10 Things We Learned From WWE WrestleMania Weekend 2022
9. Pat McAfee: Future WWE Champion
Like Ronda Rousey in 2018, Bad Bunny in 2021 or Logan Paul one night earlier, Pat McAfee felt like a much bigger star than his contemporaries at WrestleMania.
’The Grandest Stage Of Them All’ has always been as much about celebrities as wrestlers themselves. Showbiz is in the DNA of WrestleMania, regardless of how p*ssed off some folk got when they thought for a second Johnny Knoxville might win the Intercontinental Championship.
At least it would have made it on the show.
But back to the punter-turned-podcaster-turned-professional wrestler.
McAfee had shown glimpses of his obvious star potential in matches against Adam Cole and The Undisputed Era in 2020, but his main roster debut differed for more than just the number of fans able to witness it in person. Presented as a babyface in a match that had felt undercooked until the bell rang, McAfee’s undeniable aura was required to sell the magic of the match. It was pulled off with ease.
WWE carelessly 50/50 booked him of course - the win over Austin Theory was partially nullified by a senseless loss to Vince McMahon in a disaster of a mini-match - but McAfee’s got good enough instincts to survive the sh*t. He guzzled a beer while flat on his a*se and made himself a meme in the aftermath.
This is the stuff that has always mattered way, way more. In one night, McAfee was made.