Pat McAfee put to sleep in brutal return to the WWE ring for ex-NFL star
By DANIEL MATTHEWS and ERIC BLUM
Pat McAfee was back in a WWE ring on Saturday night, when the former NFL punter-turned-ESPN star was rendered 'unconscious' by Gunther.
It was a first match in more than a year for the 38-year-old, who carved out a career in wrestling following the end of his time in the NFL.
These days, in addition to hosting his daily ESPN talk show, McAfee usually works as a color commentator at WWE events. But at Backlash, he climbed between the ropes once more.
The former Colts star took on Gunther to settle a feud that began after Wrestlemania. McAfee was given a rousing reception by the crowd in St Louis.
Unfortunately for the former NFL star, the match ended when he was put to sleep via a choke hold. 'Never tapped aht [out],' McAfee later wrote on social media.
The former Indianapolis Colts star also posted a picture showing some scars of battle.
Pat McAfee was put to sleep on his return to the WWE ring against Gunther on Saturday night
It was a first match in more than a year for the 38-year-old former Indianapolis Colts star
But McAfee's appearance at WWE Backlash in St Louis ended in a brutal loss
'My chest… is ahhh… burning,' he wrote alongside an image of his badly reddened body
'My chest… is ahhh… burning,' he wrote alongside the image, which showed his badly reddened body.
The loss to Gunther was McAfee's eighth match in WWE and his sixth in singles. He first stepped between the ropes in 2020 to take on Adam Cole and his most recent appearance - before this - came at the 2024 Royal Rumble.
Last month, McAfee's face turned red as Gunther brutally choked him out on an episode of RAW.
Gunther appeared in the middle of WWE's first post-WrestleMania 41 show, arguing outside the ring with McAfee and the company's play-by-play commentator, Michael Cole.
The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion, who lost the title to Jey Uso as part of WrestleMania 41, appeared to take exception with the commentators' criticism of his loss.
After Cole made a comment to Gunther about 'tapping out' to Uso, the Austrian grappler lost it, putting Cole in a chokehold.
McAfee jumped in to save his fellow commentator and attempted to walk away before Gunther put a rear-naked choke on him, eventually making him pass out.
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