Why WWE Rejected Pitch For Popular Star To Defeat Gunther
An outlandish pitch was presented to have a famous sports personality win over an active wrestler.
Pat McAfee, who is a former football star, part-time pro wrestler, and color commentator, has been with WWE since 2018.
He was the pre-show analyst for the NXT: TakeOver events. He also had a feud with Andy Cole, with whom he had a critically acclaimed match in NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2020.
He has since had matches with the likes of The Miz and Austin Theory and has also commentated alongside Michael Cole on SmackDown.
The WWE creative set up a match for McAfee against The Ring General Gunther for Backlash 2025, which Gunther won via submission by applying his deadly sleeperhold on McAfee.
WWE Creative Originally Had Other Ideas For McAfee Vs Gunther
WWE Executive Bruce Prichard and CCO Triple H can be seen discussing ideas for the Pat McAfee vs Gunther match in the writer’s room via a video posted on X.
In the video, taken from the WWE Unreal series’ newly released second season, Prichard and Triple H consider having McFee win the bout as they feel the opposite outcome would be too predictable.
Another writer immediately opposes the idea, explaining how odd and illogical it would be for McAfee to beat Gunther as a color commentator. Watch the conversation by clicking below:
Bruce Prichard wanted Pat McAfee to beat Gunther at Backlash last year because the other outcome was “predictable.”
Until another writer stepped in and shut it down 😭
— EliteRockerz 𝕏 (@EliteClubS0B) January 20, 2026
Gunther is currently feuding with AJ Styles, having defeated Styles in a match last week on Raw, and upon Styles’ request for a rematch at the Royal Rumble, has asked Styles to put his career on the line for their bout.
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