The idea of Vince McMahon having a match at WrestleMania doesn’t bode well for the show
![EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - FEBRUARY 16: Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on February 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images) EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - FEBRUARY 16: Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on February 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/25447ee3921763c0e3796b6953b8c7e926c60f947d6e7a745c62473ce494b981.jpg)
WrestleMania season is here. But to say it’s a train of momentum would be disingenuous. This is mainly due to the lack of big-name stars and exciting storylines heading into the event. Ronda Rousey’s return, a title unification bout, and perhaps Stone Cold Steve Austin’s return are the biggest rumors and news for the annual showcase. New rumors popped up about a potential angle between Vince McMahon and Pat McAfee. That rumor causes heads to turn and that’s because it’s an attention-grabber for the wrong reasons. Featuring Vince in an angle at this point, at WrestleMania, is further evidence of how far the promotion has fallen with star power.
As of last night, Vince McMahon vs. Pat McAfee was listed as a match on the internal schedule for WrestleMania.
— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) February 26, 2022
Think about this comparison. Louis Dangoor of Give Me Sport reported via his sources that WWE had plans to do a Four Horsewomen main event for one of the two nights of WrestleMania 38. Imagine the moment of Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Bayley, and Becky Lynch standing in each corner as the fans showered them with praise; a culmination of sorts for what they mean across professional wrestling, not just the WWE. That’s off the table as other angles are on course, with Rousey taking on Flair and Lynch defending against Bianca Belair.
Instead, fans are getting angles with Johnny Knoxville, Logan Paul, and now potentially McMahon. This comes when viewers, fans, and media personalities continue to push the WWE to change up its booking formula.
McAfee is one of the few consistent bright spots in the WWE. He clearly loves being involved with WWE and that was apparent back when he was on NXT working with Adam Cole. He and Michael Cole are one of the best commentary and play-by-play pairings in the industry today. It would have been entertaining to see him get involved in the Royal Rumble, but the idea of him and McMahon having a scheduled “match” at WrestleMania is more of the same, and the same isn’t working.
McMahon is 76-years old. The Attitude Era was nearly thirty years ago. Fans may still bow whenever his music hits, but that’s more akin to victims of Stockholm syndrome rather than praising him for building a product that is consistently entertaining, with or without the pro wrestling element. Adding him to WrestleMania 38 would not do anything to build excitement for the premium live event.
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WrestleMania 38 is a little more than a month away. It’s hard to find anything on the card that jumps off the page with the potential to draw in lapsed fans and new eyeballs. Could that change? Yes, of course. Does WWE have a track record for making positive change? Not lately. Instead, the company has a penchant to reach back in hopes of building forward and that’s exactly what the idea of adding Vince McMahon to this card represents and it’s a further indication of the failure to build new attractions.