When WWE announced that Pat McAfee would be stepping between the ropes to take on Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver XXX, expectations for the former football player’s chances against a pro wrestling great were far from high. Talking exclusively to Muscle & Fitnessback in August, Cole told us of his disdain for McAfee, predicting an easy win against a man who at that time had no previous match experience in WWE.
While Cole made good on his promise to defeat the former NFL placekicker, it was far from the easy win he’d promised and during his scintillating WWE debut, it became clear that McAfee was taking pro wrestling seriously. Not only did the former 8-year veteran with the Indiana Colts turn up in great shape, but in a major surprise that fans are still talking about many months later, McAfee flew around the ring like an established WWE superstar.
It’s widely understood that, barring a few exceptions like Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey, few athletes make a quick transition from other sports to the larger than life world of WWE. Years of training are required to master the timing, moves, and charisma required to become a pro wrestling star and yet the 33-year-old from Plum, PA has wowed critics from the first moment he set foot in the ring. Pat also brought the same passion to the steel cage where he came breathtakingly close to picking up his first victory at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
Teaming with Pete Dunne, Danny Burch, and Oney Lorcan, pro wrestling’s hottest new prospect took it to all four members of The Undisputed Era in a wild affair that saw our man performing a death-defying moonsault that sent Roderick Strong crashing through a table. As if that was not enough, he then took out the entire opposing team with a flying senton from the very top of the WarGames structure. Muscle & Fitness sat down for an exclusive interview with one of WWE’s most talked about characters to get the lowdown on his progress so far.
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Courtesy of WWE
How was your mindset as you made your NXT pro wrestling debut on live television against Adam Cole?
Going into the match, I really had the mindset that this would probably be my (first and) last time, so I was going to give it everything and put on a hell of a fight and a show. As the match got going, I started feeling more comfortable and the inner fan started showing up in me and so it was a really, really cool night.
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It was an incredible performance! What was the reaction like backstage?
When I got to the back and I saw Triple H, he gave me a clap and it was a really cool moment and I will never forget it. Shawn Michaels was also there, who is obviously a living legend in the business, and I got the same thing from him. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life, and I will also remember waking up the next day and barely being able to get out of bed! (laughs).
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You are known for playing football, so expectations might have been low for your very first match in NXT, but it is clear that you must have been putting a lot of pressure on yourself to entertain?
Going into that match, as a lifelong fan, I’ve always hated the outsiders that come in and wrestle. I always hated it if it appeared that they were giving zero effort and almost disrespecting every human that has ever got in the ring and made a living. So, when I got the opportunity to be in this world, I just wanted to show respect for the pro wrestling business. I wanted the people that make a living doing this to appreciate my effort. I think that was my only goal going in there, so it was nice to hear from people that I really look up to sending me good messages and saying “good work”.
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You showed up in the greatest shape of your athletic career. How did you approach this?
I’ve always had [times where] I get comfortable, I get lazy and then something happens and I’ll get very strict on a diet and then the whole thing kind of comes and goes. So, I think getting ready for my debut was really nice because it gave me a goal to work to. I talked to friends of mine that were in the NFL and we pieced together some workout plans. It was like a team process with old teammates and old coaches of mine, and adding in some cardio that I enjoy doing.
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Athletes from other sports are often surprised at how easy it is to lose your breath when wrestling. How did you find the experience?
Obviously that match was only supposed to last thirty seconds. I was supposed to knock him out immediately (laughs), but it went 15 or 16 minutes with no gimmicks.
I talked to some of the coaches down at the WWE Performance Center before the match and I asked them what the best cardio is, that can simulate that what could potentially happen in the ring, and they all said the same thing. They said, “listen, there is nothing like being in a wrestling ring”. One coach told me that it is like when you are swimming and you get really tired and you feel like you are going to drown. He said that this was a good comparison, so said “OK, awesome” (laughs). Another coach told me it’s like when you are running and you can’t even feel your legs any more (laughs). So, I’m not sure any type of training can compare to having a pro wrestling match, and that’s what is so glorious about it.
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It is very hard for pro wrestlers to train and eat right, because of the late-night shows, travel, and lack of downtime. Have you been observing what some of the other guys and girls do in WWE, as far as formulating your own training plan?
I feel like it doesn’t get talked about enough in terms of the incredible discipline that these men and women have when they are travelling. For me, right now, I am able to be at home and fly down for NXT on Wednesdays and then go back home again. My wife cooks and has been helping me out with my eating regime.
I was talking to Tommaso Ciampa and he is going to send me his workout and eating plan because he looks amazing. So, I am going to be getting into my first type of workout plan that wrestlers work to. Normally I have relied on my football strength coaches but now transitioning into the wrestling workouts is exciting and I can’t wait to see what it does for my body and how I feel.
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Adam Cole has said that you are in “way over your head” in WWE, but your performances seem to say otherwise. How do you respond to those remarks?
My entire life is a series of events where I have been in way over my head. In my rookie year I ticked off a Superbowl and I played in a position that I had no idea how to play in, as a punter, until I got drafted by the Indiana Colts to be a punter in the NFL.
My first time doing stand-up comedy was in front of three thousand people so I mean with literally everything I do; I get dropped in at the deep end. I’m not really scared of those big moments. I get excited for them and when Adam Cole speaks you know something stupid is going to come out… I’m used to being dropped in at the deep end and my swimming is just fine baby!
Pat McAfee’s matches at NXT TakeOver XXX, and TakeOver: WarGames can be viewed on WWE Network. For more information visit WWE.com
