WWE BackLash 2025 is coming together, and a huge match was announced on the April 28 edition of Monday Night Raw. Pat McAfee will take on former WWE World Heavyweight Champion, GUNTHER.
The week prior, Gunther attacked Michael Cole, spurring McAfee to step in for his colleague on the commentary booth. McAfee’s stand didn’t last long, as Gunther then attacked him, choking him to sleep while officials tried to break them up. That action led to Gunther being suspended from the show, to write him off of television for a few weeks.
McAfee went on a long tangent about his upbringing, only to call out acting SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis, who booked the match for the upcoming PLE.
Pat McAfee’s familiar with a WWE ring
This will not be McAfee’s first time in a wrestling ring. He briefly took part in the 2024 Royal Rumble, and his last singles match was against The Miz at WrestleMania 39. With only 8 matches on his catalog, McAfee has shared the ring with some big names, including Vince McMahon, Baron Corbin, and Adam Cole.
But how will he do against Gunther? Only time will tell, but the answer should be that he’d get smashed. Unless he gets some help from someone like Bill Goldberg, setting up the latter’s retirement match.
Pat McAfee getting this match will be a headline-grabbing moment. He’s one of the biggest names in sports and entertainment today. The former NFL kicker has built what started as a sports outlet into one of the biggest media platforms in the industry today. This is the type of mainstream attention WWE is seeking, especially since the acquisition by Endeavor and the formation of TKO Group Holdings with the UFC.
Pat McAfee versus GUNTHER will certainly elicit a response from fans and media members alike. But that’s exactly what the WWE wants to achieve. This match will get the eyeballs that a name like McAfee generates, and that is the entire goal.
WWE BackLash 2025 is set for Saturday, May 10 from the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.