Pat McAfee Returns At WrestleMania 39 And Defeats The Miz

Outside of a one off appearance commentating at the Royal Rumble, Pat McAfee hasn't been seen in WWE since taking a hiatus from the company last year to go work for ESPN College GameDay. He was supposed to return to SmackDown after the college football season ended, but months later, he was still missing. He tweeted about not knowing if he'd want to work for WWE's potential new owners, and spoke of his busy life and impending fatherhood, but promised that he wasn't done with WWE. At WrestleMania, he kept his word.Following Rhea Ripley's defeat of Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women's Championship, WrestleMania 39 host The Miz, along with Snoop Dogg, entered the ring to announce the event's attendance. Snoop Dogg then told The Miz that it would have been an even better night if The Miz could've had a match. The Miz said he sent out an open challenge earlier but no one answered. It was then that McAfee's music hit, to the delight of 80,000 in attendance. Pat accepted The Miz's challenge, while Michael Cole lost his mind. The Miz was not dressed to compete and tried to get out of it with no success.

McAfee got the most of The Miz early, superkicking him in the face when Miz jumped from the top rope. The Miz rolled out of the ring to collect himself and acted as if he was going to bail, before pushing San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, who was sitting at ringside. Kittle jumped the barrier and clotheslined The Miz. McAfee jumped from the top ring post to the floor onto Miz. When The Miz got back in the ring, McAfee punted him for the win in what was effectively a squash match.

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Is Pat McAfee Back In WWE?

Pat McAfee at WrestleMania is a genuine surprise that no one saw coming. The SmackDown commentator looked to be in peak physical condition, but is he ready to return to WWE, not just as a sometimes wrestler, but to resume his weekly spot beside Michael Cole at the SmackDown commentary booth? We can only hope. His one of a kind enthusiam has been sorely missed.