ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith says Nick Khan once pitched WWE role
ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith says he was once approached about a WWE role but ultimately decided not to go through with it.
As the media push to WrestleMania 42 intensifies, WWE commentator Joe Tessitore appeared across ESPN’s platforms on Monday to promote the event. That included a guest spot on First Take, where Smith praised co-worker Pat McAfee for his WWE work. Smith — without giving any timeframe for when this happened — said Nick Khan once talked to him about getting involved, but Smith did not want to risk getting hit by any wrestlers.
“Listen, I love it. And I want to applaud Pat McAfee for that,” Smith said. “I go back to the old days, the Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenans and people like that. I love cats that are heels. I actually wanted to do that, your man Nick Khan talked to me about that. The difference is, I’m not as courageous as Pat McAfee. I ain’t trying to get hit by one of them big boys — at all. I don’t want no parts of it. But I love that stuff, because I think the sport needs it.”
Smith started out as an NBA reporter before becoming one of the faces of ESPN through his role on sports commentary shows. He’s broken into pop culture and has even teased political aspirations.
This is the first year WrestleMania will air live on the ESPN app in the United States. On Saturday, the first night will be simulcast on ESPN2. The second night’s first hour will be simulcast on ESPN’s main channel, with Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi expected to open the action.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.