WWE Star Ribbed By Triple H At The Royal Rumble

A WWE star has revealed how Triple H was behind a rib that played out on live television during the 2023 Royal Rumble.

The Royal Rumble is always a night of high drama and surprises in WWE. Both of those were realised during the night with Booker T, Chelsea Green, and Nia Jax providing the surprises while Sami Zayn and The Bloodline brought the drama to close the show.

However, the night began with another surprise as Pat McAfee returned to the announce table for the first time in months and the fans weren’t the only ones surprised. Michael Cole and Corey Graves who were both at the announce table and had to call McAfee’s arrival had no idea he was coming out to join them either.

Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Michael Cole explained that McAfee’s music didn’t click for him immediately but soon realised Triple H had orchestrated a major rib by keeping McAfee’s appearance a secret:

“When the music hit, because when I think Pat McAfee, I still think of White Stripes, so, when the first couple of bars of the new song hit, I didn’t immediately recognize it.

“Then Hunter, Paul Levesque (Triple H) was in my ear, and he said, ‘Are you gonna sell it?’ I mouthed to him in the spy cam, ‘Sell what?’ I’m like, ‘Sell what?’

“Then I looked up and I saw your video board, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, you’re ribbing me.’”

Michael Cole then revealed the text message he sent both Triple H and Kevin Dunn in the aftermath of the event:

“You f*ckers, I can’t believe that you guys ribbed me.”

Cole, McAfee, and Graves all got to call the action on the night which saw Rhea Ripley and Cody Rhodes win their respective Royal Rumble matches and book their place at WrestleMania 39.

h/t Wrestling Inc.