Summary

A new backstage report says Pat McAfee's alignment with Randy Orton on the April 3 edition of WWE SmackDown was not originally a WWE creative pitch. Instead, people spoken to for the report believed the idea came from TKO leadership and was approved later by Paul "Triple H" Levesque.

The same report said one source believed the directive may have come from as high as Ari Emanuel. Another source said Emanuel views McAfee as a mainstream star who can give the Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes program a bigger lift heading into WrestleMania 42.

What Pat McAfee Adds To Randy Orton Vs. Cody Rhodes

The report framed McAfee's role as part of a larger push to bring more outside attention to WWE during WrestleMania season. The belief internally was that McAfee's weekly SmackDown appearances, along with the added reach of his ESPN platform, could help strengthen the Orton-Rhodes feud and move more tickets as WWE returns to Las Vegas.

That gives the reveal a little more context after McAfee publicly staked his WWE TV future on Orton winning at WrestleMania 42. If this report is accurate, McAfee is not just a surprise add to the story, he is being positioned as a key part of WWE's final promotional push for one of its biggest WrestleMania programs.

Where The Angle Stands Internally

The report also said McAfee had been expected back in WWE for quite some time. His earlier comments about the business passing him by were described internally as kayfabe, not a genuine sign that he was stepping away from the company.

That matters because it suggests WWE had a longer runway for this reveal than viewers may have realized. With McAfee now fully tied to Orton's side of the feud, the company has another high-profile voice attached to Cody Rhodes' WrestleMania 42 build.

Sources

As reported by NoDQ.