Michael Cole And Corey Graves Didn't Know Pat McAfee Was Returning At The Royal Rumble

When Pat McAfee stepped away from WWE to work for ESPN's College GameDay, it was a disappointment, as he was such a passionate and energetic voice on SmackDown. His chemistry with Michael Cole gave the once criticized longtime commentator a new energy for the business as well. We always knew he'd be coming back sometime after the college football season was over, and while many hoped that return would come at the Royal Rumble (perhaps even as a participant), it was still a surprise when he came out to start the show. It wasn't just the fans who were shocked. Michael Cole and Corey Grave's surprised reactions were real, as even they had no clue McAfee was in the building.

Per PWInsider, Cole and Graves didn't know McAfee was going to be part of the team and had prepared all week to work as a duo. The secret was so well kept that even most of the production team weren't aware of McAfee's inclusion either. When you saw the crew working quickly to get McAfee a chair and headset, those were reportedly real spur of the moment reactions.

RELATED: Michael Cole Says Working Alongside Pat McAfee Has Revitalized His Career

Pat McAfee's Voice Has Been Missed In WWE

While McAfee was away working for ESPN, WWE brought in Wade Barrett from NXT to work alongside Michael on Cole on SmackDown. Though Barrett settled in nicely and has repeatedly shown that he has what it takes to work in commentary for the rest of his career, even his superb skills are no match for the missed chemistry between Cole and McAfee. Now that McAfee's back, we can look forward to more of his high energy antics every Friday night, leading into WrestleMania. You also have to wonder if the former NFL punter for the Indianapolis Colts will have another WrestleMania match this year as well following his series of successful matches with the company, including against Austin Theory at WrestleMania 38 last year.

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