE's overall growth. He called Cole a "genius" at juggling play-by-play and hitting advertiser spots, all while Vince McMahon was barking orders in his ear. 

"There's a big difference in what Michael has now," JBL said. "When you've already got the Netflix deal, you can do commentary differently. Now he doesn't have Vince in his ear, so there's not that over-producing ... Now Michael can just sit back and call the sport. He's fantastic, man."

The Syracuse University alum has begun getting his flowers in more recent years, with JR declaring that Cole was doing his best work. Former WWE creative writer Freddie Prinze Jr. also had high praise for Cole's play-by-play.

But when it came to the best color commentator, Layfield's pick was unsurprising. "There's no doubt Bobby Heenan was the greatest ever," he said.