Summary

Pat McAfee took direct aim at Cody Rhodes during the April 10 edition of WWE SmackDown, mocking him in the middle of an in-ring segment before the show pivoted into another Randy Orton assault.

After Rhodes told McAfee to go home, McAfee kept after him verbally while bringing up Rhodes' past and accusing him of playing politics. The confrontation added another chapter to the Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Pat McAfee issue that WWE had already positioned heavily in the show's announced lineup.

Quote from Pat McAfee

"Where you going, Cody? Hey, Cody, you've always been an elite runaway artist, huh? Stardust? Where you going, Cody? You going to suck Triple H's ass? A little more opportunity, politics, a little bit, you politician bum Come on, Cody. Come back and dance a little bit for the stupid kid over here."

How the segment turned in Randy Orton's favor

The segment escalated once it was revealed that Orton had attacked Jelly Roll backstage. While McAfee kept Rhodes occupied, Orton struck with a cheap shot.

Rhodes tried to fight back, but the numbers were against him. SmackDown closed the angle with McAfee holding the WWE Championship on his shoulder, giving the segment a final visual built around Rhodes being outmaneuvered again.

Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Pat McAfee push this feud forward

Cody Rhodes getting trapped by McAfee's distraction and Orton's attack gives WWE another clear television beat to build around, especially with Jelly Roll now pulled into the story as a backstage victim. That widens the conflict beyond a one-on-one issue and gives the promotion more than one direction to explore on upcoming shows.

McAfee ending the segment with the WWE Championship also put Rhodes' title at the center of the scene, even though no match outcome changed here. For SmackDown viewers, the bigger takeaway is that Orton and McAfee are still controlling the momentum while Rhodes is being forced to respond.

Sources

As reported by NoDQ.