Earlier last week, there was a report stating that there have been creative differences between Pat McAfee and Stephen A Smith. Both of whom, are big WWE fans. The former is a part-time WWE Analyst, doing some work in the build-up to WrestleMania XL.
I’m sure everyone knows by now that the WWE likes to have celebrities participate in matches from time to time. We have seen McAfee fight on the Grandest Stage of them All against the likes of Austin Theory in the past. He also made an appearance in the WWE Royal Rumble. There was also the match between Bad Bunny and Damian Priest at WWE Backlash in 2023.
On his podcast Friday, Smith denied the reports stating that there were no problems with McAfee.
“Number one, there is no dispute whatsoever,” Smith said. “Pat McAfee is my teammate. Pat McAfee and I work together at ESPN. There is no banishment from First Take or any other show. He is more than welcome to come on First Take in the future and I’m gonna be more than welcome to come on his show.”
In 2023, McAfee joined ESPN and brought his popular and sometimes controversial TV Show with him.
“I root for my teammates. I root for my colleagues. I don’t root against anybody. The people out there who do that are idiots. A rising tide raises all boats. If you succeed, I succeed,” Smith said. “I cannot tell you how thankful and grateful I am to Pat McAfee.”
If there are any differences between the two, I wouldn’t put it past the WWE and ESPN to work out some sort of a deal. Even if it’s an impromptu match. We already know that McAfee will be at WrestleMania and Smith didn’t rule out the possibility. So if both sides are desperate to create something that could create an angle with the report. If any sort of match happens between the two, it would need to be soon. Smith is 20 years older than McAfee and would need to be trained.
The thing that we didn’t hear or see was either McAfee or Smith denying that the fight had happened. Basically, that one respects the other because they are colleagues. Which is great, but should we settle who is better somehow?
The last time we saw two Titans feud so fiercely was when Hulk Hogan faced Jeff Jarrett at Bash at the Beach 2000. We need to see another soon, that could happen with an ESPN vs. ESPN spat. From a Marketing standpoint, I wouldn’t put it past either company. However, from a logical standpoint, it doesn’t really make since for the WWE.
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