Stephen A. Smith fully embraced his heel role at WrestleMania 42 after being brutally jeered by the crowd at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday.
The ESPN star and presidential hopeful was in attendance for the opening night of the wrestling showpiece, which is being held across two days in Las Vegas this weekend.
In between matches at the event, WWE cameras panned to a number of celebrities watching on from the crowd, including NFL player George Kittle and NBA athlete Tyrese Haliburton.
The majority of stars in attendance were greeted with applause after being shown on the big screen in the stadium, yet Smith was instead subjected to boos from the fans in attendance.
However, the sports personality didn’t seem to care one bit.
As the jeers grew louder, Smith wasn’t fazed in the slightest as he shut his eyes and leant back with his arms stretched out, before laughing as he returned to his seat.
Stephen A. Smith fully embraced his heel role at WrestleMania 42 after being booed by fans
He was likely in attendance on the night due to the fact WrestleMania – the biggest WWE event of the year – is being broadcast on ESPN for the very first time.
The first hours of the show were broadcast on ESPN’s cable channel, before the most eagerly-awaited matches later in the night are shown on streaming platform ESPN+.
Smith, who recently signed an ESPN deal rumored to be worth around $20million annually, has flirted with the possibility of running for president over the past 18 months.
Yet during a guest appearance on friend Sean Hannity’s Fox News podcast, he admitted a White House run may not actually be in the cards.
‘I think it’s all bulls***,’ Hannity told Smith of his rumored 2028 presidential run. ‘I don’t think you’re running, am I right?’
Smith pointed to the potential loss of income to explain his dwindling interest in the presidency.
‘I don’t think I’m running either because I gotta give up my money,’ Smith said. ‘I ain’t giving up my money, Sean.
‘I can tell you right now, let me put the presidential aspirations to bed. If I have to give up my money, it’s not happening.’
