Pat McAfee shared his reflections on his physically demanding match against GUNTHER at WWE Backlash this past Saturday, May 10th. Though McAfee ultimately passed out to GUNTHER’s rear-naked choke, he expressed pride in his effort and believes he earned the formidable Austrian’s respect.
Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the SmackDown commentator admitted he was feeling the effects. “The body is a little battered and bruised,” McAfee stated. “Me and Gunther had a moment in time where I believe I showcased to him something that he showed a little respect… I showed him I wasn’t scared to eat one of those [chops] if need be.”
The match went longer than he anticipated. “This went a lot longer than I thought it was going to be,” McAfee said, thanking the St. Louis crowd. He vividly described the impact of GUNTHER’s offense: “I think the first chop popped both of my eardrums, the sound.”
McAfee then discussed how he views GUNTHER will be remembered. “. To Gunther’s credit, him giving me the head nod at the end, I think he acknowledged what happened in there. I think he was waiting until it was on camera to be able to do that. If you saw him talking to the ref, I think he was asking the ref, ‘I would like people to see this and know this.’ What an honor it was to get into the ring once again and be part of Backlash and fight [Gunther]. He might be in GOAT conversations when it’s all said and done. Michael Cole, I’m sorry I couldn’t get us the win. At least I think the guy who was bullying your old ass around knows we’re willing to fight if we have to.”
