Pat McAfee won’t be calling the action at WWE WrestleMania 39 this weekend.
Wade Barrett recently claimed that his position as the SmackDown color commentator, a position that McAfee previously held, was as permanent as one could be in the WWE, casting doubt on McAfee’s future with the company.
When McAfee joined ESPN’s College Gameday program last fall with the intention of returning after the football season, Barrett filled in for him. In January, McAfee made a special appearance at the Royal Rumble.
McAfee recently wrote on Twitter that he has grand plans for one day entering the WWE Hall of Fame, but he also mentioned that a potential sale of the company could affect his future with it.
WWE CEO Nick Khan stated that there are no plans for McAfee to appear at WrestleMania while speaking on The Marchand & Ourand Sports Media Podcast.
“We have no plans to have him there this weekend. The world is his oyster. He’s 36 years old and look at his relevancy factor when you talk to young children. I have two young children, when I talk to them it’s often, ‘McAfee, McAfee, McAfee.’ That’s what’s in the wheelhouse for them. So, if you look at any of the traditional buyers, what do they want? They want a young diverse audience. What does McAfee bring? He brings a young, diverse audience. You notice he doesn’t get political, extreme, either way. He has Aaron Rodgers on, he treats him respectfully, develops that relationship, he becomes the go-to home of Aaron Rodgers. You see that with more athletes and Pat. He’s not looking to annihilate anybody or crucify them, he’s looking to have good content and his content has been terrific. So, he’ll determine, ultimately, where he wants his home to be and our hope is that he does more with us.”
McAfee recently revealed that he will be a part of College Gameday again the following year.
You can listen to the complete podcast below:
(H/T to F4Wonline.com for the transcription)
