Pat McAfee Looks Back At His WWE NXT Takeover Match Against Adam Cole

During The Pat McAfee Show, Pat McAfee discussed his WWE in-ring debut at NXT Takeover XXX against Adam Cole this past weekend. McAfee described the match as being something he's wanted to do his entire life and something he saw himself doing as a child watching the Attitude Era and the Monday Night Wars.

"The match at NXT Takeover XXX against Adam Cole was something I had thought about potentially happening in my life since I was 10 or 11 years old," McAfee said. "Monday nights were the best thing on television for me as a kid by far. When I watched wrestling for the first time, it was the first time I really looked at something and thought that's the world I am supposed to be in. For 20 years now, I've always dreamt of having a wrestling match."

McAFee continued to talk about one day believing he'd always become a wrestler. He also mentioned how him and his wife watch every wrestling show today and that it showed during the build up to his match this Saturday.

"I always had these seeds where I was supposed to wrestle," McAfee said. "I got to work with WWE, I started doing kick off shows and pre shows and commentating and learning a little bit more about the world that I've always been a fan of. Even as an adult, my lady and I, we try and watch literally every single wrestling show that is on television, just because it is such a combination of things."

"I think people got a chance to see that whenever they dove into the NXT run I've had over the last couple of weeks. Wrestling is just so much more than just wrasslin'. Its emotion, its drama, its comedy, it's athletics, it's everything that I feel I've been attracted to for my entire life."

McAfee also talked about how the match with Cole originated by Cole blowing up on his show, pushing one of his co-workers which led to Triple H inviting McAfee to come to NXT and commentate. From there, McAfee attacked Cole and the match was made by Triple H on ESPN. McAfee talked about the lead up to the Adam Cole match at Takeover XXX and how it's something he'll remember for the rest of his life.

"Now, the way the whole thing was set up, don't respect that, don't like it at all," McAfee said. "I don't like Triple H had to disrespect me on ESPN, but the fact that I got to get into the ring on Saturday was a moment I thought about as hey, this is something I'm going to remember on my deathbed."

"When you wrestle on a Takeover for NXT, it's the best wrestling show that happens, so I understand the pressure and hype because Takeover is a big deal. I made a couple mistakes in there and I lost."

He also mentioned how during the match, he was able to be more athletic than he thought. At one point in the match while Cole and McAfee were on the top rope, McAfee did a backflip off the top rope and landed on his feet. McAfee talked about being able to do a backflip from the top rope and how excited and surprised he was.

"I was jacked up about," McAfee said. "I was so pumped up about it. Those are things as a kid where I see people do stuff and I'm like that looks awesome. I've always been a good flipper on a trampoline. I think he potentially had his mind blown there. Couple mistakes in there, I end up with the loss but boy, what a bucket list item."

Prior to the match happening, there was a lot of criticism towards the match between a former NFL punter and one of NXT's greatest superstars ever being made. McAfee talked about wrestling fans actually supporting him on Twitter after the match and how he was being buried before it happened.

"As soon as [Triple H] made this a match on Twitter, I saw a lot of people just burying me," McAfee said. "I was getting buried by people that I thought I was a part of their community. I follow all the dirt sheets, and I'm just watching all these people just bury me."

Regarding when we'll see him again, McAfee did not mention whether this was a one off match or we will see him again inside an NXT ring. As far as Adam Cole is concerned, after the match match he said that the Undisputed Era are moving on.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Pat McAfee Show with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.