9 Live Observations From WWE WrestleMania 38 Night 2
2. Pat McAfee Vs. Austin Theory / Vince McMahon Vs Pat McAfee
Pat McAfee is not yet the WWE Champion. But he should be.
Arriving to Seven Nation Army alongside the Dallas Cowboys and wearing the privilege and status one knows all that affords, McAfee was immediately the biggest deal in a ringside area that also included Vince McMahon himself.
A slightly milquetoast match with Theory here followed, but McAfee was dextrous enough to hit all his high spots to get the win before another excuse for Stone Cold Steve Austin to get a gigantic pop was served up. In this case, it was in the form of an horrendous McAfee/McMahon match that the latter won with help from his mew friend. The villains celebrating triggered the glass smashing, and McMahon took a Stunner even worse than the first one he ever absorbed.
The disparity between the live and television presentation was probably at its most cavernous here. Austin was jovial, sincere and funny, not least when the decrepit McMahon flailed and fell into an abysmal Stunner. 65,000+ might have buzzed, but it was too hard to imagine many at-home experiences were having a similar time.