On WWE’s website, Kevin Patrick “I did a little bit of everything” Since joining the company in March 2021,
After starting his behind-the-scenes role, he quickly became a regular on WWE’s flagship weekly show, Monday Night Raw, and a regular host of the WWE podcast, RAW Talk. Eighteen months later, he was promoted to play-by-play announcer on the show, along with Corey Graves. It’s an extraordinary rise given the lack of foundations in professional wrestling.
On Sunday, he sat on a black stool at Sophie Stadium in Los Angeles as he packed into the WrestleMania kickoff show between Peter Rosenberg, Kayla Braxton, former WWE Superstars Wade Barrett and Booker T. Although it was his third time to present his event as a showpiece for the brand, the headlining of his show kicking off is one of his most significant roles since joining the company. During his short career in WWE, he learned to become more comfortable in front of the camera after spending most of his career playing football in the gantry of his stadium.
In January 2021, Kevin Patrick received his first call from WWE. He was shaving his beard when a New York area number popped up on his cell phone just before it aired on CNN to talk about the UEFA Champions League.
“I can’t think of a better difference,” he explained the moment. “I told my wife, ‘I just got a call to go down to Tampa and audition for WWE.’ make a decision.
Kevin Patrick jumped at the chance to audition.
“I absolutely loved it,” he said. “I drove away from Tampa’s Thunderdome hoping to get that call. Thankfully, I did.”
US soccer fans will be familiar with his work under another name, Kevin Egan, as a longtime commentator for MLS and Atlanta United. Egan typically splits responsibilities between wrestling and football. Monday night he’s on RAW, mid-week he’s on SiriusXM FC, WWE show his After The Bell and Saturday he’s wrestling an MLS match.
“In WWE, I high-five with fans when I am announced and when I leave – we have a relationship. I can hear them all over the place and the noise in the arena is out of this world,” Egan said. “In the MLS, the press has access to the comfort of the box. He can eat and go to the bathroom at halftime if he needs to. On a Monday night, three hours in that seat. I can’t go to the half-toilet.”
Egan’s emergence in football was a natural progression for his passion for broadcasting, developing from a runner on Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTE, to various roles in the United States. With little knowledge of college football, he accepted a job offer from his Big Ten Network and paved the way for football. He then landed a role as a side reporter and then a commentator for Chicago Fire and his career blossomed.
Over the weekend, Egan reacts to unscripted behavior during a 90-minute soccer game. On Monday night, he plays Kevin his Patrick character (Patrick is his middle name) and enters the arena with the in-ring contestants learning the outcome of the event.
“At the end of the day, storytelling is the common denominator,” says Egan. “I think my work at RAW and WWE has taught me to be a better storyteller when it comes to commenting on football games. , is what WWE bosses want. They can cross over and complement each other. They help me be a better broadcaster in both roles.”
In a run-of-the-mill three-hour episode of RAW, there are at least five matches where Egan calls alongside colleague Graves. In between matches, Egan reflected on promos (unscripted monologues in the middle of the ring between one or more of his WWE superstars), absorbing the energy of the crowd and guiding the TV audience through the show. To do. Commentators are generally not provided with match results prior to the event and are free to interpret the actions that have taken place. As such, Egan considers RAW episodes to be more unpredictable than covering football.
“I’m always ready for MLS games,” Egan said. “I feel ready to go into RAW, but RAW is more unpredictable than a football match. You have to be flexible and adjusting on the fly is very important. You should be prepared for any eventuality.
“On Monday Night Raw, I have to steer the ship. That’s my role, whether it’s to harass a person or to try to get a response.I think Michael Cole is a perfect example of that.”
The practice of presenting a staged performance as authentic or genuine is known in wrestling circles as kayfabe. While discussing the upcoming event with the rest of WrestleMania’s panel, it’s clear that it’s become Egan’s second nature — including the San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle on one stage last weekend. Mediates reaction and rotation panels.
Egan isn’t the only one who splits his time between two passions. Pat McAfee is an analyst for his College GameDay on ESPN and presents the Pat McAfee Show on YouTube. Until recently, he was also a commentator for WWE’s SmackDown brand. In addition to his role as co-host of RAW Talk, Jackie Redmond has roles on TNT’s NHL Network and his NHL. Peter Rosenberg also works as a radio host on WEPN-FM, where he signed with WWE for his PPV events, HOT 97 and ESPN radio affiliates.
For Egan, adopting a stage name and splitting his time between MLS and WWE doesn’t mean splitting his personality. It’s about making use of different parts of himself.
“I’m not the kind of person who studies how and why I do things. It’s much more of a feeling to me,” Egan said. You have to be like, for example, if Seth Rollins stomps on Logan Paul, you have to go through the whole moment to give it a 10 out of 10 for energy and excitement.
a @PrimeHydrate #wrestlemania for a moment!
thanks to @WWERollins, @logan paul the frog just flew away @KSI through the table! pic.twitter.com/Us1Dt7QvQ3
—WWE (@WWE) April 2, 2023
“In football it’s a little different because you can scramble in the box three minutes into the game and you can’t give that goal all the Logan Paul energy. You have to find the right energy in both. No. I give it the same tenth of the energy as when Thiago Armada scored a free-kick in the 97th minute after equalizing in the 93rd minute. Finding the right balance and excitement level isn’t easy, it’s been a challenge for sure, but I’m improving.”
Thiago Armada only wins banger™️ pic.twitter.com/jTcaN2t0Nu
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) February 26, 2023
RAW is the longest-running weekly episodic show in television history and has aired every Monday night for over 30 years. WWE will merge with UFC and he will become one public company. Endeavor Announces Purchase of Controlling Sharewill be broadcast in 180 countries around the world, projecting Egan’s voice in all countries and territories where English is the primary language. Not only are events broadcast around the world, but products and personnel also need to move frequently. Since 2018, WWE has hosted his eight pay-per-view (PPV) events in Saudi Arabia, his ninth set in May, and continues to schedule events outside the United States.
Egan doesn’t attend every PPV show, but he said traveling is both a privilege and a challenge. Last weekend he devoted himself to his WrestleMania duties, but in the coming weeks he will be traveling between New York City, Seattle, Chicago and Arkansas to stay at home with his wife and his two young children, Maisie, in Atlanta. and spend as much time as possible. and James.
In addition to traveling more, Egan had a lot to prepare for the WWE live show. Since working as an announcer, he started taking voice coaching lessons. He is advised to exercise regularly as physical exercise helps strengthen his vocal cords. It gave me a platform to get rid of the headaches that plagued me.
“RAW is very physically demanding, so prepare yourself mentally and physically for that show,” Egan said. I’ve been sitting in that chair for three and a half hours, so it’s imperative that I get a good night’s sleep, be well rested, and have my notes ready.
“But as I learned two minutes later on the first show when Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar walked through the announcer’s table, my notes were shredded for the entire show.”
Lead WWE commentator Michael Cole had an in-ring storyline with former Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler, but Egan has no plans to follow suit. He must be alert and alert. On his RAW episode after WrestleMania, three of him, including reggaeton artist Bud and his bunny, passed the announcer’s table, and Egan and Graves had to rush out of their seats without prior warning. bottom.
Not wanting to get ahead of himself, the idea of stepping into the ring one day hadn’t crossed his mind yet. He is dedicated to taking advice, improving, and giving attention to both roles.
“I try not to look too far ahead,” Egan said. “When I start worrying about his 50 trips coming up in the next month, the anxiety starts to set in, so I focus on: I’m currently reading a book called ‘Essentialism’ (by Greg McKeon). It’s about trying to get more done with less. This year will be a challenge in that sense, but so far so good.”
(Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
