Former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee made his WWE in-ring debut on Saturday night at NXT TakeOver: XXX against Adam Cole, displaying some serious skills until he was pinned.
McAfee wasted no time, opening the match with an epic leap off the top rope — and stuck the landing.
He continued his dominance, squatting Cole three times before slamming him down and getting a two count.
McAfee followed the move with a drop kick and a slap, all while spewing trash talk and displaying some serious athleticism.
McAfee again went up top, leaping while exclaiming “McAfee BAY BAY!” — a play on Cole's catchphrase. But Cole connected with a devastating superkick, and ended the match with the pinfall victory.
Despite the loss, WWE Superstars were impressed with McAfee's performance.
Cole even acknowledged McAfee's hard work.
The match had been a long time in the making, with McAfee instigating Cole on his YouTube show in July.
The situation escalated, getting physical with an altercation on WWE NXT recently that ended with McAfee connecting with a signature punt squarely to Cole.
And McAfee was equally impressive on the microphone as he was on the ring, more than holding his own in his interviews and promos during the build up to Saturday.
This wasn't McAfee's first appearance in the ring, as he had a brief match on an independent card over a decade ago. But a match of this caliber was something he's always hoped for.
The two-time Pro Bowler retired from the NFL following the 2016 season after playing all eight years with the Colts. He averaged 46.4 yards per punt for his career with 26,653 career yards over 575 punts.
After his days in the league, he became a media personality, appearing on FOX Sports, ESPN, DAZN and Westwood One. He started working with the WWE in 2018 as an announcer/analyst often used in pre-show appearances.
And now, he can officially say he's a WWE Superstar.
