Summary

A new report says Pat McAfee was WWE's first pick for the role that eventually placed him alongside Randy Orton in the WrestleMania 42 story with Cody Rhodes, but he initially turned the offer down before a deal was later reached.

McAfee was revealed on the April 3 episode of SmackDown as Orton's mystery phone caller after attacking Rhodes. That reveal has already become a major part of the WrestleMania build, especially after reporting tied TKO to backing McAfee's alliance with Orton.

How McAfee ended up in the Randy Orton angle

According to the report, the idea to use McAfee came from Ari Emanuel as WWE looked for celebrity involvement in the storyline.

The same report claims McAfee was the original choice, passed on it at first, and that WWE then began looking for another option before ultimately working things out and bringing him into the angle anyway.

Quote from Dave Meltzer

Dave Meltzer said the following while discussing the segment:

"Pat McAfee was the first choice and it was from Ari Emanuel. That's where it came from. They wanted celebrity involvement."

Meltzer later went on to say:

"Originally from what I was told, Pat McAfee was the choice and he turned it down. Then they were scrambling to get somebody else in the spot, and then obviously, they were able to make a deal with him. So he did it and he was there."

What this changes for Randy Orton and WrestleMania 42

Randy Orton's side of the Cody Rhodes feud now looks even more like a carefully assembled WrestleMania 42 play than a one-night surprise. If McAfee really was viewed as the preferred celebrity addition from the start, that suggests WWE saw his involvement as an important part of presenting Orton's side of the story on a bigger stage.

It also reinforces how much attention this program is getting behind the scenes. When a role is significant enough that WWE scrambles for a replacement after an initial rejection, it tells fans the company did not see McAfee as a throw-in cameo. He was meant to be part of the angle's identity.

Sources

As reported by NoDQ.