Triple H isn’t sure of what Pat McAfee’s future in the ring will be, but he is certain the former NFL star’s match against Adam Cole won’t be the last one.
Speaking to the media on a conference call right after NXT TakeOver XXX, Triple H spoke about McAfee and how proud he is of him for how he performed in the match. Triple H also recalled an encounter he had with McAfee in which McAfee told Triple H that he wanted to be a weapon for him to use. Triple H figured he meant he wanted to be an announcer and not a talent and that Triple H better remember that encounter for when McAfee goes into the WWE Hall of Fame.
“I think with Pat, one of the first times I ever met him, he looked at me and said, ‘I want to be a weapon for you to grab it and utilize. I want to be a talent.’ I thought he meant it as an announcer, but he didn’t. Pat has every intention of doing this and being not just an NXT superstar, but when the time is right, a WWE superstar. He has a lot of other commitments from his podcast to everything else he does. He has a lot of commitments across the board, but he’s very serious about this. We’ll see where it goes. When we first talked about this process from the in-ring, having the match idea, he said to me, ‘Let’s remember this phone call when you do my Hall of Fame speech.’ Pat doesn’t lack confidence,” Triple H said.
As far as the match is concerned, Triple H was highly complimentary of both Cole and McAfee and when the time is right, McAfee will wrestle again. Triple H said he’s not sure of when McAfee will wrestle again, thanks in part to the many commitments McAfee has outside of wrestling.
“To me, he showed why he is the elite athlete that he is, why he had so many full rides in college in so many different sports. He played professional sports at the highest level. He has the personality. He’s got the gift of gab. He has the charisma. He’s a heat magnet and when you add in the incredible athlete on top of that who has a feel for the business. What he wants to do, he can do. I’m here to help him. I look forward to that future. I don’t know what it’ll be. We’re going to have that conversation. I can certainly say that I do not believe at all that this is the last time that you will see Pat McAfee step through those ropes and do what he does. I think he’s silenced a lot of critics tonight, a lot of people in the, ‘Ugh, a celebrity’ camp left with a different opinion. I will also say, my hat’s off to Adam Cole. Having done this with someone who, it’s their first match ever, and working with them, it takes a lot and there’s a lot that goes into this. Pat and Adam tore it up. Adam is a consummate pro. I’ve said that numerous times. I can’t say it enough. He’s a leader in the back to just a pro on every level. As much as anyone, he is NXT. My hat’s off to both of them, to Pat McAfee with respect and Adam Cole with the in-ring leadership,” Triple H said.
You can check out the full media conference call below. For full results of NXT TakeOver XXX, click here.
If you use any of the quotes at the top of the page, please credit Carlos Toro of Fightful.com.
