WWE WrestleMania 27: Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole, a History of Their Rivalry

Michael Cole has never been a fan favorite. Even before his "official" heel turn he was booed mercilessly by crowds at live events, but was never a true heel character.

February 23, 2010 was the first-ever episode of WWE NXT, and with that, Michael Cole began acting like a heel on the air, namely getting into spats with Daniel Bryan. Michael Cole was now a heel. He had made the official turn and the crowd reaction he drew anyways was now warranted.

Even though Cole hated Daniel Bryan, he would announce every week how big of a fan he was of The Miz, who was also a heel and Daniel Bryan's NXT Pro.

Even after Daniel Bryan was eliminated from NXT, Cole continued his new heel persona and still stuck behind The Miz.  By this point, Michael Cole's new heel-announcer persona had been established.

For months Cole played a heel announcer, and would still always stick behind The Miz to carry out his new gimmick.

On November 29, 2010 his feud with Jerry Lawler began. Jerry Lawler was getting his first-ever shot at the WWE Championship in a TLC Match against Michael Cole's favorite superstar, The Miz. It looked as though Lawler had the match all put away, when Cole ran into the ring and pulled Jerry off the ladder, letting The Miz pick up the win.

Throughout December we saw turmoil build at the announce table between Cole and Lawler.

Then in February Jerry Lawler was scheduled to face The Miz for the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber, a match that Lawaler lost.

The Cole/Lawler rivalry kept on building as on the February 21, 2011 episode of Monday Night Raw Michael Cole interviewed Jerry about his loss at Elimination Chamber, in the process bringing up Lawler's very recently deceased mother.

The following week Michael Cole accepted a challenge from Jerry Lawler to face off at WrestleMania XXVII on April 3 in Atlanta. But Cole had announced two stipulations: he would have a special trainer and choose a special guest referee.

Michael Cole's special trainer was revealed to be Jack Swagger, and Cole had selected his former broadcast partner JBL to be the special guest referee.

However, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin interrupted the guest referee contract signing, Stunned JBL, and signed the contract himself, becoming the new special guest referee for the Lawler vs. Cole showdown at WrestleMania.

The feud still continued getting more personal when Cole invited Brian Christopher (aka Grand Master Sexay) to Raw to have a little chat with this father, Jerry "the King" Lawler.  Not to be outdone, Jim Ross made a cameo to defend Jerry Lawaler, however the whole ordeal ended with both Ross in an Ankle Lock.

And now, in only a few days, we will see the culmination of this long feud at WrestleMania XXVII on April 3, 2011 when Michael Cole with Jack Swagger in his corner faces Jerry Lawler, who has the guest referee, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin on his side.