WWE made a bold move when hiring Pat McAfee to become the lead color commentator for the Smackdown brand. The idea of a former NFL punter joining WWE’s most stressful broadcasting position on the biggest show with minimal wrestling experience seems terrible on paper. McAfee has proven any of his critics wrong through each step of his wrestling transition.
The limited appearances on pre-show panels introduced him, but fans most became aware of McAfee during his NXT program. An incredible match against Adam Cole made Pat seem ideal for the in-ring role. However, the reveal of his position on the commentary team shocked everyone. McAfee is not only doing well in the new role, but he’s reaching success few have ever reached in recent memory.
McAfee Has An Unusual Background For Announcing
The popularity of Pat McAfee did not take off until towards the end of his NFL career. Punters rarely get much love and are usually just discussed in the sports media world if they make a terrible mistake. McAfee started the broadcasting side of his career hosting his own show and appearing on other popular ones to build his name.
The retirement from football just saw McAfee soar in popularity with sports fans. McAfee made his name important in popular sports media from his stint at Barstool Sports to his own show reaching new peaks of success.
WWE saw something special in McAfee when he started doing the pre-show panels for NXT. Triple H clearly was a big supporter of McAfee with multiple ideas of where to spotlight his talent. The wrestling aspect could have worked as seen with his promos and in-ring work against Adam Cole. However, WWE decided to take the biggest risk by placing him in a more important instant position.
McAfee Is A Natural Color Commentator
Corey Graves has a polarizing reaction to his commentary style by fans. Many love his heel shtick while others believe he takes away from the action in the ring. Pat McAfee replacing him as the color commentator on Smackdown could have gone poorly with the lack of experience or main roster presence.
The difference in Smackdown vs Raw sees McAfee in a two-person booth having to carry more of his own weight. WWE essentially made McAfee have to face the pressures of replacing a somewhat respected commentator and didn’t give him the flexibility of having a third announcer to give him a break.
McAfee was going to sink or swim relatively quickly, especially with WWE having a shorter leash with broadcasters these days. The instant success showed that Pat was a natural in the role and understood what was needed in the right situations. Some matches will see McAfee joking around in a fun nature, but he knows when to tone it down for big moments.
WWE broadcasters typically get into talk show mode by having arguments with each other to make their points during matches. Graves’ commentary style basically requires someone to argue with. Jerry Lawler struggled in the face commentary role when losing that same easy crutch to fall back on. McAfee is the polar opposite where his one-liners with Michael Cole are fun, but they don’t need to be combative.
McAfee Is A Unique Voice In WWE
The reason Pat McAfee is already the best WWE color commentator in ages is because of how different he is from everyone else. McAfee is knowledgeable about the product, but his passion clearly is his strongest asset. Cameras will accidentally catch McAfee standing or jumping in the background of matches since it’s his natural reaction to being invested.
McAfee has the poise of a respected broadcaster and the excitement of a fan to make each side work evenly. Smackdown is currently leagues above Raw for multiple reasons, but the commentary team deserves a lot of credit for their contributions. Michael Cole is the consummate professional in leading a show and Pat knows how to utilize his strengths without going over the line.
WWE took a big risk by having a new commentator call the main event matches of Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair and the other major stars of Smackdown. McAfee is thriving by relying on the things that made him want to take the job. There is a belief that WWE beats the fandom out of wrestlers to treat it as a business, but McAfee is showing that the passion for the sport can work to one’s benefit.