The road to WrestleMania 42 has received a lot of backlash, and Pat McAfee has become one of the most talked-about names. As WWE fans have been criticizing him a lot lately, CJ Perry has come out in his support.
McAfee recently turned heel and forced his inclusion in the feud between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. This didn’t go well with many fans, as many felt the storyline didn’t need it. It came as a massive upset for many that, after weeks of building hype around Orton’s mystery caller, McAfee emerged as the one out of so many big names.
Moreover, some of McAfee’s promos included comments about WWE fandom, ticket prices, and ratings, and a few of those moments didn’t sound scripted. Rumors suggest that Ari Emanuel has influenced his push. This has added to the debate about corporate control in WWE storylines.
But Perry sees things in a different way.
CJ Perry explains why the heat Pat McAfee is receiving from the WWE Universe is working
In an interview with Ariel Helwani, she said controversy like this is actually good for the business. She said she enjoys a bit of chaos and drama, and even though she wasn’t sure about McAfee’s actions at first, her opinion changed after hearing him speak.
“It’s very controversial and polarizing right now. I personally, my personal take… I like a little messy, I like a little controversy, I like polarizing things, I think it gets a lot of people talking. You get both sides talking. And I think that’s a good thing. When Pat…I know that Pat’s a very controversial topic, him coming in…Okay, so when he first came and he kicked Cody in the balls, I was like, ‘Oh my god, why? Why? Why are we doing this right now?’ Like, ‘Do we really need to do this?’ And then he grabbed that mic and he started cutting a promo. And he’s really good at talking,” Perry said.
Perry believes McAfee’s biggest strength is his charisma. She also explained that getting a strong negative reaction is the exact responsibility of a heel. If fans are angry and talking about it, then it means McAfee is doing his job well.
“The internet is getting so upset. Isn’t that what a heel is supposed to do? Isn’t a heel supposed to ruffle our feathers and piss us off and get people talking? I thought from that standpoint he was doing exactly what heels are supposed to do,” Perry added.
CJ Perry also supported McAfee’s promotional style, like talking about discounts and business deals on TV. She compared it to how John Cena often mixed entertainment with promotion.
She explained,”And also he’s promoting the show. I know people were kind of upset about the 25% off promo he cut, but I think that’s business. That’s good business. I know that I usually end up buying things when things are on sale. I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I really want that shirt, but it’s a little pricey.’ And then it goes on sale and I’m like, ‘Oh, it’s a little pricey still, but it’s on sale, so I’m going to get it.’ And so that’s the way I look at it.
It used to be John Cena cutting those Seg one promos and plugging everything and John would always be so so good. He would maybe sometimes start a promo and I’m like, ‘Okay, here we go again.’ And then by the end of the promo, I’m like screaming, ‘Yes, never give up.’ And that’s kind of how I feel about Pat,” Perry continued.
At the end of the day, whether fans love him or hate him, McAfee has everyone talking.
Read More: CM Punk: Pat McAfee Forgot He’s a Tourist in WWE, It’s My Job To Check Him
