- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,149,910
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Pat McAfee returned to WWE as Randy Orton's accomplice
WWE
Randy Orton’s Mystery Caller | Key Points
- Pat McAfee turned heel and was revealed to be Randy Orton’s mystery accomplice on the April 3, 2026 broadcast of SmackDown in Orton’s hometown of St. Louis, Miss.
- McAfee delivered a low blow to Rhodes and helped Randy Orton lay out the Undisputed WWE champion. “The Rams left town, the Blues aren’t gonna make the playoffs, the Cardinals are ass…” said McAfee in a heel promo.
- Beginning on the March 20, 2026 broadcast of SmackDown, Randy Orton was seen on a phone call with a mystery figure. Social media conspiracy theories ranged from Cowboy Bob Orton to Vince McMahon. Randy Orton will face Cody Rhodes in the main event of WrestleMania 42, Night 1.
Pat McAfee Turns Heel And Buries WrestleMania 42 Ticket Sales
Pat McAfee was revealed as Randy Orton’s mystery accomplice, cutting a heel promo on St Louis about how he doesn’t like the direction of the WWE with smaller wrestlers doing long iron-man matches when Randy Orton is around.
McAfee exclaimed his surprise that tickets to WrestleMania are somehow available, and mentioned SmackDown’s recent nosedive in ratings for the episode where Rhodes regained the WWE Championship.
“I’m the one on the phone telling Randy Orton he needs to kill everything!” said McAfee in a profanity laced promo. “[Randy Orton] is gonna save the f—ing business!”
The newly heel Orton had been counseled by a mysterious voice on the other end of a smartphone for multiple weeks, leading to WWE’s next major mystery in a WrestleMania season filled with them.
“I’m glad I picked up, you’re right. I’m gonna go to the ring right now, and I’m gonna fix it,” Orton first told the mystery figure after attacking Matt Cardona. Orton went on to destroy Cardona in the main event segment moments later.
“Yeah, I’m here. It was good seeing you a couple of weeks ago, too,” Orton told the mystery caller during a rare appearance on Raw. “I appreciate you doing this, I really do. And I’ll see you soon.”
In the last and final tease before the SmackDown reveal, Orton’s call heavily implied that he was speaking with his father, WWE Hall of Famer Cowboy Bob Orton.
“I appreciate everything you’ve been doing for me. I think we’re good to go. This Friday, right? I’ll see you in St. Louis,” said Orton as the camera zoomed in on a vintage black-and-white photo of Bob Orton Sr. and Bob Orton Jr.
Despite already setting another new live gate record for Allegiant Stadium, WWE has lagged behind last year’s WrestleMania in numbers of tickets sold. WrestleMania is starting to feel more like an all-hands-on-deck show with John Cena recently being announced as its host. Orton’s heel turn and the subsequent reveal of a mystery accomplice has added several intriguing layers to what was originally a babyface vs. babyface feud. The addition of McAfee to the mix won’t just boost the feud, it could boost ticket sales as well amid WWE’s final push.
As of this writing, Orton remains a sizable favorite (-210) to capture his 15th world title, which would put him just one behind Ric Flair and two world title wins behind John Cena.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
Continue reading...
