Steve Austin has praised a WWE star as an “epic performer” and even put them in the Top 3 for how they sold the Stunner.
At WrestleMania 38, Pat McAfee swapped the announce desk for the ring as he took on Vince McMahon‘s then-protege Austin Theory. McAfee was able to pull off the victory with a roll-up but then things descended into chaos.
McMahon, who had accompanied Theory to the ring, challenged McAfee himself. Before the bell could ring, Theory attacked McAfee and McMahon hit him in the face with a football. The match itself saw McMahon simply pin the fallen McAfee.
Austin then hit the ring and took out both Theory and McMahon with Stunners before sharing a beer with McAfee… then hitting him with a Stunner for good measure.
Steve Austin praises Pat McAfee’s performance
During an interview with TMZ Sports, Austin ranked McAfee’s Stunner sell in the Top 3, explaining that The Rock is Number 1 and Scott Hall is also in the conversation. He also praised the actual match with Theory as “awesome.”
“Man, top three. Top three. And I gotta say top three because I mean, you know, The Rock is number one, the way he oversold it. Scott Hall and some of the other guys that took it… Pat has a natural feel for the business. Epic performer. Great on the stick. Athletically, you know that that match he had with the Theory was awesome.”
After taking the Stunner, McAfee rolled out of the ring and poured a beer into his mouth, something Austin thought took things to another level.
“And then the kicker was not only the sell of a Stunner, but — I don’t know if I threw him out or he ended up out of the ring — to lay there selling, still guzzling the beer. The presence of mind to ad-lib and improvise it like, ‘This is a moment,’ without even thinking about it. I think he’s amazing. He’s very entertaining, and as a human being, I like him a whole lot.”
H/T to Cageside Seats for the above transcription.