Every Wrestling Rookie Of The Year: Where Are They Now?

3. 2020: Pat McAfee

Essa Rios Lita
WWE.com

Pat McAfee was amazing in his debut match with Adam Cole. A flexing d*ckhead peacock who presented himself as the ultimate athlete, he then showed ass as the heel celebrity should. His personality was major league, so much so that it's no exaggeration to state that he was the highlight of the bleak, dank pit that was NXT in its pandemic era.

He was never quite as good on the main roster - he repeated the back flip spot as if nobody had seen it one too many times - but fared better as a commentator. WWE fans adored the bloke, anyway.

He got a more lucrative ESPN gig and left WWE last year.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!