Summary

WWE's longtime lead play-by-play voice Michael Cole has put Gunther at the top of his list when it comes to the best professional wrestler working today. Speaking on The Sal Licata Show, Cole was asked about the greatest match he has ever called. Rather than name a single bout, he pivoted to make a broader point: no one in the current era gives him the same reaction every time out as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion.

Cole described Gunther as an old-school throwback with a rare ability to polarise crowds. With WWE heading to Madison Square Garden for Monday Night Raw on the Road to WrestleMania, Cole noted there is no better setting for a performer of Gunther's style, drawing a direct line to the Garden legends of decades past.

Quote from Michael Cole

"It's hard to answer that question because there's been so many, and I don't wanna do any disrespect to anybody out there, because I know whatever my answer is, there's probably 10 that were better than that. Let me answer it this way. There is a gentleman in our business right now who, every time he wrestles a match, I get goosebumps. I love to call the match. I believe he is the best professional wrestler on the planet today, and that is Gunther."

Cole went on to explain the context surrounding Gunther at the Garden:

"There's such a mix on him. Either people hate him, or they love him. He is such an old school throwback... We're gonna be at The Garden for Monday Night Raw this coming Monday, Road to WrestleMania, a couple of weeks away. If there's ever a place for Gunther to be, it's The Garden. When you think back to the Bruno Sammartinos, the Ivan Putskis, the Superstar Billy Grahams, and some of these all-time greats... Gunther, who we call 'The Career Killer' now because he's ended the careers of Goldberg, Cena and AJ Styles, he is an artist. He is incredible to watch in the ring. It is such a different way to express our business our way that he does it. So Gunther right now, to me, best on the planet, love calling his matches."

Gunther at the Garden and the Road to WrestleMania

Cole's comments carry weight beyond simple praise. Gunther has been confirmed for a significant role at WrestleMania 42, and the Madison Square Garden stop on Raw falls squarely in the build toward that show. Cole's framing of him alongside Bruno Sammartino and Ivan Putski, both synonymous with MSG, reads as deliberate positioning rather than casual commentary. The Garden crowd, historically fond of hard-hitting, old-school workers, is among the more receptive venues for what Gunther brings.

The "Career Killer" nickname Cole referenced speaks to recent storyline history. Gunther's feud calendar has included high-profile opponents in John Cena, Goldberg, and AJ Styles, all of whom were worked into retirement or departure angles involving him. That kind of character depth, layered across genuine in-ring quality, is precisely why someone like Cole singles him out over the entire current roster.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.