As the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals prepare to get started, WWE finds itself at the center of the upcoming series between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers.
Not only did the best players on each team — Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton — square up in a WWE ring last June, but the lead announcers for WWE Raw have opposing rooting interests in the series. A Syracuse native, Michael Cole is a diehard Knicks fan. Meanwhile, Pat McAfee unsurprisingly rides with Pacers.
And with their respective favorites teams set to face off with the right to play in the NBA Finals on the line, Cole and McAfee are making a friendly wager on the best-of-seven series. As revealed on Monday’s episode of Raw, if the Pacers win, Cole will call an entire episode of the show in one of McAfee’s signature tank tops. Conversely, if the Knicks win, McAfee will be forced to spend an episode of Raw wearing a suit.
“I’ll wear a full suit like a clown,” McAfee said of his side of the bet.
“OK, that’s the bet,” Cole concurred.
WWE’s unofficial dress code has been a sensitive subject for McAfee, especially with regard to his relationship with Cole. During an appearance on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast earlier this year, the longtime WWE broadcaster revealed that the former All-Pro punter nearly walked out of WrestleMania 35 in 2019 after he admonished McAfee over his short and suit combo.
“He stormed off and I’m like, ‘Where the f**k are you going? I’m not doing the show,’” Cole recalled of McAfee’s response. “He goes back, he’s packing his bag in the locker room to leave. He goes, ‘You just embarrassed me in front of everybody in this company.’ And I never thought about it that way. But he was right… we ended up working it out.”
That they did, with McAfee going from a pre-show panelist to a full-time announcer (and occasional wrestler) in the time since. While the Pittsburgh native might be a polarizing presence in the sports media space, his passion for pro wrestling is apparent; so much so that he’s willing to even risk wearing a suit for a night for the betterment of the product.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.