After a frustrating race at Talladega Superspeedway, 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney let off some steam in true showman style by making a surprise appearance on WWE Monday Night Raw. Blaney’s appearance at the WWE event thrilled fans and put a spotlight on the growing crossover craze between NASCAR and pro wrestling.
Blaney, who was involved in a multi-car wreck during Stage 1 of the Talladega race, recorded his fourth DNF of the 2025 NASCAR season. After a disappointing early exit at the superspeedway, Blaney made his way to Kansas City for the WWE Night Raw on Monday.
Ryan Blaney Pops Up at WWE Raw To Unwind After Stressful Race
Early on in the race at Talladega, Blaney got caught in a wreck when Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski made contact while slowing to pit. The incident triggered a chain reaction that ended Blaney’s day before it even actually started.
Rather than dwell on the disappointment, Blaney turned up at the WWE Raw in Kansas City the following night, donning a Stone Cold Steve Austin T-shirt. In a post on X, the Penske driver showed off his seating arrangement, right behind commentator Pat McAfee.
LETS GOOO!! @WWE @PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/SzPKQdNU3v
— Ryan Blaney (@Blaney) April 29, 2025
Fueling the NASCAR-WWE crossover craze, Blaney was caught on camera raising a beer to the crowd and staring into the camera. However, much to the WWE fans’ disappointment, Blaney did not chug his beer. His antics quickly went viral, so much so that Dale Earnhardt Jr. also shared his thoughts in an episode of ‘Ask Jr.’
Earnhardt said, “He didn’t chug his beer, he’s going to catch a little hell for that. Pat was like ‘Oh, he’s gonna, nope, he’s not gonna!’ I wonder if he regrets maybe not chugging his beer, just about a quarter of a cup left. Anytime you’re put on a big screen at a sporting event and you’re holding a beer, I think it’s a must that you finish it.”
Despite not chugging his beverage, NASCAR fans were quick to note Blaney’s excitement, with one humorously commenting, “PUT HIM IN THE RING.”
PUT HIM IN THE RING 🥊🥊🥊 pic.twitter.com/yXpfp9u6Qv
— 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙮𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩¹² (@BlaneyBest) April 29, 2025
While Blaney’s WWE cameo sparked plenty of amusement, this wasn’t his first crossover moment. After winning the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series title, Blaney appeared on WWE SmackDown. Back then, he met with Paul “Triple H” Levesque and posed with the championship belt.
Blaney’s trip to Kansas City was also an opportunity to promote the upcoming second season of Netflix’s NASCAR docuseries Full Speed, premiering May 7. The series will follow Joey Logano’s 2024 championship run and behind-the-scenes footage of top drivers, including Blaney.