Pat McAfee reveals real reason for mysterious television absence as he furiously fires back at critics
McAfee has been missing from WWE's television programs since the 'Money in the Bank' premium live event, which took place on June 7.
McAfee, 38, has served as the color commentator for the company's flagship weekly show, Monday Night RAW, alongside Michael Cole for the last several months. McAfee has not appeared in his normal role since the June 2 broadcast.
Speaking on his weekday show, McAfee detailed why he has stepped back from the WWE and a hint as to when he could return.
'I will not be commentating. Continuing to just like kinda catch up on life as a whole. You know, Post-Money in the Bank, Pre-Night of Champions. Feels like a good time,' he said.
'I was getting pretty exhausted there. So, shoutout to everybody in WWE looking out for me, too. Very very thankful.'
McAfee stepped out from his role as a broadcaster to wrestle current WWE World Heavyweight Champion in May and did not miss any time with his storyline injuries.
The popular broadcaster has taken long breaks from the WWE before, typically returning to the company at their annual 'Royal Rumble' event in late January or early February.
WWE has not confirmed McAfee's return to the air for 'Night of Champions', with the show taking place in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Most WWE talent working the show, which is still slated for production in the Middle East, despite tensions between Israel and Iran in the area, will leave the United States days before.
McAfee broadcasting his show as normal will be an indicator whether he will return to the announcer's table at the event, where John Cena is defending the WWE Championship against CM Punk, or after talent are back in America.
McAfee's weekday show aired live from his typical studio in Indianapolis on Wednesday.
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Magnus Carlsen shows how Saudi Arabia gobbles up global sports stars
In February, Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen extended his reign over the online chess world when he defeated longtime rival Hikaru Nakamura in back-to-back matches to retain his Chessable Masters title. The tournament kicked off this year's Champions Tour, a circuit Carlsen has dominated since its launch in 2020. But now, the stakes were even higher: the tour doubles as a qualifier for the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the winner of the chess section of the tournament will take home $250,000 for three days' work. The chess tournament is part of the broader Esports World Cup, a seven-week spectacle that began on 8 July and stretches into late August. This is only the second edition of the World Cup but with more than 2,000 participating players, 25 different events and a record-breaking $70m total prize pool, it is the largest and most ambitious event of its kind. Chess is set to make its debut at this year's edition. 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Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Over the past few years, Savvy Games Group, a company owned by the PIF, has acquired a large portion of the global esports industry. Aside from holding shares in Nintendo, Electronic Arts, and Activision, Savvy acquired mobile game developer Copley for $4.9bn, which later went on to acquire Niantic, the games business behind Pokémon Go. Saudi Arabia is also building Qiddiya City, a dedicated district that will house regional esports headquarters, clubs, and arenas. It is an exceptional level of investment that makes Saudi impossible to ignore as the major player in the global esports market. And though it would be easy to write off the kingdom's efforts as sportswashing – a term that describes efforts to use sports as a distraction from ongoing human rights abuses – I would argue that the term offers an overly simplistic understanding of the kingdom's aims. It is a multi-pronged strategy that is part foreign policy, part domestic socialization project, a strategy of pacifying the public with entertainment and material goods. With more than two-thirds of Saudi Arabia's population under the age of 35 – a significant number of whom are gamers – the kingdom's heavy investment in gaming has only enhanced bin Salman's popularity among young Saudis, which further stabilizes his regime. As for Carlsen, his role as an ambassador for one of Saudi's spectacles underscores the kingdom's ability to lure almost any athlete across sports and entertainment. Along with the likes of Messi, Ronaldo and Nadal, Carlsen is merely the latest star mobilized to help legitimize Saudi Arabia as a global destination for sports and soften its controversial image among fans. And with every star who signs on, the regime's image gleams just a little bit brighter.
The Sun
8 hours ago
- The Sun
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Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Tom Aspinall FINALLY has next UFC fight announced after Jon Jones saga, with British star headlining UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi
Tom Aspinall can finally move on after months of will-they-won't-they with Jon Jones. The British UFC star will take on Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on October 25 - an opponent he's now been matched with four times. Aspinall has not been in action since July last year when he finished Curtis Blaydes in the first round of their clash in Manchester. He's been repeatedly calling out Jones, who still possessed the heavyweight belt after beating Stipe Miocic. And Dana White was hugely confident that showdown would happen but the controversial American then announced his retirement. The UFC and Aspinall are ready to move on and the 32-year-old, who has been promoted to full champion from interim title holder, wants to establish his own legacy now. After White announced the fight, Aspinall took to social media, saying: 'Finally we're back after a year hiatus. 'Me and Ciryl finally signed on the dotted line. This is the fourth time we've been lined up together. He turned down the fight early on when we were both low down in the rankings. 'After that he fought Spivac, I said in a post-fight interview after I beat Tybura, "I'm going to go to Paris and be front row for Gane vs Spivac, I'm going to beat the winner and then I'm going to beat Jon Jones". 'I went to Paris, Ciryl unfortunately turned it down on a second occasion. The third time, I fought Curtis Blayes, Ciryl was supposed to be the opponent but was busy that date filming his Netflix series - I can't remember what it was called but I'm sure you can check it out now on Netflix. 'Now we're matched up in Abu Dhabi, me and Ciryl, the fourth attempt is here and this is Ciryl's third title shot so we are trying to get rid of Ciryl Gane from the title picture for good.' No doubt Aspinall is relishing the chance to put the Jones saga behind him but the controversial American is still slightly muddying the waters. Jones commented on a post on Instagram which depicted him fighting - and beating - Aspinall at the White House, with the British star left on the floor while Jones sat triumphantly. In response, the 37-year-old wrote: 'I like this'. And two weeks after calling time on his career he said he had reentered the drug testing pool. 'Fighting at the White House?' Jones posted on X. 'Just re-entered the testing pool, that lasted for about two weeks. Figured we'd keep everyone's options open.' But when asked if he would feature Jones on the White House card - which was teased by Donald Trump and later confirmed by Dana White for next year, the UFC president said he would not trust Jones. 'It's not even about him winning the belt,' White told reporters at the UFC 318 post-fight press conference. And the legendary fighter, who has missed other fights due to legal issues and drug suspensions, said on Sunday that he was 'disappointed' with White's remarks. 'I heard the comments made at last night's press conference. While I was a little disappointed, I'm still in the UFC's drug testing pool, staying sharp, and continuing to train like a professional. I'll be ready for whatever comes next,' Jones wrote on X. 'In a recent interview, I shared that the opportunity to fight at the White House gave me something deeper to fight for, a 'why' that goes beyond paychecks or belts. Fighting for my country gives me a greater purpose! 'The silver lining in all this is knowing the fans see my heart. They see, I am ready and willing to take on anyone, to represent my country on a historic stage. For me, it's never been just about the opponent. I'm chasing legacy, something timeless, something bigger than the moment,' he continued. 'So for now, I'll keep grinding, stay patient, and stay faithful. I'm ready to fight on July 4th.'
