Pat McAfee On WrestleMania Match Against Vince McMahon: I’ll Remember That Night Forever

Pat McAfee looks back on his WrestleMania match against Vince McMahon.

Pat McAfee looks back on his WrestleMania match against Vince McMahon.

McAfee, a former All-Pro punter in the NFL and the host of The Pat McAfee Show, started working with WWE as a pre-show analyst for NXT TakeOver shows in 2018, and he signed with the company in 2019. He later feuded with Adam Cole and faced him in a match at NXT TakeOver XXX. The two rivals clashed again on opposite sides of a WarGames Match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2020. McAfee then joined the SmackDown broadcast team in April 2021.

The following March, he interviewed WWE CEO Vince McMahon on a special episode of The Pat McAfee Show. McMahon offered McAfee a match at WrestleMania 38, and he wound up facing and defeating Austin Theory. He then faced McMahon in an impromptu match, but Theory attacked the broadcaster before the bell. The WWE Chairman emerged victorious, but Stone Cold Steve Austin came down and dropped McMahon, Theory, and McAfee with Stunners.

In a series of tweets on February 24, McAfee responded to the news that his bout against McMahon was voted the Worst Match of the Year in the 2022 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards.

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

McMahon retired in July 2022 amid a WWE board investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and hush money. He returned to the company on January 6, 2023, and he was voted the Executive Chairman of the Board on January 10.

McAfee took some time away from WWE when he joined ESPN’s College GameDay in September 2022, and he returned to the company at Royal Rumble 2023. He recently commented on his future with WWE. More information is available here.

Click here to see McAfee’s comments about how he nearly broke his wrist running away from Brock Lesnar.