Former WWE star says the main event of WrestleMania “does not need a celebrity or outside involvement”
While speaking to Denise Salcedo, former WWE star Baron Corbin aka Bishop Dyer commented on Pat McAfee’s involvement in the Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton match at WWE WrestleMania 42…
“I’m torn. Pat’s my boy, even though I like to kick him in the nuts every once in a while.
Pat’s a weird anomaly because he’s not a celebrity to a full extent. He’s not a wrestler. He’s just kind of that guy that’s in between and has his finger in everything in that sense of whether it be comedy, entertainment, sports, wrestling, all that. So, it’s not like it’s a Travis Scott all over again that ruined the main event, you know what I’m saying?
But I also think that the main event of WrestleMania does not need a celebrity or outside involvement. I think the story should be between the two guys. I’m bummed out a little bit with the story that’s being told with Cody and Randy because I think that, with the history they have and Randy being the mentor—and Randy having him throw Cody out, and I saw that clip on Instagram, having him throw his brother out of the Royal Rumble—like, why are we not… that’s the story we need to be telling.
Why do we have this anonymous phone call and then it turns out to be him? It’s going to be good, but I just feel like when you’re having that big of a prize fight that’s going to main event, probably the first night of WrestleMania, why do we have to have someone else?
It’d be like having a special guest referee—it just doesn’t, to me… I want the purest form of wrestling. It should be the main event of WrestleMania. That should be a one-on-one competition down the line, except for he’ll try to take some shortcuts or whatever. That’s the thing that, to me, shouldn’t be touched.
It’s like the NFL Super Bowl—it should be the two best teams playing for the championship. The Pro Bowl is where you have fun and you throw different mixes in and you have challenges, and that’s where you have guests and other people.
I just think the main event of WrestleMania is sacred, and when you add a celebrity… I mean, the Travis Scott thing, oh my God. And it won’t be that again with Pat because he is a wrestler too, but it’s like, how far do they take this? Is there going to be involvement in the wrestling match that night?
It’s just like, I get we want Cody to overcome things. We’re going to get a different edge of Cody. I think Randy Orton’s one of the greatest of all time—he’s one of my favorite people of all time. So I’m Monday morning quarterbacking it here, saying this is just my opinion. People could love or hate it, and that’s okay.
I just would have rather, if you’re going to get Pat involved, put him in something else—not the main event of WrestleMania.”