Pat McAfee’s introduction to the Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes rivalry has been met with massive backlash from fans. The NFL legend made a shocking return on last week’s SmackDown and turned heel. He was revealed as The Viper’s mystery ally, who had been encouraging him to revert to his old self for the past few weeks.
McAfee had some harsh words for the current state of the product. The commentator claimed that the direction in which the business is heading has become unrecognizable, and vowed to “save” the industry along with Orton.
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He also took shots at the struggling ticket sales for WrestleMania 42 and SmackDown’s low ratings. McAfee blamed Cody Rhodes for it and for representing everything that is wrong with the company. Orton’s mystery caller storyline built a lot of anticipation. Fans were eagerly waiting for the reveal and speculating on several names who could be on the other end of the phone with The Viper.
McAfee being revealed as The Apex Predator’s ally has disappointed many fans. The storyline was supposed to be simple: two former friends with over two decades of history fighting over the top prize of the promotion. However, it has been turned into something else entirely.
That said, here are three ways WWE could still save the Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Pat McAfee storyline.
#3. Cody Rhodes vs. TKO gets turned into the modern-day Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Corporation
Cody Rhodes’ fiery promo later on the show suggests that there may be internal conflicts within WWE. The American Nightmare took shots at McAfee’s controversial involvement and even challenged TKO to fire him.
This was further confirmed with the reports following the show, suggesting that Rhodes’ promo was unscripted and the Triple H-led creative team sent him to air out their frustrations with the higher-ups for interfering in the creative direction.
TKO abusing its power to remove Rhodes as champion, and The American Nightmare retaliating, could be an excellent story. It could be similar to when Stone Cold Steve Austin rebelled against Mr. McMahon and The Corporation during The Attitude Era.
Austin vs. McMahon was one of the main storylines that played an integral role in WWF (now WWE) getting the lead over WCW in the Monday Night War. Given the struggling ticket sales and declining TV ratings, the company may need to capture some of the magic from The Texas Rattlesnake’s iconic storyline against the authority.
If Cody Rhodes becomes the anti-hero that stops TKO from corrupting the company, the storyline could get on the right track.
#2. The new Corporation
As mentioned above, the storyline needs more stakes. Stephanie McMahon was briefly introduced on last week’s RAW, warning Cody Rhodes that he was not ready for this version of Randy Orton. The creative team could use that segment as a subtle foreshadowing of a bigger storyline.
Stephanie’s warning could be tied to McAfee’s involvement. Moreover, if The Billion Dollar Princess brings back Shane McMahon, their combined influence would be hard to overcome. Shane could be revealed as a part of the corporate alliance at WrestleMania 42, helping Orton win the Undisputed WWE Championship.
A modern version of The Corporation could be formed with The Viper as its main star, backed by Shane and Stephanie. This would be an effective way to save the current storyline and give it an exciting direction.
#1. The Rock as the ultimate mastermind
Pat McAfee’s involvement in the Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes rivalry has been disappointing, mainly because he has no known connection to either of them. There is no logical explanation behind his sudden heel turn. If the creative team wants to fill the gaps and make the storyline more coherent, revealing The Rock as the ultimate mastermind could be a good way to do that.
The Final Boss has unfinished business with The American Nightmare after the latter refused to “sell his soul” at the Elimination Chamber 2025. The Great One has been absent from television since the Toronto PLE, but now could be the perfect time to make a return.
Moreover, The Rock is a TKO board member, meaning he has the power to make substantial changes to the creative direction of the company. The Final Boss abusing his power to make Cody Rhodes’ life a living hell would make for entertaining TV, and give fans a genuine reason to root for The American Nightmare.
The storyline between The QB1 and The Great One has yet to find a satisfactory conclusion. If the Hollywood megastar is revealed as the puppet master pulling the strings, his feud with Rhodes could resume with even more stakes.
If Pat McAfee is revealed to be working with The Rock, it would explain his involvement in the rivalry between Rhodes and Orton. This would add an intriguing layer to the current storyline and save it from being lackluster.
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Edited by Parth Pujara
