Michael Cole Details Legitimate WWE Backstage Issue With Pat McAfee

Michael Cole has detailed a legitimate backstage issue he had with Pat McAfee prior to their time together as WWE announcers.

Today, Michael Cole and Pat McAfee serve as the announce team for Monday Night Raw on Netflix, with them working together on commentary for almost three years.

Cole and McAfee’s friendship dates back to before McAfee ever appeared on WWE television, though there was one night where their relationship was on the rocks.

Cole and McAfee got into a reported argument prior to WWE WrestleMania 37 in Tampa back in 2021, which came about due to McAfee wearing shorts during his appearance on the Kick-Off show.

Appearing on Impaulsive, Cole detailed the incident, and how he believes it brought the two closer together.

He said:

“Me and him got really really close, then our relationship imploded for a night. So, I’m no longer in charge of the announcers, I used to not only be an announcer but I was in charge of all the announcers.

“We brought Pat in to do the WrestleMania Kick-Off show, and everybody at WrestleMania is tuxes and ties, and Pat shows up in shorts. They were tuxedo shorts, but he shows up in shorts.

“We’re about to go on the air live, it’s all this pressure, I see Pat walk into Gorilla with these shorts on, and I’m like, in front of everyone, which is my bad; ‘What the f**k are you doing?! Dude, you’re in f**king shorts, it’s WrestleMania!’

“Stephanie McMahon is there. Vince is there, and I’m dressing down Pat. In the heat of the moment, I didn’t think anything about it, and he stormed off. I’m like ‘where the f**k are you going?’ (He says) ‘I’m not doing the show.’ He goes back and he’s packing his bag to leave, he goes ‘you just embarrassed me in front of everyone in this company.’

“I never thought of it that way, but he was right. Pat is gonna pack his bag and leave, and we ended up working it out. We showed Vince the shorts, and of course Vince ‘it’s great, why are you yelling at him?’ He just likes to stir the s**t. Ever since then, I think that brought us closer together, and we’ve been best friends since.”

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Cole also revealed how long he has left on his WWE contract, which you can see here.