Pat McAfee Signs Multi-Year Extension With WWE
Pat McAfee is sticking with WWE for years to come as the company confirmed he had signed a new multi-year deal with the promotion. McAfee is currently working full-time as the color commentator for Friday Night SmackDown but also wrestles on a part-time basis. Ever since he first started working as an analyst on NXT TakeOver kickoff shows in 2018, McAfee has wrestled four times. That includes back-to-back matches at WrestleMania 38 in April when he defeated Austin Theory, only to get attacked and beaten by Vince McMahon. McAfee is already booked for SummerSlam coming up on July 30, where he'll take on Happy Corbin inside Nashville's Nissan Stadium.
"WWE today announced that Pat McAfee has signed a multi-year extension with WWE," WWE's announcement read. "Since April 2021, McAfee has served as an analyst, alongside Michael Cole, for Friday Night SmackDown at 8 pm ET live each week on FOX. The new pact will see McAfee entertaining the WWE Universe for years to come."
BREAKING NEWS: @PatMcAfeeShow has signed a multiyear extension with WWE.https://t.co/XQw1O7M2uC
— WWE (@WWE) July 7, 2022
McAfee has addressed a number of major WWE stories on his show, including the WWE Board of Directors' ongoing investigation into McMahon. He said on an episode last month, "Yesterday, the WWE, I know less than everybody else. This is just me, I don't know s— about f—. I go in, do my thing, say hello to everybody, I'm out. I'm in, maybe the most awesome situation in the history of WWE for anybody. I'm a lifelong fan of the company, but I'm not part of anything. I'm part of no groups, I have no locker room. I literally bounce around, do my thing, and I'm out. It's designed to be that way, I think Michael Cole and everyone have set it up to be that way. 'This is the best way for this to happen, let's keep him out of everything. He comes in and does his thing.' I'm very fortunate, lucky, and I love that job. Outside looking in, it's like, [makes a curious face]. After watching Succession, anytime a board is trying to do something, it's hard not to be like, 'woah, woah, woah.' Yesterday, on the Internet, there was a lot of 'who is, what is.' I'm going there tomorrow. I'm excited to hear the chatter. Obviously, what is being alleged is not fantastic at all, it's terrible. There will be full investigations."
"Succession has ruined my life. It's completely ruined my life. Yesterday, when this hits the internet out of nowhere, I'm like, 'Oh my God.' It's hard not to start piecing things together and be like, 'you could see how that person would want...then that...if that was happening...how does this not come out?' I'm watching along with everybody else. That came out of nowhere," he continued. "What will happen? There are going to be a lot of investigations. There will be investigations about the investigations and those investigations will contradict other investigations. Will you ever get the truth? No, hopefully, we get part of it though. That's what everyone is hoping for. There were like six people at the WWE trending #1 yesterday. Out of nowhere. You open the trends and all the tweets are...'Oh, this person obviously did....did you hear this story from this person?' For a good 9-10 hours, it was just, 'holy s—, I'm learning a lot about a lot of things.' What's real, what isnt? Who knows. Hopefully, I'll find out at some point. Hopefully, we all will. Who knows how that whole thing will go. It sounds incredibly problematic."