How WWE Can Salvage Botched Pat McAfee, TKO Storyline in Time For WrestleMania 42

To say the reveal of Pat McAfee as Randy Orton's associate, in connection with TKO, was not enthusiastically received by WWE fans would be generous.

The plot twist was heavily scrutinized across social media, both for the sudden and head-scratching relationship between the ESPN host and the Elimination Chamber winner, but also for its content.

After all, the mainstream sports celebrity did go on the company's television and announce to the viewing world that the product sucks and ticket sales are down.

As CM Punk's pipebomb promo on Monday's Raw, and the subsequent reaction to it proved, there is still time for WWE's creative forces to salvage the storyline by pulling from wrestling history.

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Look to the Past for Inspiration

Wrestling has a rich history of "us vs. them" storylines that have done phenomenal business.

The Monday Night Wars may have kicked off on September 4, 1995, but it was the advent of the New World Order and their hostile takeover of WCW that catapulted that promotion to the forefront of the industry. The latter was forced to band together to battle an entity that preached change and revolution, for all of the wrong reasons, while tormenting the company's top babyfaces.

WWE countered with the evil Mr. McMahon touting proper, hand-picked, corporate champions at the expense of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who spit in the face of authority and fought for the every man.

In both instances, greed and selfishness motivated the heels, disguised as giving fans and the industry what it needed.

The same can be said of McAfee appearing, criticizing the state of WWE today and claiming that he and Orton are going to champion a movement to make it better.

TKO has been criticized of late for injecting celebrities into the product and raising ticket prices to fuel record-breaking revenue reports. With fans unable to afford to take the family to a show and tired of watching a pro wrestling show interrupted by the celebrity of the week, the ownership group behind pro wrestling's top promotion was already a natural villain.

Now, the company can lean into it.

It already has, with both Punk and Cody Rhodes already doing so, alluding to company CEO Ari Emanuel in on-screen promos, sending bold messages to McAfee's current agent.

Further positioning TKO as this group championing for a "better" WWE, for no reason than its own personal gain and greed, is story that fans can and will throw their attention and money at.

Yes, we have seen it before. Several times, actually. Considering how nostalgic fans are for the Monday Night Wars and Attitude Era content, as evidenced by the latest special editions of the WWE 2K video game franchise, it is a story there is still an appetite for.

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How to Make It Happen

Positioning Orton, McAfee and even Roman Reigns as the faces of TKO's WWE, against the rebellious anti-corporate babyfaces in Punk, Rhodes, and someone like Seth Rollins, would be an interesting and overarching storyline that could encompass both Raw and SmackDown, giving purpose at a higher level to the otherwise separate brands.

Gradually adding new faces and story threads, not unlike the company did with the Bloodline Saga, would be key to keeping it fresh. Not only could fans see Punk on SmackDown occasionally, or Rhodes on Raw, but they would never know when someone like Drew McIntyre may hitch his proverbial wagon to TKO in the name of acceptance as one of the guys in WWE.

Much like the aforementioned WCW vs. NWO story, there would be intrigue and tension every week as fans wait to see if this is the week when someone betrays pro wrestling as they know it in the name of fame, fortune and a brighter future under the billionaire guidance of TKO.

It also positions Triple H to be the babyface savior of WWE as leader of the current crop of stars, a role he has been eager to fill for three years now, while opening the door for the return of The Rock as the evil "Final Boss" representative of the TKO board.

It also opens the possibility for a return to the ring for The Great One, who has unfinished business with Rhodes, Rollins, and would theoretically seek to avenge the verbal shots Punk has taken at him. These are three marquee matchups at WWE's disposal before a single angle has been produced.

If Rock chooses not to step back in the ring, those three rivalries represent three individual story threads to explore.

The creative is plentiful and will take time to play out, but there is plenty of opportunity to take what was a mostly chastised angle involving McAfee and spin it forward to the benefit of the performers, the company and the fans so that this time next year, there is no talk of poor ticket sales for the biggest show of the year.