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Though the news technically broke before the start of Monday Night RAW, with the former All-Pro punter letting his fans know on social media to tune into WWE's flagship show to see his final regular appearance of the year, Michael Cole and company made sure to make it official during the three-hour broadcast: Pat McAfee is heading back to ESPN for College GameDay and will miss the next four months of RAW as a result.
Now unsurprisingly, this reaction drew all sorts of different responses online, with anti-McAfee fans celebrating his exit while his faithful audience was mixed on the news, as he'd remain on television, only now he'd be talking about college football on Saturday mornings, instead of calling people a “Big Son of a B**ch” on Monday nights.
Addressing the crowd on monday night for one final time before his full-time hiatus, McAfee went out of his way to shout out everyone who helped to make the show possible, from the makeup team all the way up to the top movers and shakers in the promotion.
“Before I get started, is there any way you can make some noise for the greatest on the mic in every city we go, Samantha Irvin? It is an honor to be in the home of the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. Sunrise has been magical, and tonight will actually be my last RAW for about four months or so. It's all good. I can't thank you enough for making this incredible night even better than it could ever fathom to be. I want to say some thank yous. Can you all help me out? So when I say, ‘I just want to say,' will you guys say, ‘Thank you'? I just want to say [crowd says thank you.' To the ring crew that sets up this place every single night for everybody to enjoy the show, I just want to say [thank you]. To the people in the truck in the back that cut all the cameras here, across the world, I just want to say [thank you]. To the makeup crew that helps me look presentable on television and everybody else, I just want to say [thank you],” McAfee declared.
“To the superstars in the back that lay their life on the line for the good of our entertainment and for being so welcoming to me in all of my dumba**ness, I just want to say [thank you]. To the people on Gorilla, with their big-a** brains, who have shaped this industry for decades and decades, for being so incredibly kind to me, I just want to say [thank you]. To the TVL boys, the TV locker room, thank you for being so nice, hanging out, sharing some gummies, maybe some combos, I just want to say [thank you]. To Michael Cole, you're the greatest of all time. Thank you for making me look much better and smarter than I'll ever be. Working alongside you has been a dream come true. I've been watching you on TV since before I was born, you old b**tard. You're only getting better. I just want to say [thank you]. To the WWE Universe, you all are the best. I just want to say [thank you]. I'll see you in January. I love you. Goodbye.”
Whether you like McAfee or not, his farewell message is an objective good look for a commentator who routinely ruffles feathers for some of the things he says and when he says them. With a few months for hearts to grow fonder, who knows, maybe the third time will be the charm for the controversial commentator.
Michael Cole paid tribute to Pat McAfee on RAW
Between McAfee's initial announcement to watch RAW and his farewell speech posted online after the show went off the air, Cole got in on the fun, too, using some of the showtime to pay tribute to his good friend before sharing a highlight reel of his commentary career.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a sad night for me here on Monday Night Raw. This man to my right, one of my best friends on the entire planet, and I mean that sincerely, we've spent so much time together; Pat's leaving us for the next couple of months as he heads off for football season,” Cole told the WWE Universe on RAW.
“The good news that I can share with everyone is Pat's gonna be back in January as Monday Night Raw makes history, WWE makes history, as we kick things off live on Netflix.”
When it comes to McAfee, few, if anyone, in the WWE Universe, has more respect for the do-it-all ESPN personality than Cole, who has centered his commentary duties around being on the same show as the 37-year-old from Plum, PA. And the best part? With McAfee returning to the show in January of 2025 just in time for RAW‘s debut on Netflix, it's safe to say the “Voice of WWE” will be working alongside a partner who can truly go as balls to the wall as he pleases, even if that isn't always necessarily a good thing.
We'll see @PatMcAfeeShow on Monday nights again when #WWERaw comes to @Netflix this January! pic.twitter.com/Yjha4vIxVq
— WWE (@WWE) August 20, 2024
