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Pat McAfee Reveals Why His First Match Was In WWE And Not The Indies

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI | By Zack Heydorn | Last updated May 7, 2025 11:03 PM ET

Pat McAfee says that he was ready to hit the indies to find out if he could wrestle prior to having his first match in WWE.

In the most recent episode of Stephanie's Places on ESPN+, McAfee spoke openly about his early WWE days. He told McMahon that Triple H was the one who encouraged him to have his first match in NXT against Adam Cole rather than start on the independent circuit.

“I was like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna go hit the indies and see if I can do this or not,’" McAfee said on the show. "He (Triple H) was like, ‘Don’t you even think about it. You need to be doing it with us if you’re going to do it at all. Let’s just figure out a good time for it.’"Pat McAfee (h/t Fightful)

McAfee ended up starting a feud with Adam Cole soon after, which culminated in a match at NXT TakeOver XXX. McAfee was unsuccessful in the match, but it kickstarted what would be a long tenure with the WWE.

McAfee has been a commentator for the Smackdown brand and now is the color commentator next to Michael Cole for WWE Raw on Netflix. He has also competed against and defeated both Austin Theory and The Miz in WrestleMania matches.

McAfee will step up in competition this weekend when he takes on Gunther at WWE Backlash. McAfee challenged Gunther to a match after he attacked Michael Cole and the match was made official soon thereafter.

WWE Backlash airs live on Peacock and Netflix internationally this Saturday, May 10 from St. Louis. Other matches on the show include John Cena vs. Randy Orton for the Undispted WWE Championship and Becky Lynch vs. Lyra Valkyria for the WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship.

This article first appeared on Wrestling on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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