Baron Corbin on Pat McAfee, receiving death threats over a WWE angle with Becky Lynch, creating the End of Days finisher, retiring Kurt Angle – Pro Wrestling Dot Net

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

Insight With Chris Van Vliet with guest Baron Corbin
Host: Chris Van Vliet
Podcast available via Podcasts.Apple.com

On Pat McAfee: “There’s just special people in the world. And I think there’s a lot that goes into it. I don’t think it’s just a personality trait. I think you got to be a good human, I think you have to have a positive aura, vibe, energy, all of these things and it just creates this special entity. And he is one of those special entities where, you know, despite things that he’s done, like, whether it was the one time he allegedly jumped in the river behind and you know, got in trouble a little bit, but like, people didn’t care, like that’s just Pat McAfee, like, whatever, who cares where other people that could have ruined a career.

“But he had a successful NFL career. Then he went into comedy. And he went into Barstool Sports and those things and was super successful, like his comedy and he did that himself. He took his money, and he would rent out an arena or amphitheater or whatever he wanted to perform, and he would sell the tickets, and then he would do the show. And he had massive success in that. And then, you know, he decided to take a chance on himself with his own show, The Pat McAfee Show and the success is obviously you see him now on ESPN every day, like the success is unreal. And it’s then come to WWE and be a competitor. How many people can do that? Not just, you know, he’s not just an average guy walking in there. Like he’s been in the ring with Vince he’s been in there, you know, like WrestleMania moments.”

On retiring Kurt Angle: “People even ask me, like, if he came back for one more match. Would you be mad? No, he’s one of the greatest of all time. Like, did we make something of me retiring him? You know? Yeah, it’s awesome. It’s something I’ll have in my belt forever. But like I would love to see Kurt compete again, like just one of those things I was listening to him on Rogan’s podcast today. And I’m like, I love that guy. Like he’s just so good. And the things he’s done and fought through and accomplished and changed his life around to like, you know, be a better father, husband, wrestler, everything, competitor. And I mean, that was a huge moment. That’s something I will have forever. I have a six-foot poster in my house of it like because it was just such a cool thing.

“And to get the win. Like, I thought for sure, going into that I was like, man, we’re gonna send Kurt out on a high horse hand raised, me laying flat on my back. I was like, that’s gonna be awesome. And then they’re like, Hey, man, you’re going over and I was like, huh? Can you say that one more time? And like for Kurt to do that, like Kurt could have said no. I would have respected Kurt for that would have made sense. It would have been, you know, I would not have been any bit upset for that. Like I’m working Kurt Angle at WrestleMania. A guy who was in the Hall of Fame a guy who was a gold medal, a guy who has been in the ring with every superstar you can imagine from Taker to Brock to me just the list goes on and on and on. And I’m having a singles match at WrestleMania with this person.”

How the End of Days was invented: “Not a joke. Same with deep six too. We were playing around at the Performance Center; we have a Crash Pad ring. And we can go in there and try things and a kid named Sami Callihan. I was playing around with him in the ring. And he does this thing where he springs off the bottom rope and catches you for a DDT. And I was just messing with him. And he jumped and I caught him. And I did the End of Days on him. And we both sat up and looked at each other like wait a second. What was that? Yeah, like, that’s something cool. And then I just did it. And I was like, dude, and I filmed it. And at the time I sent it to Billy Gunn. I was like, Yo, I think this is my finish because I was really trying to find a finish at the time. He’s like, That’s awesome. I’m going to use it tonight against The Shield. And I said, Don’t you dare, I will fight you when you come back. And he didn’t he was just messing with me. But so it was a complete accident. And it’s just been something that really kind of put me on the map. It’s a cool, unique first time ever seeing this finish. And then I protected it with every bit of my might.”

On receiving death threats for what he did to Becky Lynch: “And that was Vince’s idea. I was shocked when I got to the building. And it was in Philly, which I knew they were gonna go nuts for. That was Vince’s idea. And it was just like, what? Like, it’s crazy. And like the death threats after were all worth it. Totally worth it. Oh, dude, you have no idea. My Instagram messages and Twitter and all of those things. People were like, dude, I’m gonna stab you the next time I see you for what you did to Becky. I mean, if I get stabbed? Yeah, if I get stabbed? Yeah, definitely arrest that guy. But like, yeah, cuz people, man like people buy into what we do. Like, that’s the art of what we do. Can we suspend disbelief? Can we make people think what we’re doing is 100 percent real and that people bought into that moment? They’re like, a grown man put his hands on a woman. I want to fight that guy. Like invoked this rage and people. And it was awesome.”