Damian Priest has joined the growing list of WWE stars weighing in on Pat McAfee’s controversial promo on WWE SmackDown, and his reaction was strongly negative.
Speaking on the “GABBY AF” podcast, Priest made it clear he was not a fan of how McAfee approached his return segment, which included references to ticket sales and television ratings.
“It sucks. I’m not a fan,” Priest said. “I don’t think that helps anything. He didn’t need it. For me, and I’m sure a lot of people aren’t going to be happy that I said that, in the locker room, specifically, a lot of us weren’t happy. That’s real. I was asked by some of the younger talent ‘What did I think?’ I thought it was bull.”
Priest went on to explain that part of his frustration stemmed from the freedom McAfee had on the microphone, particularly on a PG-rated show, where other talent are more restricted.
“He didn’t like how McAfee could come in and drop ‘F’ bombs on a PG show, as other talent could benefit from that in their promos. He said it ‘p**** him off’ that someone who’s not there all the time got away with saying something like that.”*
According to Priest, the reaction within the locker room was largely aligned with his own, noting that many were unhappy with how the segment played out.
“The locker room is in agreement that they wanted to take the microphone away from McAfee.”
Despite his criticism, Priest acknowledged that the segment achieved its intended goal of drawing attention.
“It is [garnering] attention, which is the whole point,” he said. “They’re trying to sell this match and obviously adding somebody like Pat McAfee does add, don’t get me wrong. He’s got a crazy following and he’s very popular, but I don’t agree with the way he went about it.”
McAfee’s involvement continues to be a focal point heading into WrestleMania 42, where he is aligned with Randy Orton. The storyline has already drawn strong reactions from top names such as Cody Rhodes and CM Punk, and Priest’s comments add further insight into how the angle is being received behind the scenes.
Damian Priest Criticizes Pat McAfee’s WWE SmackDown Promo
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