WrestleMania Backlash aired live on Peacock and the WWE Network on Sunday night. Some pretty big moments for what is usually the calm after the storm that is WrestleMania. A new SmackDown Women's Champion was crowned, and Edge's Judgment Day faction finally has a third member. However, a presumably unplanned line from Pat McAfee appeared to get more attention on social media than either of those moments.
The Fiend In The Front Row
While Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair were brawling at ringside, what appears to be a child fan dressed as The Fiend was shown in the front row. McAfee decided to acknowledge the fan, asking on the air if that was The Fiend. The line was met with stoney silence from Michael Cole and the focus returned to the action between Flair and Rousey a few seconds later.
While WWE might not have ackowledged McAfee's line, the fans certainly did. So many people heard McAfee mention The Fiend and reacted to it that Bray Wyatt's alter ego trended on Twitter. WWE loves touting its social media numbers whenever it gets the chance. While anything it does trending is good news, odds are Vince McMahon would probably prefer not to get online attention for a wrestler who left the company almost a year ago.
Could The Fiend Return To WWE?
Wyatt was released by WWE at the end of July 2021 and hasn't wrestled anywhere since. The former WWE Champion appears to be exploring other avenues, and there's even a belief that he might never wrestle again. Perhaps following in his brother Bo Dallas's footsteps, although Dallas has now hinted he will be returning to the ring soon.
McMahon clearly loves McAfee, and most fans love him too. However, there's no getting around the fact that every now and again, the former NFL punter accidentally says things that likely drive the WWE chairman round the bend. Last month, McAfee referred to Butch as The Rabid Wolverine, a reference to a moniker previously used by a wrestler WWE definitely doesn't want its fans thinking about when watching the product.
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