Pat McAfee has insisted that he will not return to WWE television after a promise he made ahead of WrestleMania 42 came back to haunt him.
Pat McAfee became involved in the rivalry between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton ahead of their Undisputed WWE Championship match at WrestleMania. Confident that Orton would win, the WWE broadcaster promised that he would never appear on wrestling television again if Rhodes retained the title.
That confidence proved costly during the WrestleMania 42 night one main event. McAfee became physically involved in the match and was dropped with an RKO by Orton. Moments later, Rhodes caught Orton with a Cross Rhodes and secured the pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship.
McAfee subsequently disappeared from WWE programming, raising questions over whether he would actually honour his promise. Speaking on his Instagram Stories, McAfee maintained that his absence from WWE television will be permanent.
“If Randy had won, maybe [I would return to WWE], but I made a promise that I would never, ever,” McAfee said. “I would never be seen on WWE television ever again. And Cody Rhodes won.”
McAfee also acknowledged that his support for Orton had ultimately been misplaced.
“Maybe he was the right one all along. Maybe I was wrong with what I was saying. But no, wrestling fans can sleep soundly understanding that I will never be back over there.”
Pat McAfee Insists WWE Television Return Will Not Happen
Pat McAfee has remained active outside WWE since WrestleMania, continuing to host The Pat McAfee Show and work on his other broadcasting commitments. Rhodes continued his Undisputed WWE Championship reign following his victory over Orton, despite emerging from the WrestleMania match with a swollen eye.
Orton, meanwhile, disappeared from WWE television for nearly four months following the loss. The rivalry between Rhodes and Orton has since resumed without McAfee involved. Rhodes is no longer Undisputed WWE Champion, but the two former allies are now preparing to meet again.
Rhodes and Orton will face each other in a WrestleMania 42 rematch at WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event on September 6. Despite that rivalry returning to WWE programming, McAfee maintains that fans should not expect him to become involved again, insisting that the promise he made before WrestleMania means his time on WWE television is over.
