WWE’s April 3 SmackDown sparked heavy fan anger after Randy Orton’s mystery caller was revealed as Pat McAfee. The reveal drew a sharp reaction and raises new questions about TKO’s influence on WWE storylines ahead of WrestleMania 42.
What happened on SmackDown
On the April 3 episode of SmackDown, a long-running mystery angle ended when Randy Orton’s secret caller was named as Pat McAfee. Many fans thought the reveal made no sense for the Orton-Cody Rhodes story.
Later that night, Cody Rhodes answered the backlash with an angry promo. Rhodes mocked the McAfee reveal with a line comparing it to “Scott Hall and Kevin Nash talking about the third man in the nWo, and instead of Hulk Hogan, it was Disco Inferno.”
“That’s like if Scott Hall and Kevin Nash talked about the third man in the nWo, and instead of Hulk Hogan, it was Disco Inferno.”
Fans reacted strongly on social media. Reports say parts of the WWE creative team told Rhodes to “shoot from the hip” during that promo to address the negative reaction in real time.
Reports on creative and backstage tension
According to UFCcoverage, unnamed members of WWE’s creative team urged Rhodes to respond live because the McAfee angle was unpopular. The report said WWE and Rhodes were upset about outside influence changing the original plans for WrestleMania 42.
Triple H was reportedly watching the reaction backstage. The group of writers and performers behind the scenes wanted to give Rhodes a chance to voice the frustration fans felt in the moment.
TKO and Ari Emanuel’s role
WWE is now part of TKO Group Holdings after a sale to Endeavor. Ari Emanuel is the executive chairman of TKO, and some inside and outside observers say he has pushed for more celebrity involvement and cross-promotion between WWE and ESPN.
UFCcoverage notes Emanuel pushed for stars like The Rock to appear at top events last year and helped arrange celebrity moments such as Travis Scott’s involvement. The same push for mainstream names appears to have driven the decision to put Pat McAfee into the Orton storyline.
Reports suggest the move was made for corporate synergy and to boost short-term interest. Many fans and some creative staff say those choices have weakened long-term storytelling and wrestling focus.
What this means for WrestleMania and WWE
The Orton-Rhodes storyline was simple: former friends and Legacy stablemates now in a bitter title fight for WrestleMania 42. Fans wanted a clear emotional arc. The McAfee twist risks turning the match into a spot-heavy, overbooked affair.
Some in WWE appear to be trying to push back. If ownership insists on celebrity-driven spots, creative can still respond on TV by letting performers voice that frustration. Whether that will change booking at WrestleMania remains unclear.
For now, the story to watch is not only the title match but also the larger tug of war between those who want classic wrestling storytelling and those pushing for mainstream, celebrity-driven moments.
