Weighing in on Pat McAfee’s intense promo directed at Gunther on Raw, Tommy Dreamer was exceptionally complimentary on “Busted Open After Dark,” placing it in historical context. “This promo was great. This promo was excellent, putting this up in top 20 promos of all time,” Dreamer declared. He pinpointed authenticity as the key reason for its impact: “Here’s why, because it was real. He gave his own story, which we could all talk about ourself. But my biggest key when I say is the emphasis of the curse word.”
Dreamer elaborated on the promo’s structure and effectiveness in getting McAfee over as a sympathetic figure against the dominant Gunther. “He’s literally living the American dream and going after a guy who could kick his ass,” Dreamer summarized. He analyzed the delivery: “It was such a great, heartfelt promo. At first… I was like, ‘Man, he’s narcissistic in his own way of telling a story.’ But if you’re thinking about 2025 Hey, we’re liking the bad boys… And then from there, what most people need is humility. And [he] took it way down to build to that moment, to the curse.” Dreamer stressed the power of that specific moment: “I have heard curse lated promos [with] no effect when he hit that one line, which is actually then he drops the F bomb. You have your entire place shocked and reacting to it. The key word was the emphasis and the build to the word.”
Dreamer deemed it a flawless performance for someone primarily known for commentary: “It was a masterful promo for… a guy who gets paid to talk and gets paid a lot of money to talk. That promo was money. Got you behind it, and if anybody could defeat Gunther in that moment with that promo? It was Pat McAfee.” He felt it perfectly set up the classic wrestling dynamic: “the ultimate good guy versus the ultimate bad guy, which is… wrestling 101.”
Furthermore, Dreamer connected the segment’s success to the logical handling by acting Raw General Manager Nick Aldis. He praised how the show portrayed the authority figure role, adding realism. “I loved also the involvement of Nick Aldis, who, at first, really does explain what I think him and Adam Pierce [Pearce] do about the real behind the scenes… where, like, ‘Hey, you’re too much of an asset to have a fight. But if it’s going to be… a match… we will do this. We will do that,'” Dreamer explained, appreciating the storyline justification. He called the GM position “thankless” but vital, adding, “I thought that was excellent for, as we always say? dotting the i’s, crossing the t’s.”
These comments were made by Dreamer during Busted Open After Dark, which airs live immediately following WWE Raw.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Busted Open Radio with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
