Pat McAfee makes a surprise return at the Royal Rumble, first WWE appearance since hiatus

Pat McAfee was the first big surprise return at the Royal Rumble premium live event.

The 35-year-old rejoined the commentary team, making his first WWE appearance in almost five months. Back in September, he announced his hiatus from the company to focus on ESPN's College GameDay.

McAfee received a huge pop, much to Corey Graves' disappointment. As of this writing, he is still on the commentary desk and hasn't entered the Men's Royal Rumble Match.

The NFL veteran played a major role in the lead-up to last year's Road To WrestleMania 38. At The Grandest Stage of Them All, he competed in two major matches, the first one being against Austin Theory. On the same night, he faced Vince McMahon in a quick match, one he ended up losing.

At last year's SummerSlam premium live event, McAfee was in action against Happy Corbin. He registered his second-ever WWE win against the veteran star. During his time in NXT, McAfee also feuded with Adam Cole, whom he faced in his first-ever wrestling match.

The two men even crossed paths in a WarGames Match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2020.

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