Pat McAfee dropped jaws this past Friday (Apr. 3) when he turned heel on the latest episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown in St. Louis. He aligned with Randy Orton by attacking Cody Rhodes with a hit to the jewels.
Why Has Pat McAfee Turning Heel Annoyed WWE Fans?
Even though I like McAfee as a character and his presence is thunderous on WWE, in WWE history it’s never worked for a character to complain about how much “better it used to be.”
The WWE seems to have him taking the angle of the elder that wants to show the new guys — and younger fans at home — what life in the WWE was like back in the day, and why it was so much better.
But I think McAfee and the WWE are alienating the younger crowd, who doesn’t care about old grandpa stories.
It’s kind of insulting to the younger set of the current audience, because they weren’t around to witness The Rock coming out and singing songs or Stone Cold Steve Austin slamming beers on the turnbuckle while flipping off the crowd cheering him on.
Read More: Jelly Roll on ‘WWE: Unreal’ — 9 Moments That Prove He’s as Real as It Gets
It’s Not all Completely Bad That Pat McAfee Turned Heel in the WWE?
The upside here is that prior to McAfee coming out and turning heel, the audience was booing Cody Rhodes. That’s not ideal, because he’s supposed to be the good guy in the scenario. So at least this has them booing the right guy.
During this week’s WWE Monday Night Raw Episode on Netflix, announcer Michael Cole brought up what happened on SmackDown with McAfee and Orton recently.
Cole said that he was angry and disappointed. People know about the deep friendship Cole has with Rhodes, but at the same time, he has also considered McAfee a good friend over the years. They called matches together in the past.
Cole felt like I did: He said this was the saddest thing he has ever sat through in his near 30 years in WWE.
40 Photos of Hulk Hogan’s Life In and Out of the Wrestling Ring
Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll
Jelly Roll: 29 Stunning Facts About the ‘Save Me’ Singer
Jelly Roll is country music’s most fascinating character. His life has taken dozens of wild twists and turns, and he’s been honest about all of it. Here are 279 facts about the “Save Me” singer and his family.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
