Michael Cole Says He Is Not Sure How He Feels About the Way Pat McAfee Returned to WWE

Michael Cole has offered one of the most candid and balanced assessments of his close friend Pat McAfee’s WWE return — acknowledging that while he is glad McAfee is back involved with the company, he has genuine reservations about how the situation has unfolded. Speaking on SportsCenter, Cole walked a careful line between personal loyalty and professional honesty.

“I’m glad that Pat’s back involved with WWE, I’m just not quite sure how I feel yet about the way that he returned. I think that Pat, in his mind, believes that he and Randy Orton are going to change the wrestling business the way that it is. And I believe they think they’re going to change things for the better. But I don’t quite believe that,” Cole said. He also acknowledged the personality traits that drive McAfee’s behavior. “I think Pat also enjoys the spotlight. I think Pat’s got an ego — as people that are close to him know. I think he likes to be close to the main event part of WrestleMania. He’s wrestled at WrestleMania in the past. He likes to be a part of this.”

Michael Cole Frames Pat McAfee’s WWE Involvement as Good for the Company Despite His Personal Reservations

Despite his reservations, Cole ultimately landed on a positive framing for WWE as an institution. “As a company, we love to have Pat involved. Pat is just such an exciting individual. He is someone who loves this business so much, and despite what some may think about how he’s handling himself in this situation, I think it’s a great thing for our company to have Pat involved.” McAfee corners Randy Orton in his Undisputed WWE Championship challenge against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42 Night One on April 18 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.