WWE has completely lost the plot. That much was clear during a dreadful SmackDown segment meant to sell WrestleMania tickets and build heat for a main event.
Pat McAfee took a bizarre approach responding to CM Punk’s promo on Raw that called for TKO, WWE’s parent company, to lower Mania ticket prices. He described WWE fans as “needy wrestling families” and branded Punk a hypocrite for cashing TKO checks while giving nothing back.
“Even though none of you disgusting bums deserve it, I decided to help
you out,” McAfee told the crowd in San Jose, adding that he got event sponsor Ram Trucks to cover the bill for WrestleMania Saturday tickets, which are now 25% off through this Monday’s Raw.
That’s right. A heel is doing fans a solid by helping them attend WrestleMania. As stupid as that sounds, it gets worse.
His plan? Go to a WWE sponsor, and ask them to foot the bill for a show he said wasn’t worth seeing if it wasn’t for Randy Orton.
I have a question. Several, actually.
Why is a heel helping fans? Isn’t that the opposite of being a bad guy? And why help them attend a show he says no one would pay to see, one that includes previous Mania headliners Becky Lynch, Drew McIntyre, and Seth Rollins?
Well, McAfee isn’t really helping fans. He just wants them to see his boy, Orton, the alleged draw, face Cody Rhodes, the Undisputed WWE Champion, whom McAfee called a fake champion with fake teeth.
Boy, that sounds appealing.
Speaking of appeal, how does branding WWE fans as “needy” to a sponsor make that sponsor likely to stick around, when those same fans are the ones sponsors are trying to reach? I mean, if they can’t afford wrestling tickets, can they even afford a Ram 1500 RHO?
And what about WrestleMania Sunday? Why not discount that night as well?
Thankfully, McAfee had an answer for that: “WrestleMania Sunday Night? Ass. I wouldn’t recommend anybody spend money on that.”
Let that sink in.
A show featuring Oba Femi, Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and, of course, CM Punk, all dismissed as “ass.”
This is how WWE is promoting WrestleMania 42.
Something tells me that Punk will fire back by putting his money, or another sponsor’s money, where his mouth is and pushing a similar discount for WrestleMania Sunday.
HOWEVER…
If WrestleMania Sunday is ass, shouldn’t that call for a larger discount? If two cheeks make one ass, reasonably, a WrestleMania Sunday deal should be buy one, get one free.
Thankfully, I don’t see the card the way WWE is presenting it. But I also don’t feel as good about it as I did before McAfee showed up, whose inclusion at WrestleMania feels like a turd on the altar at a wedding: nice ceremony, but God, it stinks.
