Overview
- Pat McAfee was revealed on Friday’s SmackDown as Randy Orton’s mystery ally, low-blowed champion Cody Rhodes, and said the current WWE product “sucks” with weak ratings and ticket sales.
- Viewers slammed the angle, as the YouTube clip drew thousands more dislikes than likes and the episode logged a 0.35 on the Cagematch database, one of the site’s worst ever show ratings.
- Multiple outlets report TKO pushed for McAfee’s role, with CEO Ari Emanuel identified as a key backer who also represents McAfee and is said to be elevating his profile beyond wrestling.
- Cody Rhodes returned later with a promo that PWInsider and others say was not on the rundown and read as an on-air rebuke of outside hands inserting McAfee into his feud with Orton.
- The fallout has intensified criticism of Paul “Triple H” Levesque and a broader tilt toward celebrity cameos, while Rhodes vs. Orton remains slated for WrestleMania 42 in less than two weeks.