Pat McAfee’s music surprised fans in Tropicana Field as he kicked off the Royal Rumble event. He joined Michael Cole and Corey Graves to call every match on the show, even the Men’s Royal Rumble, where McAfee had an impromptu appearance in the match. Now, he is back on WWE television on a weekly basis.

Pat McAfee Is Back on WWE Television

McAfee’s “Let’s Goooo!” music kicked off WWE RAW this week. This appearance was more than Royal Rumble fallout, because Cole and McAfee are back together.

Michael Cole was happy to announce that McAfee is now back on WWE RAW as a full-time announcer for the red brand. He will be joined by Cole on the show every week, and they were very happy about this reunion.

BREAKING: @PatMcAfeeShow & @MichaelCole are the brand new commentary team on #WWERaw every Monday! pic.twitter.com/y8cOEpDigv

— WWE (@WWE) January 30, 2024

Cole and McAfee work together very well, because they are legit good friends. Cole has spoken on many occasions how close he is with McAfee, and now the two real-life friends get to talk about pro wrestling on RAW for three hours every week.

Thrilled to have @PatMcAfeeShow every week on #WWERaw. Welcome home, Pat! pic.twitter.com/mRbQTUxV7D

— Triple H (@TripleH) January 30, 2024

Pat McAfee’s Previous WWE Experience

McAfee cut his teeth in WWE on the NXT brand. He not only got some commentary experience in, but he also had one impressive feud with Adam Cole, which resulted in a legit match. He later went on to become SmackDown announcer.

Austin Theory stepped up to face Pat McAfee at WrestleMania 38, in a match that was first thought to be Vince McMahon vs McAfee. That match was quite interesting, as it saw McMahon make his final WrestleMania appearance (probably ever) as he sold a Stone Cold Stunner like a lead balloon.

WWE Shaking Up Announce Teams

I broke the news that Kevin Patrick is off the SmackDown announce team.

SmackDown set for a change.
Kevin Patrick is out.
No replacement named yet.
Reason I was given: “It just wasn’t working out.”

— Aaron (@AaronVarble) January 23, 2024

Since then, we’ve learned the new SmackDown announce team has been finalized:

Endeavor instituted two-man announce teams with their new set-up. It appears that three-man teams are out now, which is what helped lead to Michael Cole and Pat McAfee’s reunion on the red brand. 

WWE fans saw several surprises during the 2024 Royal Rumble event. Pat McAfee returned to commentary, and he got a spot in the Rumble match. It appears that WWE sprung that match spot on him.

I’M IN THE RUMBLE MATCH..

WHY DID YOU GUYS LET ME IN THERE#RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/HW6mcWN9dZ

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 28, 2024

Pat McAfee Speaks on his Royal Rumble Return

Pat McAfee’s entrance music was the first that fans heard during the Royal Rumble. Michael Cole was also incredibly happy to call the event alongside his real-life friend. McAfee’s night was only getting started as he added another big event to his WWE resume. 

While speaking about his experience in a digital exclusive, McAfee said he couldn’t pass up on the chance to return by the side of Cole and Graves when he was offered the commentary role for the evening.

“Yeah, coming back to get a chance to be in front of the WWE Universe is an absolute honor. I was told, ‘Hey, Pat, you wanna come back and commentate?’ I said, hell yes. The Royal Rumble, what an event. Stories can be written, where dreams can come true. ‘You want to commentate?’ I said, ‘Hell yeah,’ work with Michael Cole, the greatest of all time, alongside Corey Graves with a fresh baby, fresh mindset, fresh haircut. I said, ‘I would love to do that.'”

Pat McAfee Wasn’t Given A Heads Up

When it comes to his Royal Rumble match appearance, McAfee said that he had no idea that he was going to be in the match. Although Pat wasn’t dressed for the occasion, he went with the flow of things, and that included a very brief appearance in the match.

“All of a sudden, what, 22, I’m in the Royal Rumble? Nobody gave me a heads-up about that. Got my cowboy boots on. Michael Cole let me go in there. That was rude of him. I thought we were friends. Then there was a thing in there. Seven foot three, okay? You’re just looking up at a statue of a being.” 

“I see little Bron Breakker go like barking at me. I’m like, I’m not supposed to be in here. Why would I be in here right now? I’m not prepared for this. Also, who would I be to take a main event at WrestleMania spot away from somebody? So I got my ass out of there. Now I went back in because I thought to myself, wait a minute, am I just gonna be a coward? “I realized quickly, ‘Yeah, I think tonight I am.’ I went right back to the booth. And it was great. It was a great show,”

Pat McAfee may be busy with his ESPN gig, but he wouldn’t miss the Royal Rumble event. He was able to call the entire show, and he even returned to the commentary table after his short stint in the 2024 Royal Rumble match.

Absolute honor to be back in the WWE Universe tonight… What a show. Getting to call wrestling again with the ?, @MichaelCole, and @WWEGraves was an absolute blast.

I feel like a kid every time I get the chance to go back… so much fun and so much talent in one building..… https://t.co/PDIDqQlRw5

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 28, 2024

ESPN has responded to recent accusations by Pat McAfee stemming from alleged sabotage of his popular talk show. 

In May 2023, McAfee signed a multi-million dollar deal with ESPN to bring his show to the sports channel. This deal saw McAfee leave a lucrative contract with FanDuel in which he was set to earn $120 million over four years.

ESPN Responds to Pat McAfee

During a recent episode of his show, McAfee claimed that some in ESPN were trying to sabotage his efforts. The WWE correspondent called out ESPN executive Norby Williamson, claiming he is a “rat” leaking false information. 

In a statement, ESPN said the following: 

“No one is more committed to and invested in ESPN’s success than Norby Williamson. At the same time, we are thrilled with the multi-platform success that we have seen from The Pat McAfee Show across ESPN. We will handle this matter internally and have no further comment.”

Pat McAfee Show Controversy

McAfee’s show recently saw criticism after Aaron Rodgers made baseless claims that Jimmy Kimmel would be named on the list of those who traveled to the island of Jeffrey Epstein. So far, no hard evidence has proven Rodgers’ claim, and several fake lists shared online have been debunked. McAfee made no effort to challenge Rodgers on his claim. 

Corey Graves took it personally when Pat McAfee replaced him on SmackDown. Click here to find out more. 

Pat McAfee has taken aim at Norby Williams, dubbing the ESPN executive a “rat” who leaks false information to sabotage Pat’s show. 

In May 2023, McAfee signed a multi-million dollar deal with ESPN to bring his show to the sports channel. This deal saw McAfee leave a lucrative contract with FanDuel in which he was set to earn $120 million over four years. 

Pat McAfee Accuses Norby Williamson

On his show, McAfee spoke about having a positive relationship with ESPN for the most part. The WWE correspondent then aimed at those attempting to make the show worse and called out Williamson. 

“I believe, Norby Williamson is the guy who is attempting to sabotage our program. Now, I’m not 100 percent sure. That is just seemingly the only human that has information, and then that information gets leaked, and it’s wrong, and it sets a narrative of what our show is.

“Are we just gonna combat that from a rat every single time? Somebody tried to get ahead of our actual ratings release with wrong numbers 12 hours beforehand. That’s a sabotage attempt. It’s been happening this entire season from some people who didn’t necessarily love the old addition of ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ to the ESPN family. There’s a lot of those.”

*BOMBSHELL*

Pat McAfee accuses ESPN executives of purposely sabotaging his show and leaking false information to the media.

McAfee specifically names ESPN leader Norby Williamson as the person leading the sabotage efforts.

Horrible look for ESPN. pic.twitter.com/rGcOSNcHRW

— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) January 5, 2024

It’s certainly a bold move for McAfee to call out Williamson like this. Calling out executives rarely works out well, as we’ve seen in the past in the world of wrestling. McAfee’s show recently saw criticism after Aaron Rodgers made baseless claims that Jimmy Kimmel would be named on the list of those who traveled to the island of Jeffrey Epstein. So far, no hard evidence has proven Rodgers’ claim and several fake lists shared online have been debunked. 

Pat McAfee may have won over fans with his enthusiastic commentary as part of WWE SmackDown, but his second match at WrestleMania 38 left a lot to be desired.

Last April, McAfee competed at his first WrestleMania, defeating Austin Theory who had been accompanied by Mr. McMahon.

In an impromptu match, McMahon defeated McAfee, thanks to interference by Theory.

All three men would receive stunners by ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin to end the segment.

Worst. Match. Ever!

Given that he was facing a 76-year-old man, McAfee’s bout with McMahon was far from a five-star classic.

In the recent Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards, fans voted the match as the worst bout of 2022, beating Ric Flair’s Final match from July by over 250 votes.

On Twitter, McAfee reacted to his ‘win,’ and is pleased that he got to experience WrestleMania as a wrestler.

Well… Me and Vince McMahon’s match at WrestleMania has officially been named ‘Worst (nonsanctioned) match of the year’ 

The old man was MUCH stronger than anybody could’ve imagined.. Caught me off guard quite a bit (and I was Cheap Shotted to start it all).. Fun Fact.. The 1st time Steve gave Vince a stunner was in 1997… I was 10 years old, from a working class community, and it made me fall in love with the business. Wonder if it would be magical to get one last BAHGAWD in Stone Cold’s State? But… How do we get there? OHHHH.. He has to abuse his power a little bit… ohhhhhh

When I was invited back in the ring.. I thought I was gonna get to celebrate Stone Cold finally ending the run with Vince.. ‘The Common Beer Drinking Employee’ has finally put the old ‘Power abusing Billionaire Boss’ away.. I was LIVING A DREAM whilst they wrapped (in my opinion) the greatest/most impactful storyline in the history of wrestling. BUT… “NEVER TRUST THE TEXAS RATTLESNAKE PAT

My brain may have been used during the planning of all of this.. So I appreciate the award.. obviously. I’m not a movie guy.. I didn’t watch shows.. I don’t play video games.. From an entertainment standpoint.. Football and Wrestling are literally the only 2 things I’ve ever consistently watched/loved for my whole life. Cheers to you all. I’ll remember that night, in Jerry World, forever. WHADDDD”

Other nominees for Worst Match of 2022 included the 2022 Men’s Royal Rumble, the All Out 2022 Casino Royale Ladder Match, and Tyrus’ NWA World Championship victory.

What’s Next for Pat?

At the Royal Rumble, McAfee made a one-night return to the commentary table, as he has spent months with ESPN’s College GameDay.

After not appearing on SmackDown since then, McAfee took to Twitter to reflect on his future with the promotion.

In the said tweet, Pat questioned whether he would be willing to work with WWE’s potential new owners, but did not name which names listed as possible buyers would make him reconsider his position.

Pat McAfee has proven to be a hit with fans as part of the WWE SmackDown commentary team, but will a new owner push Pat out of the company?

The former NFL punter began serving as a guest commentator for WWE NXT TakeOver events in 2018, before signing with the promotion the following February.

In 2021, McAfee was moved to the SmackDown commentary table, but has been absent as of late due to his commitments to ESPN’s College Game Day.

In addition to commentary, McAfee has had a handful of matches in WWE, with his most recent bout seeing him defeat Baron Corbin at Summerslam 2022.

Unsure

At the WWE 2023 Royal Rumble, McAfee made his surprise return to commentary but did not appear on the following edition of SmackDown.

In a tweet, McAfee reflected on various parts of his life, including his role with WWE.

The Smackdown commentator said that while he loves working for WWE, the possibility of a new owner could make him reconsider his position with the promotion.

“Baby girl on the way… what’s that mean for my future with @WWE? I LOVE it but, they’re allegedly gonna be sold, who’s buying them? Do I want to work/make money for those people?”

Pat McAfee.

Other Plans

Of course, WWE is just part of McAfee’s life, and he has various successful ventures away from the ring.

Speaking about College Game Day, McAfee called it a “good time” but acknowledged that there was no long-term deal in place.

McAfee also spoke about reports of a defamation lawsuit from Bret Farve, saying that he is “allegedly” being sued.

Pat McAfee has commented on what WWE originally had planned for him at the Royal Rumble where he made his surprise return. 

The SmackDown announcer revealed today on his radio show that he was supposed to be in the men’s Royal Rumble match. He had been away since last September due to his commitments to ESPN’s College GameDay

He said his goal was to enter the Rumble match but decided against it because he felt he wasn’t in good enough shape to do so.  

The Moment

“A lot of people thought I was going to be in the Royal Rumble, a lot of people thought that I was going to be there. That was not figured out until late last week. I mean, that really came together pretty quick. Not that there was any bad relations or anything, it’s just my schedule for the last five months and everybody’s schedule, especially in WWE… My wife’s pregnant, with what the schedule was… There was no bad beef or anything. It was just like ‘I don’t want to have to train enough to go into that Royal [Rumble].’

McAfee stated that when he left, the company thought the Rumble was the perfect time to return. 

“They said immediately, Hunter and everybody and Nick, and Stephanie at the time, were like, ‘You know, Rumble, that’s like a perfect time to come back because that’s when people come back, and it’s after college football season or whatever.’ And I was like ‘perfect, alright’ because I actually need something to keep me in shape. I always get fat. I actually need something to keep working out for and I tried. Everybody saw me, I was getting after it there.”

McAfee praised Kevin Dunn and other people in WWE for keeping his return a secret. He had also kept his return a secret from Michael Cole, who has become good friends with the former NFL punter. 

McAfee also noted that he had an issue with his plan and other travel arrangements had to be made so he arrived to the venue less than 30 minutes before the event started. 

H/T to F4Wonline.com

To start off the WWE Royal Rumble PLE, Pat McAfee made his surprise return to the company by joining Michael Cole and Corey Graves at the announce table to call the show that started with the 30-Man Royal Rumble match. 

WWE brought him in last year to be part of SmackDown, and he has been praised for his one-liners and energy during shows. Wade Barrett replaced McAfee while he was gone on SmackDown, and WWE has used Booker T in NXT to replace Barrett. 

The Shock

McAfee’s return was kept very close to the vest to prevent the news of his return from leaking out, according to a report by PWinsider. It should be noted that there were rumors on the day of the show that he may be returning.

According to this report, Cole, who has become good friends with McAfee, was legitimately surprised by the return.  On the broadcast, Cole said that he had spoken with McAfee that day, but the fellow SmackDown commentator didn’t tell him he was returning. 

WWE went as far as keeping those working in production in the dark. Not only were there rumors of him returning, but it was just a matter of time before he was back due to the college football season being over and the belief that he would return once he had finished up his duties with ESPN for the season.

Early Sunday morning, McAfee took to Twitter to deliver a “massive thank you” to the fans who were in attendance at the Royal Rumble.

WWE broadcaster Pat McAfee is gearing up to become a father next year.

McAfee is currently on hiatus from WWE while he focuses on his role with ESPN College GameDay. He also hosts the wildly popular Pat McAfee Show.

On Wednesday, McAfee’s wife Samantha announced they are expecting their first child together in May 2023. The couple has been public about their parenthood journey, which has not been easy. They’ve endured two miscarriages and began IVF treatments back in July.

Samantha knows how difficult the journey can be, but hopes that sharing their story will bring hope to other couples who have traveled the same road.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Samantha McAfee (@mrsmcafeeshow)

“For those of you who haven’t followed along with our parenthood journey, we have lost two pregnancies, I almost lost my life both times with internal bleeding, resulting in losing both of my Fallopian tubes which has caused us to not be able to conceive naturally,” she wrote. She went on to expand on this big announcement.

In July, we started our IVF journey. It’s hard to put into words what all comes with IVF. It is physically demanding and emotionally challenging for the both of us. Pumping my body with so many hormones, the anxiety, the hope, truly being a human science project. Also despite my many tattoos, I absolutely hate needles so getting shots everyday (sometimes 3 in one day) was not easy on me or for Patrick to have to cause pain to me. I would like to believe IVF has made our relationship stronger.

Dear women and couples trying and battling, I hope this isn’t a trigger but rather serves as hope. Hope that you too can over come the battle of infertility. You will be parents! And remember that after a storm, a rainbow can occur.”

Pat and Samantha McAfee were married in August 2020. Samantha is the founder and president of Fur The Brand, a non-profit that provides support and financial assistance to families whose pet faces a cancer diagnosis requiring veterinary care in which they are unable to afford.

Pat McAfee will have his SmackDown Live commentator role on hold after the announcement that he’ll be joining College Gameday full-time.

It was recently announced that McAfee will join ‘College GameDay’ on ESPN starting this Saturday. This won’t affect McAfee’s daily sports show on YouTube, which is currently in the middle of a four-year $120 million dollar deal with FanDuel. 

However, with McAfee’s commentator duties for WWE taking place on Friday nights on SmackDown, and College Gameday taking place the following morning, that could pose some travel concerns for the ex-NFL punter.

As a result, McAfee announced on his show, “The Pat McAfee Show,” today that his role as a commentator on SmackDown Live will be put on hold. However, he’s still a member of the WWE family.

Triple H followed up with a Tweet confirming the news, suggesting that WWE is looking forward to McAfee’s return in the future.

McAfee has been competing for WWE as an in-ring performer sporadically over the past few months. He’s become quite the fan-favorite, especially on commentary, so his absence will certainly be felt.

The college football season ends in January, making that a likely return timeframe for McAfee should he decide to do so.

Pat McAfee has got another job outside of WWE. He will be a full-time member of ‘College GameDay’ on ESPN and will be on the show this Saturday. Pat hinted that something was coming earlier tonight on social media before it was reported by The New York Post.

The 35-year-old will continue his daily sports show on YouTube, as ‘The Pat McAfee Show‘ is currently in the middle of a four-year $120 million dollar deal with FanDuel. Pat will remain with WWE as an announcer for SmackDown. He signed a multi-year contract extension with WWE in July.

After the news broke, Pat took to Twitter and said that he’s been a fan of the GameDay show forever and that he had “real cool conversations” with WWE about accepting the new gig and will reveal the details to kickoff his show tomorrow.

It’s an absolute honor 2 have this tweet tweeted about me. GameDay is a show that I’ve been a fan of FOREVER So many moving parts including real cool conversations w/ the fine folks from WWE..all moved quickly Will lead show manana w/ all the deets. DUMBEST LIFE OF ALL TIME

‘The Pat McAfee Show’ was featured on SiriusXM until late August. He sent out a Tweet shortly after it was announced the show would no longer be on satellite radio.

Pat McAfee has revealed how often WWE is drug testing him as a competitor and SmackDown Live commentator.

McAfee was recently a guest on The Dan Patrick Show, where he talked about his time with the company. McAfee noted that, since joining WWE, he has been tested “numerous” times.

“They drug test rather often at the WWE,” McAfee said. “Yes, they actually do now. There are always going to be people that talk about some people maybe aren’t getting tested.

“There’s always conspiracy theories about everything, but I’ve been tested and given my blood to the WWE numerous times.… There was a lot of things that happen whenever you start injecting your body with stuff.

“And people who were already maybe high energy or very emotional, and then there was some stuff that has happened through the evolution of human and the evolution of WWE where they have had to put in different rules.”

WWE has really ramped up their wellness policy over the years. No matter how big the star, seemingly nobody is given any leeway when it comes to the wellness policy. Names such as Roman Reigns, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, and more have faced suspensions over the years for failing drug tests.

As for Pat McAfee, he’s likely tested more due to WWE also utilizing him as an in-ring competitor as well. Back at WrestleMania 38, McAfee went one-on-one with Theory in a bout that the ex-NFL punter won.

However, he subsequently lost an impromptu match to Vince McMahon moments later. At SummerSlam last weekend, McAfee returned to the ring, defeating Happy Corbin in a singles contest as well.

McAfee will remain a regular at the SmackDown Live commentary desk, while likely continuing to return to the ring on occasion.

Quotes via Wrestling Inc.

Pat McAfee stepped into the ring again for a bout against Happy Corbin at Saturday’s WWE SummerSlam where the SmackDown commentator went over. 

McAfee’s previous performance was at WrestleMania 38 in April, beating Theory before losing to Vince McMahon. 

While speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, McAfee reflected on his SummerSlam bout. McAfee admitted there were moments in that match where he thought, ‘should have prepared differently.’ This happened as soon as he walked into the stadium as he felt like a sauna, an issue because he had trained in air conditioning. He started to hydrate immediately. 

McAfee noted that the sweat on the ropes nearly led to disaster on several occasions when he performed spots. 

“A lot of things, as they are happening, I’m thinking, ‘Fucking idiot. You are so dumb,’” Pat stated. 

McAfee nearly fell off the top rope while attempting an outside dive. He thinks he had trouble doing the ropes and not getting on the rope with the shoes he was wearing before the bout. McAfee went over with the code red. 

“Not a destroyer. Code Red. Had I ever done it before to anybody? Nope, but it felt like the right time and right place. Wasn’t the cleanest match I’ve ever had. I certainly wasn’t prepared for the humidity. I’m pumped to get out of there with a dub.”

McAfee added that Jimmy Uso gave him the chain he was wearing for the match.

Happy Corbin has been feuding with Pat McAfee recently, and he took this rivalry to a whole new level during this week’s episode of SmackDown from Atlanta, GA.

The Lone Wolf attacked the SmackDown commentator out of nowhere on last week’s episode of the show. It led to a backstage brawl between the two.

This week’s episode of the blue branded show then saw Corbin coming out in the arena through the crowd. However, he didn’t get to the ring.

The former US champion was holding a sign featuring a mugshot of McAfee. He revealed that he had bought a ticket and sat behind the commentary desk.

Happy Corbin started yelling at the former NFL player to do his job. Both the stars got into a heated argument as Michael Cole tried to run down the SummerSlam card.

Some officials came down to the ring to try and remove Corbin from the ringside. The King of The Ring winner then threw his popcorn at Pat’s face. He also managed to deliver a low blow to McAfee before leaving the arena.

You can check out the full segment below:

The current WWE commentator was arrested back in October 2010. He was charged with public intoxication, a Class B misdemeanor.

Baron Corbin and Pat McAfee are scheduled to face each other in a one-on-one match at the SummerSlam PPV tomorrow night.

• WWE SmackDown Results (7/29/22): SummerSlam Go-Home Show, Brock Lesnar & Drew McIntyre

A lot can happen between now and WWE Survivor Series 2022. It’s possible Roman Reigns will lose the his unified world title to Brock Lesnar in their Last Man Standing Match at SummerSlam.

Theory is also lurking with his Money in the Bank briefcase, offering a way for Reigns to drop his titles while both saving face and pushing a fresh talent whom WWE seems highly invested in. Drew McIntyre is the presumptive challenger to Reigns at Clash at the Castle, and if there were ever a time to reinstate The Scottish Superstar on top, that would be the venue.

However, the prevailing wisdom is that The Head of the Table will remain on top until at least WrestleMania 39, where he has a rumored dream match awaiting him with The Rock, or else the possibility of WWE going all the way with a returning Cody Rhodes and having him unseat Reigns.

So what should WWE do in the mean time? The answer may sit no further than the SmackDown broadcast table.

No One Thinks Reigns Is Going To Lose At Survivor Series

One of the more awkward dimensions of Roman Reigns having such a long reign atop WWE as that the more time goes by, the more certain it seems he’s keeping the title until at least WrestleMania 39. Moreover, there seems to be less and less chance of him dropping the title to an underdog, as it would disrupt not only The Tribal Chief’s reign, but the aura of invincibility the company has carefully cultivated around him over the last two years. This dynamic hit its nadir when Finn Balor challenged Reigns, and absolutely no one bit on even the Demon version of Balor pulling off that win.

The bottom line is that, unless WWE were to pull the trigger early on bringing back The Rock, it’s hard to fathom anyone beating Reigns at what’s, at best, the fourth biggest PPV on WWE’s calendar, especially so close to the launch of the Road to WrestleMania.

If There’s No Drama About Who’s Winning Or Losing, WWE’s Job Is To Make The Story And Match As Entertaining As Possible

The question of who will win or lose a match is one of the most fundamental sources of drama professional wrestling has at its disposal. Once the outcome of a match is no longer in doubt, WWE has to find other ways of creating drama and entertainment for fans.

The 1989 trilogy of matches between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat is widely remembered as one of the greatest series of bouts in wrestling history. Ask a more casual fan who won which matches out of the three, though, and they may well not be able to say. This was a case of match quality superseding the outcomes of the contests at hand.

Similarly when Cactus Jack challenged Big Van Vader in a Texas Death Match at WCW Halloween Havoc 1993, there was little question The Mastodon would retain the WCW Championship. It was brutality, storyline, and a wild blow-off match that became iconic, though.

If WWE is unwilling to have Roman Reigns drop the WWE Championship at Survivor Series and everyone knows it, WWE’s job is to find other means of delivering the most entertaining story possible. Pat McAfee is the man to deliver.

Pat McAfee Is The Most Entertaining Man In WWE Today

Pat McAfee is a truly unique phenom in the landscape of WWE. His run at the SmackDown broadcast table has placed him among the best color commentators, and indeed one of the best talkers in general in all of wrestling. Moreover, he has exceeded expectations in his every WWE match to date.

McAfee beat Theory at WrestleMania, and it stands to reason he’ll prevail over Happy Corbin at SummerSlam as well. These victories will ultimately make him about as credible as any full-time babyface on the WWE roster—at least in terms of kayfabe—to challenge Roman Reigns for his undisputed championship.

Between his gift for gab on the mic and his tendency to over-deliver each time he steps in a wrestling ring, Pat McAfee is an ideal choice to tide over Roman Reigns through the fall, before he gets to more competitive title defenses in WrestleMania season.

Pat McAfee will be absent from calling the action with Michael Cole on tonight’s episode of SmackDown.

During the WWE After the Bell podcast this week, WWE Raw color commentator Corey Graves announced that he’ll call tonight’s SmackDown as McAfee is at Lake Tahoe for the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament.

This will be the post-Money in the Bank episode of the show. After the broadcast ended on Saturday night, Happy Corbin attacked McAfee and accepted his challenge for a match at SummerSlam in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday, July 30.

McAfee wore a neck brace while attending UFC 276 in Las Vegas later that night, but said on his radio show that he was just wearing it as a precaution. 

Earlier this week, WWE announced McAfee had signed a multi-year contract extension with WWE and noted the deal “will see McAfee entertaining the WWE Universe for years to come.”

WWE announced this afternoon that Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus will take place on SmackDown, with the winner earning the right to challenge either Roman Reigns or Brock Lesnar for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title at the WWE Clash at the Castle Premium Live Event.

WWE announced today that Pat McAfee has signed a multi-year deal with the company. 

After signing with the company in April 2021 to be the SmackDown color commentator alongside play-by-play announcer Michael Cole, McAfee quickly became a fan favorite. 

WrestleVotes reported after the announcement that the deal was signed a few weeks back, and those involved were thrilled with the two sides reaching a new agreement that will see him remain with the company for years to come. 

It was said, “WWE knows exactly what they have in McAfee and were steadfast on making sure they kept him around.”

It’s been reported that Vince McMahon is high on McAfee’s commentary and thinks a lot of him personally, as McMahon did his first sit-down interview in years on McAfee’s radio show to promote. McAfee joined Vince, Stephanie McMahon, and Triple H in attending UFC 276 this past Saturday night.

Reactions to Pat McAfee Re-Signing

Michael Cole and Triple H were just some of the people who reacted to the news of McAfee’s extension on Twitter: 

In addition to calling matches, McAfee occasionally wrestles and has been praised for his in-ring work. The former NFL punter made his WWE in-ring debut in August 2020 when he lost to Adam Cole at WWE NXT TakeOver: XXX before getting back into the ring that December for a WarGames match where The Undisputed ERA defeated Danny Burch, Oney Lorcan, McAfee & Pete Dunne. 

At WrestleMania 38 earlier this year, McAfee beat Theory in a singles match before being beaten down by Vince McMahon. The SmackDown color commentator is slated to wrestle Happy Corbin at SummerSlam on Saturday, July 30, 2022, from Nashville, Tennessee.

Another match for the 2022 WWE SummerSlam premium live event has been announced.

On the June 17 SmackDown, Happy Corbin confronted Pat McAfee following a loss to Madcap Moss. Corbin harassed the commentator due to Pat constantly calling him a bum. McAfee made sure that the crowd laughed Corbin out of the arena.

The next week, on the June 24 SmackDown, Pat challenged Corbin to a match at SummerSlam.

At Money in the Bank on July 2, after the show went off the air, Corbin attacked the commentator and accepted his challenge.

This is going to be Pat’s second match on the main roster. He had his first main roster match at WrestleMania 38 earlier this year when he defeated Theory.

The match will take place at WWE SummerSlam on July 30 at 8 p.m. ET. It’ll be held in Nashville, TN at Nissan Stadium. So far, the only other match announced is Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship in a Last Man Standing match.

WWE had the following to say in their announcement post:

It will be no laughing matter when Pat McAfee tangles with Happy Corbin at SummerSlam!

McAfee's issues with Corbin became apparent on the June 17 edition of SmackDown. Just moments after losing a Last Laugh Match against Madcap Moss, an irate Corbin attempted to take out his frustrations on the blue brand announcer. In response, the outspoken McAfee led the WWE Universe members in Minneapolis in laughing a humiliated Corbin right out of the arena.

The following week, McAfee challenged Corbin to a showdown at The Biggest Event of the Summer and proclaimed he was ready to feel alive. Corbin responded at WWE Money in the Bank with a brutal attack after the show went off the air and let the electric commentator know his challenge was accepted.

The passionate, fearless McAfee claimed an eye-opening win against Theory at WrestleMania, but will he have what it takes to overcome the former King of the Ring, Mr. Money in the Bank and United States Champion.

Find out when SummerSlam streams LIVE on Saturday, July 30, at 8 ET/5 PT on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else!

Last night was WWE Money in the Bank 2022, the latest Premium Live Event by the company and the first of the Stephanie McMahon era.

The show saw Liv Morgan and Theory capture the two titular Money in the Bank briefcases, with Morgan cashing in hours later to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Even without names like Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes or Roman Reigns, Money in the Bank was a huge event, but it wasn’t the only big show around.

The McMahons at UFC

Money in the Bank 2022 aired from Las Vegas, as did the recent UFC 276 show.

Given that the two shows were so close, several names from WWE made the trip and were spotted in attendance for the mixed-martial-arts Pay Per View.

Vince McMahon, Triple H, Interim WWE Chairwoman and CEO Stephanie McMahon and Pat McAfee were all present on camera and seemed pleased to be there.

The UFC Europe account later tweeted about the four WWE personalities at the event.

Stephanie’s Busy Night

Stephanie McMahon was at UFC 276, but that was just part of a full night for the WWE Chairwoman.

According to WrestleVotes, McMahon was also present at Money in the Bank 2022, and had a meeting with talent before the show got started.

It’s reported that the Interim WWE CEO met with stars at the MGM Grand Arena to discuss a multitude of topics, though WrestleVotes didn’t confirm what was said specifically.

One source said that the meeting between McMahon and her employees was “generally well-received.”

This year’s WWE Money in the Bank event has reached its conclusion and fans got something extra when the show was over.

The 2022 MITB card was held inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show had two Money in the Bank ladder matches. One for the men, and one for the women.

Theory, who wasn’t initially in the MITB ladder match, ended up being thrown in the match and won it. On the women’s side, Liv Morgan not only won the ladder match but she successfully cashed in on Ronda Rousey to become the new SmackDown Women’s Champion.

Pat McAfee Attacked

When Money in the Bank went off the air, Happy Corbin attacked SmackDown color commentator Pat McAfee. He then celebrated inside the ring with Theory.

Fans figured something was going to spill over between Corbin and McAfee. Corbin had expressed his displeasure with McAfee making fun of him on commentary and threatened to teach him a lesson inside the ring.

McAfee wasn’t fazed by the threat as he led fans to laugh Corbin out of the building when their issues were first addressed on an episode of SmackDown.

Before MITB, McAfee challenged Corbin to a match at SummerSlam but Corbin has yet to answer.

Pat McAfee got some help from one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the business – The Rock – for his promo about Happy Corbin on last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. 

McAfee referenced the “millions and millions” of WWE fans, which was a clear reference to The Rock’s catchphrase during the promo. That line, made famous by The Rock, was done with the blessing of “The Great One.” 

On today’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show, the SmackDown commentator thanked The Rock for letting him use his classic line. 

“Shoutout to The Rock, by the way, thanks, man. ” He continued by noting that he was going to use it during a promo while feuding with Theory earlier this year. 

McAfee described reaching out to The Rock to make sure he was cool with it. 

“Then I’ll send like a [message], ‘Okay, I’m thinking, hey is there any way I could potentially drop a…,’ and he actually responded and said, ‘Hey give me some context on how you’re gonna do this. Give me some context so we can really get this thing going.’ So he gave me an entire like, ‘Hey here we go here we go.’ So I’m very, very, very grateful and thankful for The Rock and I appreciate the hell out of him on the back side of it saying, ‘Hey, pretty good usage if it.’ So I’m very, very thankful for The Rock.

I’m very thankful,” McAfee continued. “I appreciate the hell out of you, man. I appreciate the opportunity to do it and then I finally got the opportunity to do so for saying, salu, I am very very thankful. Aloha, big Uce.”

H/T to WrestleZone for the transcription

Pat McAfee has continued to impress people with his mic skills ever since joining WWE. This list now includes none other than The Rock.

The former NFL player cut a promo on this week’s episode of SmackDown. He challenged Baron Corbin to a match at the upcoming SummerSlam PPV.

McAfee also paid tribute to The Great One during his promo. He used the Hollywood star’s ‘millions and millions’ catchphrase while calling out the Lone Wolf, dubbing him as ‘bum ass Corbin.”

The Rock is Impressed

This promo was so good that even The Rock took notice of it. The People’s champion wrote on Twitter that this was a great promo which he enjoyed watching:

“In front of the MILLIONS…. AAAAAND MILLIONS….“BUM ASS CORBIN” That’s good shit brother! Great promo. Enjoyed watching this #ISmellIt”

The Rock has not been seen in WWE for a while. His last televised appearance came in 2019. He was involved in a segment with Becky Lynch during SmackDown’s 20th anniversary which also included Corbin.

Pat McAfee last entered the ring as a competitor during WrestleMania 38. He first defeated Austin Theory in a singles match before losing to Vince McMahon in an impromptu bout. The segment ended with Stone Cold Steve Austin coming out and delivering a stunner to everyone involved.

• Pat McAfee On Vince McMahon Allegations: ‘I Don’t Know Sh**, It Sounds Problematic’

WWE SmackDown commentator Pat McAfee gave his thoughts on the situation involving Vince McMahon after the Wall Street Journal published a report on Wednesday stating the WWE board of directors is investigating McMahon regarding a secret $3 million settlement regarding an alleged affair.

The investigation began in April when other nondisclosure agreements involving claims by former female WWE employees of misconduct by McMahon and John Laurinaitis. 

McAfee reacted to the news on his radio show on Thursday.

“Yesterday, the WWE, I know less than everybody else. This is just me, I don’t know shit about fuck. I go in, do my thing, say hello to everybody, I’m out. I’m in, maybe the most awesome situation in the history of WWE for anybody. I’m a lifelong fan of the company, but I’m not part of anything. I’m part of no groups, I have no locker room. I literally bounce around, do my thing, and I’m out.

It’s designed to be that way, I think Michael Cole and everyone have set it up to be that way. ‘This is the best way for this to happen, let’s keep him out of everything. He comes in and does his thing.’ I’m very fortunate, lucky, and I love that job. Outside looking in, it’s like, [makes a curious face].

After watching Succession, anytime a board is trying to do something, it’s hard not to be like, ‘woah, woah, woah.’ Yesterday, on the Internet, there was a lot of ‘who is, what is.’ I’m going there tomorrow. I’m excited to hear the chatter. Obviously, what is being alleged is not fantastic at all, it’s terrible. There will be full investigations.”

McAfee was asked why everything was coming out now. He noted that this came out of nowhere and there are going to be investigations about the investigations and those investigations will contradict other investigations. 

He continued, “For a good 9-10 hours, it was just, ‘holy shit, I’m learning a lot about a lot of things.’ What’s real, what isnt? Who knows. Hopefully, I’ll find out at some point. Hopefully, we all will. Who knows how that whole thing will go. It sounds incredibly problematic.”

McAfee added that he was trending because of McMahon’s comments made on McAfee’s show during an interview in March, specifically when Vince referred to Linda as “my wife at the time.” 

H/T to Fightful for the transcript

WWE may be without one of its top voices for Clash at the Castle.

The big Sept. 3 event is scheduled to take place inside Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The event is expected to break the all-time record for the highest WWE live gate outside of WrestleMania.

While Clash at the Castle is expected to have some heavy hitters, one prominent name could be missing.

Pat McAfee Missing Clash at the Castle?

During a recent episode of The Pat McAfee Show, the SmackDown color commentator was having a conversation with UFC President Dana White.

The two were discussing the June 11 UFC 275 card in Singapore. At some point during the chat, Dana offered McAfee to attend a UFC event in Paris, France scheduled for the same day as Clash at the Castle.

Pat accepted Dana’s offer to attend the event.

It’s possible that in the heat of the moment, McAfee simply forgot that WWE was holding a major event that same day. With that said, Pat McAfee recently missed the Hell in a Cell premium live event.

McAfee said the reason he didn’t attend is that all parties agreed the trip wasn’t worth it for just one SmackDown match.

A number of notable stars missed the Hell In A Cell PPV. One such name who was surprisingly not at the show was SmackDown commentator Pat McAfee.

The former NFL player talked about the PPV among other things on the latest episode of his podcast. He discussed the various matches that took place on the show.

McAfee also noted how the event featured only one match from SmackDown brand. He explained that all parties agreed that it was not worth it for him to make the trip to Chicago to call just one bout:

“I was not at Hell in a Cell, SmackDown only had one match and all parties agreed that it was probably not worth the trip to Chicago and back for that. It ended up being a 13-minute match,”

• Pat McAfee Had No Clue Sasha Banks & Naomi Would Be Suspended

The match in question saw Madcap Moss defeat Happy Corbin. In the absence of Pat McAfee, Michael Cole was joined by Raw’s Corey Graves for the commentary of the bout.

Apart from this, the former NXT star discussed Cody Rhodes’ injury which has been the buzzing topic of discussion for the past couple of days. He revealed that he thought it to be a work at first. His perception changed as soon as Rhodes took off his jacket.