Pat McAfee sets the record straight.
McAfee issued the following response to Cody Rhodes’ remarks on an AEW media call about him attempting to get a job at AEW:
“Cody Rhodes just said I’ve been trying to get employed by AEW or whatever every other day. I would just like that to be known that is not true, OK? I’ve actually contemplated retirement here more than I’ve ever contemplated going to AEW. I have been in a little bit of a spat here with a couple of—not a couple, but Rusev. He’s an old friend of ours, now Miro, he kinda came after us and and we kinda flipped the script on him a little bit. And Shaq, obviously, I do have to watch that match tonight. Aside from that, I am not [asking AEW for a job]. I would like that to be clear.”
Rhodes was asked on Wednesday’s AEW media call if he feels extra pressure facing a non-wrestler tonight, or if he pays attention to talk about “setting the bar” for a celebrity match. It was noted that Rhodes does have experience working with celebrities as he’s faced Stephen Amell before, but Pat McAfee, a celebrity wrestler himself, also said “it won’t” set the new bar.
Rhodes said he hadn’t heard McAfee’s initial comments but said it was “super bizarre” to hear from him because he’s “pretty sure Pat is trying to get a job at AEW like every other day, but that’s another conversation.”
McAfee later clarified and went into more depth about his initial response on Tuesday, explaining that he doesn’t consider himself a celebrity or put himself on the same level on Shaq, but he was given the label of celebrity by fans. He said he takes pride in his work and if he’s going to be called a “celebrity” in that way, then he would have to consider Shaq’s claim and say the match would not be better than his NXT work.
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I heard @CodyRhodes said I've been trying to get a job..
That is not true I've actually been contemplating retirement #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/8JGefWeVle
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 3, 2021