Pat McAfee Talks About Returning To WWE & Advice Vince McMahon Gave Him About ESPN
Pat McAfee has been in the news a lot lately, from announcing the birth of his first child, Brett Favre dropping his lawsuit against him, and his new mega deal that will bring The Pat McAfee Show to ESPN. None of that news has been about a return to WWE, but that doesn't mean McAfee isn't talking about it behind the scenes.
In an interview on SI Media with Jimmy Traina, McAfee said of a return to WWE, "I don’t want to say it’s stronger than it’s ever been, but actually stronger than it’s ever been, and we are all very much talking about how I get back into the universe because I love it. We talked about this earlier. I love it. I think I’m good at it. I think I’m supposed to be there. I understand why people are doing things. I think that’s why commentating was a good spot for me alongside Michael Cole, the greatest of all time. Getting to get Stunned by 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, I lived out dream after dream after dream over there. I love that place. Our relationship is very strong. I know you said you can say anything to that but actually, I think we’re working. We’re all trying to figure it out.”
You have to wonder what exactly there is to work out. It should be as simple as, if Pat McAfee wants to be on SmackDown, it's his. WWE surely knows his worth as a multimedia star. The delay in McAfee's return has to come down to his incredibly busy work and personal life and just how much he can realistically do.
RELATED: Pat McAfee Talks About The Empty Seats At AEW Double Or Nothing
What Did Vince McMahon Say About Pat McAfee's ESPN Deal?
Despite Vince McMahon's scandals, McAfee has stayed in contact with the Executive Chairman of WWE. He even went to McMahon for advice about his new deal with ESPN. “Myself, Michael Cole, Nick Khan, Kevin Dunn, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Vincent Kennedy McMahon. We are all still very much in contact with each other. Two of those men, Nick Khan and Vince were people that, when I had a question about something that was going on through this whole process ESPN deal, very much answered my questions. Vince gave me a stern ‘Do not’ for one thing that I was thinking about doing because I did not appreciate the way something was kind of laid out by one particular person in a company that I was kind of negotiating with and everything like that. And I sent a question like, ‘This was said. Am I allowed to say this back?’ And it took a couple of hours, and I got a ‘DO NOT,’ period, and then it was like, ‘Now is not the time’ or something like that. I’m like, ‘Okay, f*ck.’ Business-wise, I will listen to him and then Nick." (h/t WrestlingNews.co)
Only time will tell when Pat McAfee returns to WWE, either as a commentator, wrestler, or both. Let's hope that it's sooner rather than later. His passion for the business has been missed.
