Backstage details have reportedly emerged on Pat McAfee’s involvement in the build for the Undisputed WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 42.
UPDATE: Pat McAfee’s WWE return nearly didn’t happen – click here for the latest.
Ahead of Cody Rhodes defending his gold against Randy Orton at the April 18-19 event, Pat McAfee made his return on the April 3 SmackDown episode to attack Rhodes and align himself with Orton.
With McAfee stating that he and Orton will “save the f**king business“, and wagering his career on the WrestleMania match, an update has now emerged on the decision to insert McAfee into this main event build.
Per Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the TKO Executive Chairman Ari Emanuel wanted celebrity involvement, and Pat McAfee was the first choice.
Noting that McAfee initially turned down this role, Meltzer reports:
“Pat McAfee was the first choice and it was from Ari Emanuel, that’s where it came from. They wanted celebrity involvement.
“Originally, Pat McAfee was the choice and he turned it down, and then they were scrambling to get somebody else in the spot.
“And then obviously, they were able to make a deal with him, so he did it and he was there.”
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Pat McAfee has stated on social media that if Randy Orton doesn’t win at WrestleMania 42, he will never return to wrestling television.
With McAfee’s previous WWE work as an on-screen commentator and in-ring talent, this has led many to predict that Orton will walk out of the Show of Shows a 15-time world champion, so that the company are able to call on him again in the future.
As of writing, we’ve only had McAfee’s word on this stipulation, so there is a chance that the former Raw commentator doesn’t stick to it and returns after WrestleMania 42 regardless of result.
We’ll have to wait and see whether WWE treats this as an official stipulation, or just a promise made.
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