WWE Officially Announces Adam Cole Vs. Pat McAfee For "Takeover: XXX"

By Marc Middleton

Pat McAfee vs. Adam Cole is now official for the WWE NXT "Takeover: XXX" event.

As noted before at this link, Triple H and Cole have both called out McAfee following last night's punt kick to Cole at the end of NXT on the USA Network. Triple H even appeared on ESPN this morning to challenge McAfee to wrestle Cole at Takeover. McAfee has now accepted, and WWE has confirmed the match for SummerSlam Weekend. The mini-feud between Cole and the former NFL punter actually began back in 2018 at a NXT live event.

McAfee released a Twitter video this afternoon, seen below, where he accepted the challenge.

"I kicked @AdamColePro's head off of his body last night on #WWENXT. I didn't want to do it, I HAD to do it. He ASSAULTED me with a bottle. Then I got physically kicked out of the building by @TripleH. Never thought this is how a honeymoon was supposed to go but BREAKING NEWS," he wrote as the caption to the video.

The 30th NXT Takeover event is scheduled for Saturday, August 22, during WWE SummerSlam Weekend. It will likely take place at the NXT Arena on the campus of Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

Below is the current Takeover card, along with McAfee's full tweet and WWE's announcement on the match:

NXT Title Match
Karrion Kross vs. Keith Lee (c)
[Rumored Match]

NXT Women's Title Match
Dakota Kai vs. Io Shirai (c)

Ladder Match for the Vacant NXT North American Title
Bronson Reed vs. Damian Priest vs. Kushida or Cameron Grimes or Mystery Opponent vs. 2 Superstars TBD (Finn Balor or Johnny Gargano or Ridge Holland or TBD)

Adam Cole vs. Pat McAfee

Adam Cole vs. Pat McAfee

Want to be famous, Pat McAfee? Here's your chance.

After Triple H laid down the challenge on ESPN's "Get Up," Pat McAfee agreed via social media to meet Adam Cole in the ring for a major showdown at NXT TakeOver XXX.

Cole and McAfee have long traded barbs, though only verbally ? until recently as their hostility reached an entirely new level. The two were initially cordial when the former NXT Champion appeared on McAfee's eponymous show last month. But McAfee's repeated needling eventually drove Cole to fly off the handle and get in the former All-Pro punter's face before storming out.

They appeared ready to bury the hatchet when McAfee came to NXT on Aug. 7. The ex-Indianapolis Colt clearly had other intentions, though, repeatedly disparaging Cole on commentary within earshot while his Undisputed ERA allies challenged Imperium for the NXT Tag Team Championship.

Eventually, Cole heard enough, confronting McAfee until they were separated by officials. But with Cole restrained, McAfee savagely seized his opportunity and left him lying unconscious after a massive punt.

While McAfee opportunistically got the better of Cole once, stepping into the ring for his first match against the longest-reigning NXT Champion in history is a much taller order. Has the brash broadcaster written a check he can't cash, or can he shock the world?

Don't miss an epic NXT TakeOver XXX on Saturday, August 22, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, streaming on the award-winning WWE Network.

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