Pat McAfee breaks character after brutal Backlash battle against Gunther; sends real message
Backlash 2025 saw Pat McAfee battle it out with Gunther. The two men stepped into the ring after McAfee decided to return to in-ring action following The Ring General's dastardly actions against him and Michael Cole. Following the match, he has broken character and sent a very real message.
In St. Louis, both Pat McAfee and Gunther gave it their all. There was a lot of animosity between the two, but unfortunately, only one could come out victorious. At Backlash, it was the former World Heavyweight Champion who came out on top.
However, despite the hatred that was there, the match ended with mutual respect between the two superstars. Pat McAfee acknowledged this, as he shared a message on his Instagram Story.
He shared a highlight from his match with Gunther, one that saw him deliver several chops before being laid out by one himself. He captioned the story, claiming that both of them put up a fight in the ring, and that 'respect' is something that must be earned.
"We were fighting in there. #Respect is something you must earn," McAfee wrote.
Check out McAfee's story here.
![McAfee has respect for Gunther [Credit: McAfee's Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/05d76-17470329474124-1920.jpg?w=500)
There is no denying McAfee's ability as an athlete. Not only did he earn the respect of Gunther, but he also earned the respect of the WWE Universe with his performance in the match.
Gunther is done with Pat McAfee and looks ready to move on
The match between Gunther and Pat McAfee took place over the former's belief that the commentary team lacked professionalism. He believed that both McAfee and his partner, Michael Cole, were biased, and that was why he viciously attacked them on the RAW after WrestleMania.
Both men, as mentioned earlier, left everything they had in the ring. However, The Ring General's experience was too much to handle for McAfee. Following the match, Gunther sent a very clear message that he was "done and dusted" with McAfee.
Check out his message HERE:
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the Austrian superstar. With his feud with the commentary team done, and the World Heavyweight Championship currently out of his grasp, there is a lot for him to consider.
