Opinion

Cook: We Want MEN, NXT Gives Us…Cole & McAfee?

Cook lays out some very good points about the current Pat McAfee and Adam Cole angle. Do you agree with Cook? How do you see this all playing out?

Published

5 years ago

July 24, 2020

Steve Cook

I consider thechairshot.com Founder & Publisher Greg DeMarco one of my closest online friends & confidants. He offers good perspective on the pro wrestling, though I don’t like to point it out too often because it might seem like kissing up to the boss. I’m no Pat Patterson or Gerald Brisco.

With that being said, one of the best points he’s ever made regarding wrestling was recently revisited on the Chairshot Radio Network. It was something I never really thought about until one day while fooling around on Twitter I saw Greg going on one of his multi-tweet rants about one of the main reasons Roman Reigns & Jinder Mahal were on top of WWE at the time.

They were MEN.

As Greg pointed out, the wrestling business was built on the backs of MEN. Not boys. Not guys, or even dudes. MEN. The statement holds up when you think about it. Hulk Hogan? MAN. Bruno Sammartino? MAN. Ric Flair? Called himself the “Nature Boy”, but we know he was also The MAN. Steve Austin? MAN. The Rock? MAN. John Cena? MAN. Go on down the list of every top draw in the history of this business, and you’ll see a whole lot of grown-ass men.

That’s what people want to see. Why do you think AEW ratings hit their highest point since Memorial Day this week? They started their show by introducing the mainstream world to Eddie Kingston. Now, the Mad King doesn’t have that larger than life physique that men like Jinder Mahal bring to the table. Eddie’s got a little bit of a belly, it is what it is. But when somebody comes out talking the kind of jazz Eddie talks…people stand up and take notice.

You wanna meet him in a dark alley? I don’t think so. Eddie Kingston is a MAN. He’ll take your eye out of its socket, and he’ll do it with pleasure. You won’t see him vomit after doing it either. That man has seen some stuff and done some things. AEW has a lot of guys & dudes on their roster, but the men stand out. Why do you think Jon Moxley is their champion? Dean Ambrose was a guy, Jon Moxley is a MAN. Hangman Adam Page is more of a MAN than anybody else in The Elite, that’s why he’s the most popular member of the group with AEW fans at this point.

Wrestling fans like MEN. That’s why football players have done so well in wrestling over the years. Wahoo McDaniel. Ernie Ladd. Bill Goldberg. Steve “Mongo” McMichael. All MEN, and all very successful in football & wrestling. We’ve also seen some killer crossover feuds between football players & wrestlers. Dick the Bruiser & Alex Karras had a memorable feud in Detroit. Lawrence Taylor & Bam Bam Bigelow main evented WrestleMania XI. In addition to Mongo & Goldberg, WCW brought in Kevin Greene & Reggie White for special attraction matches.

We’re talking about some of the biggest badasses in NFL history.

LT was arguably the best linebacker ever. White was arguably the best defensive end ever. Greene & Karras were Hall of Famers at their positions. These were tough men wading in the pro wrestling waters. Nobody questioned their credentials. Grown Ass MEN.

So now WWE NXT is presenting us with a new twist. We got a football player and a pro wrestler having issues. It’s happened before, will probably happen again. Tough guys gonna argue over who’s better. On the surface, it sounds like a real manly battle between real men.

Until we hear who’s involved.

On one side, we have a punter who got popular with Barstool fans by being obnoxious. I know there are some of you out there who think Pat McAfee has something to offer, but other than insulting the equally obnoxious Sam Roberts I’m not sure what it is.

Then we have Adam Cole, Bay Bay. He certainly doesn’t dwarf the punter. WWE lists him as 6 feet tall, and I assume they took that measurement while he was standing on top of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy books. Don’t get me wrong, Cole is a very good in-ring performer. But, there is a reason why he held the C brand championship for over a year and not the A or B brand.

Anywho, Cole was a guest on McAfee’s podcast, and the following happened:

Here is the clip of Adam Cole and Pat McAfee having words with each other. pic.twitter.com/I3V9kGi25D

— Fightful Wrestling (@FightfulWrestle) July 23, 2020

Man oh man! Lotta F bombs being dropped! Cole was mad about something! Just a crazy scenario that…ok I can’t even act like I think that was real. Some men are able to suspend my disbelief. Say, if Eddie Kingston was in that studio and dropping some F bombs, I probably would have believed it. If Eddie Kingston is yelling “FUCK YOU”, I tend to believe he’s very angry about something, and whoever is on the receiving end is in some trouble.

This? Come on now.

As good a worker as Cole can be in-ring, he just doesn’t have that gravitas. He doesn’t make me believe he can whoop ass in a dark alley. When Bam Bam Bigelow shoved Lawrence Taylor to the ground, you felt some real heat. You thought those guys might have an issue. One was arguably the best NFL linebacker ever, the other was the Beast from the East and one of the baddest looking people in the wrestling business. That was something worth getting interested in.

Here, we have Adam Cole and a punter. I have no idea if McAfee was the best punter of a decade or some arbitrary 10 year range, nor do I care. He’s a punter. Not a linebacker, not a defensive end or lineman. Not an offensive lineman, or even a tight end. Or hell, even a wide receiver or running back. We’re talking about a damn punter. Rich Eisen fans will come in to tell me that punters are people too, that’s fine, but football players don’t even consider them part of the team.

Honestly. As somebody that remembers legitimate tough football players getting involved in pro wrestling, you’re going to ask me to get excited about a punter targeting a 5’6 guy that can’t get on one of the top two brands? Wrestling fans want to see MEN fighting. This is two guys slap-fighting & dropping profanities to try and get the attention of the fringe of a niche audience.

Pathetic. Give me MEN that can get over without cursing. If NXT can offer some of that, they’ll have my attention. If this is their idea of men fighting…well, that’s their cross to bear.

About Chairshot Radio Network

Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY – Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY – 4 Corners Podcast (sports)

WEDNESDAY – The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY – POD is WAR (Los Tres Friends)

FRIDAY – DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY – The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY – Keeping the news ridiculous… The Oddity / The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1