The Friday Night SmackDown announce team has just been a tremendous shakeup. Recently, it was confirmed that the Monday Night RAW announce team, moving forward, would consist of Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, and MLB Network sportscaster Adnan Virk. This posed questions as to how the SmackDown announce team would change, if at all. Earlier today, WWE confirmed that fans would see a new face behind the desk. Pat McAfee, who NXT fans may remember during his feud with The Undisputed Era, will be joining the SmackDown team as its new color commentator.
Starting in 2018, Pat McAfee began making appearances on WWE programming. He started as an on-air analyst during NXT TakeOver events, often finding himself getting into verbal spats with Adam Cole; these would ultimately lead to their feud starting in 2020. Unlike other analysts during this period, McAfee exuded a unique sense of charisma, which was highlighted by his fashion choices that were criticized by some. Regardless, McAfee signed a multi-year deal with the company, which led to him becoming a more consistent on-air personality on NXT programming.
Pat was up to somethin' 😲 @PatMcAfeeShow joins the #SmackDown announce team starting TONIGHT at 8/7 C on FOX!https://t.co/MiuZQ5nOpF
— WWE (@WWE) April 16, 2021
McAfee may be most remembered for his feud with Adam Cole and The Undisputed Era. The feud between McAfee and Cole became so intense that they would square off at NXT TakeOver: XXX, which saw the former NXT Champion picking up the victory. From there, McAfee would form an alliance with Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch, and Pete Dunne; together, they became known as “The Kings of NXT.” At NXT TakeOver: WarGames the following December, McAfee’s team squared off with The Undisputed Era in a WarGames match. Though The Undisputed Era picked up the win, much like his first match at TakeOver, McAfee impressed, even performing a Swanton Bomb off the top of the cage.
Pat McAfee will begin his SmackDown commentary duties tonight at 8 PM EST on FOX. Expect to see him bring his unique brand of wit and insight to the booth.
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