Summary

Damian Priest did not hold back when asked about the Pat McAfee and Randy Orton storyline that unfolded on the April 3 episode of WWE SmackDown.

The angle saw McAfee revealed as Orton's mystery phone caller before the two men attacked WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. Priest said he was not a fan of the direction, and he added that the reaction inside the locker room was not universally positive either.

The comments add another layer to a story that was already drawing attention ahead of Friday's show, with WWE promoting Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Pat McAfee for SmackDown.

Quote from Damian Priest

Speaking while being interviewed by Gabby LaSpisa, Priest said:

"It sucks. Not a fan. You know, somebody who knows Pat, get along with him. But for me, that's not my taste. I don't think it helps anything. He didn't need it. So for me, and, you know, I'm sure a lot of people are going to be happy that I said that, but in the locker room specifically, like a lot of us weren't happy and that's real."

Priest later went on to say:

"Like I was asked by some of the younger talent, like, what did I think? And I thought it was bull. We're a PG show, right? But he could come in and he could throw F-bombs and say whatever he wants. For me, that's like one of those things that so many other talent, even from one word, can benefit. And it's like, wow, now they're up here.

Instead, you take somebody who's not even here all the time and gets away with saying something like that, who doesn't even need it. Not going to lie, it kind of pissed me off."

What Priest's comments mean for WWE

Priest's remarks put real focus on how the McAfee and Orton angle has landed beyond the on-screen shock value. When an established WWE name openly says other talent were unhappy, it turns the conversation from storyline heat into a bigger question about how much space celebrity-adjacent personalities should take from full-time wrestlers.

It also keeps attention on the Orton, McAfee and Cody Rhodes story heading into the next SmackDown. If WWE leans into that backlash on television, Priest's comments could end up becoming part of the wider discussion around the feud even if he is not directly involved in it.

Sources

As reported by NoDQ.