The Pat McAfee Show turned into a WrestleMania XL pre-pre-show extravaganza today (April 5) as McAfee and his regular crew gathered in Philadelphia, joined by WWE Raw broadcast partner Michael Cole.
The star-studded episode featured appearances from Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Logan Paul, and Gunther, among others.
Kicking off the festivities was WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who, alongside Pat McAfee, delighted the crowd with a tandem rendition of his iconic entrance.
However, amidst the banter, Levesque made some remarks that could be construed as subtle jabs at the self-proclaimed “challenger brand” to WWE, without explicitly mentioning AEW.
Although the acronym AEW was never uttered, Levesque’s comparison of WWE’s current success to previous eras, notably the Attitude Era, spoke volumes:
“We were building up against something. Right now, we’re up against ourselves.
We’re up against the Attitude Era, we’re up against the Ruthless Aggression era, whatever you want to call it. The best of the absolute best of WWE…that’s what we’re working against.”
Later, when discussing the qualities of a successful WWE Superstar, Levesque appeared to allude to free agents who prioritize an easier schedule, suggesting that not everyone who has excelled elsewhere will thrive in WWE:
“[WWE]’s a different game, it’s a different world. If they’re not here to be all in on this, like — when I see people that come out of trying to make it, and then they pick the job where they go, ‘Well, they work less, the schedule is lighter’.
Alright, then I’m glad I didn’t get you. Because if you’re not in it for the grind, at that point early in your career? You have no business being here.”
Meanwhile, Pat McAfee’s commentary, particularly regarding Dominik Mysterio, took a more direct aim. When discussing Mysterio’s potential departure, McAfee quipped that he might end up “at that other place in front of 600 people.”
Despite the verbal jabs, it wasn’t all gloom for AEW by week’s end, offering a silver lining amidst a challenging start.
