WWE.com and Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly points out all the reasons why Pat McAfee aligning with Randy Orton against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42 on April 18 will indeed save wrestling.
• BRIEF AND TO THE POINT … If Cody Rhodes can deliver an impromptu mic moment about my boss, Pat McAfee, and CM Punk can drop one of his “pipe bombs” on it a few days later, I feel almost obligated to let you know my feelings. So, let me step out of my safe space reserved for this spot and lay it out for you in the simplest terms that what McAfee is doing for WWE, and wrestling in general, should be appreciated… and will be appreciated. After a week of biting my tongue and shaking my head at the comical responses, it’s time to drop my own pipe bomb.
• AND … Really, what did McAfee say to the fans that they weren’t already expressing with their reaction videos to Raw, SmackDown, or a PLE, just for a moment of recognition by the media team? Not a single word McAfee said was untrue or out of line, and they know it. When he said about Cody Rhodes, “A man that represents everything that we hate,” think about what you’ve been saying about Cody for years now. The comment about the Gorilla Position, haven’t you seen that before? But this isn’t solely about Cody as WWE Champion. He’s just the latest in line. It’s about a lifelong fan like McAfee drifting from the sport he’s always loved because of what it was and what it is now. Unlike many who vent online, McAfee is actually doing something about it, and that’s what frustrates you.
• YOU JUST DIDN’T LIKE THE MESSENGER … I’ve used a phrase many times, and there’s no better time than now to dust it off in this specific instance: “Jealousy is an ugly emotion, maybe the worst emotion.” That’s what this whole ground swell is about. The fans are upset that it wasn’t somebody who “made sense” to them as to who was on the phone with Randy Orton over the past month. They wanted it to be somebody who had grown up in the business and has a legacy in the business to deliver the message, instead of a “part-timer” who punted a football at the highest level and now is a successful businessman who everybody adores, except inside the wrestling world. And when it wasn’t, the fan felt insulted. Don’t be jealous of the man who has taken time out of his busy life to donate his time to making the business he loves better. I don’t see anybody else stepping up and putting their reputation on the line like McAfee.
• MISSION ACCOMPLISHED … Why Pat McAfee, you ask? To fix a problem, you have to acknowledge it. McAfee noticed a 14-time Champion, Randy Orton, being underutilized and marginalized in a business that once relied on such talent, at least, as McAfee sees it. How can you change that? Get people talking. Mission accomplished. People are mad, disappointed, and the Dirtsheets are buzzing. Most importantly, people are interested. When was the last time a seven-minute promo created such feedback just by stating the obvious? It was genius. It started a discussion, which is always positive. It led to heartfelt promos by Punk and Rhodes, good for the business and for conversation, regardless of how tough they were on a man simply trying to help the product. It brought in an audience that may not be hardcore wrestling fans. Admit it. You tuned into Raw on Monday to hear what going to be said about it. Mission accomplished.
• MORE TO THE STORY: If the fans don’t think there is more to the story than what McAfee presented on SmackDown, then they are allowing themselves to be fooled. Everything McAfee has touched in his life has turned into success, and to do that, you have a big brain that goes beyond randomly showing up at SmackDown after nearly a year away from the business and cutting up the St. Louis sports teams (“bad guy” 101) for a couple of minutes. McAfee is just the tip of the sword, and everything points to that, but you want all the cards to be shown now. The fan let yourself be deceived. In their heart, they always knew what had to happen here, and Pat McAfee is the one who will lead the way. And when it happens, the fans will say they saw it coming the entire time. But hey, the fans have it all figured out, don’t they – all of you side seat bookers out there. “It feels like we are doing something special,” McAfee said on his show. Indeed.
