Total Pro Sports
Pat McAfee isn’t new to hard hits, but Saturday night in St. Louis reminded everyone that the WWE ring isn’t a forgiving place, especially when Gunther is waiting on the other side. The former NFL punter, turned ESPN host and wrestling commentator, stepped back into action at WWE Backlash for his first match in over a year. The crowd gave him a hero’s welcome. Gunther gave him something else entirely.
The 38-year-old McAfee, who carved out an impressive wrestling side career after hanging up his Colts jersey, went toe-to-toe with the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion to settle unfinished business that started brewing at WrestleMania.
The match ended with McAfee unconscious, choked out cold by Gunther. “Never tapped aht,” McAfee wrote later on social media, making it clear he didn’t give in- he simply blacked out.
Gunther didn’t waste time turning the energy inside the Enterprise Center into a pressure cooker. The feud, which ignited when Gunther attacked McAfee on RAW after a heated exchange with Michael Cole, reached its boiling point at Backlash. When McAfee stepped in to defend his fellow commentator weeks ago, Gunther locked in a rear-naked choke and made him pass out. Saturday night was more of the same- only this time, it was official.
Never tapped aht. #WWEBacklash pic.twitter.com/GU3vDEVwzM
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 11, 2025
McAfee showed fight, but Gunther’s size, experience, and sheer intensity proved too much. The former punter tried to swing momentum his way, but Gunther cut him down with a suffocating chokehold that sealed the match. Afterward, McAfee posted a photo of his chest, battered and reddened, with a caption that summed it up: “My chest… is ahhh… burning.”
This marked McAfee’s eighth WWE match and sixth solo outing since debuting against Adam Cole in 2020. His last appearance before Backlash came at the 2024 Royal Rumble. While most fans know him now as the voice behind The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN and a fixture at WWE commentary desks, his willingness to dive back into the ring shows he hasn’t lost his edge, or his guts.
McAfee may have walked out of St. Louis with scars and a stinging loss, but he left no doubt that he belongs wherever the fight takes him. Whether behind the mic or in the ring, he brings the heat, win or lose.
Also Read: VIDEO: Pat McAfee’s Eyes Nearly Popped Out Of His Head After He Got Choked Out On ‘Monday Night Raw’
