Tag: Randy Orton

WOL: What is WWE’s post-WrestleMania plan?

Posted on by Jim Valley

It’s the Saturday Wrestling Observer Live with Jim Valley just hours before tonight’s first night of WWE WrestleMania 42…

…not that you’d know from the way SmackDown ended Friday night with Cody Rhodes and CM Punk hugging.

Where were all the celebrities who’ve been on TV for weeks? Was that a response to fan reaction or a creative decision? The past few years, WrestleMania hasn’t been well planned out. Will this year be different?

Plus, Jim talks about the WWE Hall of Fame, Bloodsport, ROH Supercard of Honor, JCW, Joey Janela’s Spring Break and more.

Check it out.

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Four surprise returns that could shake up WWE WrestleMania 42 weekend | Opinion

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

The grandeur of WrestleMania often paves the way for surprise comebacks whether it’s for legends or stars after fully recovering from injury. For some of them, it’s about picking up where they left off while for others, a blockbuster showdown against a talent from another generation. 

Every year, WWE attempts to outdo the previous events when it comes to shocking returns and memorable appearances. With that in mind, here’s a few names whose comebacks this weekend would fit the moment perfectly. 

Kevin Owens

Last year, Owens was heading into WrestleMania 41 in a feud with Randy Orton. However, he announced neck surgery which derailed the match and ultimately led to Joe Hendry’s WrestleMania debut.

Towards the end of 2025. Owens was spotted training at the Performance Center which proved to be a positive direction for an in-ring return.

Owens is attending WWE World this week and has also been keeping tabs on SmackDown, congratulating Carmelo Hayes after he won the United States Title in December. 

That in itself could lead to his involvement in Sami Zayn’s U.S. title defense against Trick Williams given their whirlwind of a friendship. Another opportunity awaits if he disrupts the night one main event between WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Orton. Given his incomplete rivalry with Orton, his interruption ould extend the storyline and prolong Orton’s quest to win his 15th World title with Pat McAfee being taken out to the delight of the fans.

The Rock

The Rock’s latest update indicated he was flying out of Las Vegas this week after attending CinemaCon to promote the live action remake of Moana. However, it is not uncommon for WWE to fly in talent and popular names for WrestleMania at the last minute. I’m guessing The Rock has easy access to a private plane whenever he wants.

The Rock last appeared on WWE TV at 2025’s Elimination Chamber where he influenced John Cena’s heel turn. Travis Scott took over that rivalry when he showed up at WrestleMania to interfere in Rhodes’ match with Cena that cost Rhodes the undisputed WWE Championship. 

The Rock’s potential involvement at WrestleMania 42 makes sense with Roman Reigns and CM Punk’s feud. Their confrontations saw Punk fire off some personal comments about Sika Anoa’i, following which Reigns extended an open invitation to his family to attack Punk as they saw fit. Punk apologized for saying that on Monday’s Raw, but it may be too late.

On top of that, Punk taunting Rock’s Hollywood career as he did on Raw could provoke his old rival once again. After all, the two share an extended history that goes back nearly 14 years. 

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin

Austin has often addressed reduced his capacity for in-ring matches. He briefly came out of retirement for a street fight at WrestleMania 38 against the aforementioned Owens followed by rare appearances on WWE programming both backstage and in the ring. 

A similar role this weekend would carry immense impact. Austin remains one of the most iconic figures in WWE history and his association with WrestleMania is unmatched. 

In the context of WrestleMania 42, his presence for even a brief segment would be a huge moment. After all, hearing the glass shatter is all it takes to make a WrestleMania moment.

Bianca Belair 

The EST of WWE sustained a finger injury at last year’s WrestleMania in a triple threat match with IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship.

In a recent interview, Ripley revealed that Belair informed her mid-match that she suspected her finger was broken after an awkward landing while the latest report stated Belair had commenced light training and was working towards an in-ring return.

Her comeback would have major implications if it occurs on night two as former friend Jade Cargill defends the WWE Women’s title against Ripley, someone she feuded with a year ago.

The last time Belair was seen in a WWE ring was when she served as special guest referee for Naomi and Cargill’s match at Evolution 2025. Sunday could see that comeback begin.

Randy Orton ‘hurting’ heading into WWE WrestleMania 42

Posted on by Ian Carey

Randy Orton is said to be “hurting” just days out from WWE WrestleMania 42.

Dave Meltzer addressed Orton’s match against Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship in this week’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Meltzer wrote that while the storyline involving Pat McAfee leaving WWE forever if Orton were to lose would seem to indicate Orton is winning, he was told the result is not a lock.

Meltzer was addressing McAfee’s promo from the 4/10 SmackDown and wrote:

“Perhaps most notable in the McAfee promo is that he said that if Randy Orton doesn’t beat Cody Rhodes for the title, that he will never do anything involving WWE again. Obviously that is not happening. In fact, the only result, given that promo, that was almost completely clear is Orton winning. We were told that Orton is hurting so there is a possibility that would change, as it would make no sense for Orton to win if he has to take time off, but McAfee’s statement came across like it’s as close to a lock as possible.”

Meltzer continued that the Jelly Roll and Cody Rhodes vs. Pat McAfee and Randy Orton match is still scheduled to headline the May 9 Backlash PLE next month, indicating that there are no plans for McAfee to leave WWE forever or for Orton to take time off in the near future.

Today’s full edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is available here for subscribers.

Wade Barrett says WWE commentators were ‘shocked’ by Pat McAfee’s return

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Wade Barrett and WWE commentators were not informed of Pat McAfee’s return last month. 

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, Barrett stated that Joe Tessitore and his reaction to McAfee’s involvement in Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton’s feud was legitimate. He revealed that there were blank pages on the sheet with the show’s rundown. 

“Well, I was very surprised when Pat McAfee came out with the Randy Orton stuff on SmackDown. Sometimes there are blank pages on the sheet that I get as a commentator. That was blank. I had no idea Pat McAfee was coming out, I didn’t know what he was gonna say, so it was a shock to me, and it was a shock to Joe Tess on commentary, too. We were caught just as cold as the entire audience, and I was scratching my head. I didn’t really understand why Pat was saying certain things. He was taking shots at people who didn’t deserve to have a shot taken at them. He was also coming up with some references to 40-minute Ironman matches, and I don’t know what show he was watching there. So, yeah, I was caught cold by it. I enjoyed Cody when he came out and issued his immediate retort. And then I was laughing so hard when I watched CM Punk on Raw last Monday, one of the funniest promos and retorts that I think I’ve seen in a long time.”

Barrett complimented the brilliance of McAfee’s addition leaving everyone pondering on his association with the feud and the sentiment around it. 

“I think the brilliance of this whole situation, it’s gone from an initial head scratcher to now the lines have been completely blurred, and I don’t know what is storyline, what is real life. Are they angry? I think when you get to that point, it just creates buzz, and I think the three of those guys you just mentioned have created some serious buzz going into WrestleMania. I think some people are up in arms about it. Other people are angry that CM Punk said some things that he perhaps shouldn’t have said, and went off-script, as people like to call it. I’ve been watching this game a long time, I’ve been behind the curtain for over 20 years at this point. I don’t know where the reality ends and the story begins at this point, so they’ve got me too. So I think it’s exactly what you need this time of year, heading into WrestleMania. You want buzz, you want people talking, you want eyeballs on it. Whether this is by design or by accident, whatever it is, it’s worked.”

On the April 3 edition of SmackDown, McAfee was revealed to be Orton’s mystery caller, being his backup for his WrestleMania match against Rhodes. The segment garnered much backlash from fans given McAfee’s disassociation with the storyline. 

CM Punk called out McAfee’s interference labeling him a ‘tourist in the wrestling business’ which further led to a back and forth between the two. 

Cody Rhodes addresses dealing with ‘outside forces’ ahead of WrestleMania 42

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Cody Rhodes is no stranger to outsiders getting involved in his WrestleMania feuds. The past two years have been evident with The Rock and Travis Scott’s interference. 

Rhodes discussed the external factors involved in his WrestleMania feud this year on The Rich Eisen Show. He remarked how being a fan of his during the PLE season is challenging due to the frequent external influences affecting his matches. 

“You can look at this year and say ‘hey, here’s Pat McAfee’, you could look at the year before and say ‘here’s Travis Scott’, you can look at the year before and say ‘here’s The Rock.’”

“If you’re a Cody Rhodes fan during WrestleMania season, it’s a choice. We deal with outside forces, we deal with ‘hey, they want to be part’, we’re about it, and I can say this, it’s a spot I always wanted. If you’re gonna be in the big moments you have to be ready for the big jobs.”

“Pat being part of ESPN and WWE WrestleMania is on ESPN for the first time ever, it’s actually a natural fit. Does it fit in a 20 year wrestler-wrestler student-teacher mentor, all that, does it fit in there? No, but Pat sure thinks it does, and now Pat has the title, so we can tell that story another time. That story’s also already been told, lets figure out how this unfolds.”

“Listen, Pat McAfee, Randy Orton, that’s one thing, but we’re getting to this point now where you go through so much as a wrestler, I mentioned the previous  WrestleManias, maybe it’s time for me to change. That’s a new layer of paint for Randy Orton, he’s associated with Pat, he doesn’t need that by any means, but that’s what he’s doing. Maybe I change? Maybe you walk that other side.”

“I’ve been saying for so long I don’t think I can do heel stuff. After a while it feels like it’s almost expected that I’m gonna lose it at some point, he’s gonna snap, and how does that look?”

McAfee was revealed to be Randy Orton’s mystery caller on the April 3 edition of SmackDown. He joined Orton in attacking and verbally provoking the Undisputed WWE Champion. On last week’s show, McAfee walked away with the WWE title after a confrontation with Rhodes, which culminated in Orton ambushing his WrestleMania opponent. Jelly Roll sided with Rhodes in the feud but ended up getting attacked by Orton too. 

Orton and Rhodes will headline Night One of WrestleMania 42 this weekend for the Undisputed WWE Championship.

Who needs to get a win at WWE WrestleMania 42? | Opinion

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

It is finally WrestleMania week as WWE takes over Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

While nearly every WrestleMania 42 match carries some kind of significance, some outcomes will have a far greater impact than others. Here’s who I think needs a win the most on this year’s back-to-back cards.

Liv Morgan over Stephanie Vaquer for the WWE Women’s World Championship

Morgan’s rivalry with Vaquer has evolved into one of the most personal feuds on the card.

Morgan’s women’s Royal Rumble victory was widely viewed as overdue recognition for her contributions to the women’s division. Her eventual decision to challenge Vaquer, after being questioned about her work ethic, added a layer to the storyline.

Vaquer moved up to the main roster and won the title at Evolution last year. She initially drew fans’ support, but the limited title defenses and lack of engaging storylines became stale.

A WrestleMania victory would not only validate Morgan’s resurgence but also solidify her third reign as Women’s World Champion.

Randy Orton achieves his goal of a 15th World title

For Randy Orton, the mission is simple: win world title No. 15.

After falling short against John Cena last year, he now finds himself across the ring from Cody Rhodes—his former protege and friend. Their shared history has added depth to the build, particularly following Orton’s brutal contract signing attack.

Rhodes’ reign has been successful, but a bit formulaic. Orton winning here would not only achieve that goal, but would freshen up the main event scene and hopefully Rhodes afterward.

Oba Femi destroys Brock Lesnar

Femi vacated his NXT Championship in December 2025, and made his main roster debut at the Royal Rumble. He demonstrated dominance over the next few weeks on Raw and SmackDown and then responded to Brock Lesnar’s open challenge for WrestleMania 42.

Getting a win over someone of Lesnar’s stature at a platform like WrestleMania 42 in a dominant fashion would really accelerate Femi’s WWE career and help him become part of wrestling history. 

‘The Demon’ teaches Dominik Mysterio a lesson

From a familial bond to becoming enemies in the ring, the tension between Finn Balor and Mysterio had been brewing for a long while now with Mysterio’s constant critic of Balor’s inability to win the World Title as a big part of it.

The return of his iconic entrance theme and presentation associated with the Demon moniker has elevated the hype. The last time the character made an appearance was at WrestleMania 39 for his Hell in a Cell match against Edge and a lot has happened to both men since then.

During his time in the Judgment Day, it felt as though his run was being muffled. A win at WrestleMania 42 will hopefully revert him back to the destined push/opportunities he missed out in recent years.

Seth Rollins ends Gunther’s streak as the ‘career killer’ 

The unexpected buildup for Gunther and Seth Rollins for WrestleMania may have felt a bit rushed storyline-wise, but both stars are prominent enough to warrant a spot on the WrestleMania card. The two have a brief history when they collided in the semifinals for the World Heavyweight Championship in 2023. 

A victory for Rollins at Mania, especially with odds stacked against him and Gunther’s possible alliance with Heyman, would make for a compelling outcome. 

Rhea Ripley dominates the championship picture again in 2026

Since winning the the WWE Women’s title in November 2025, Cargill has defended it just once, that being in February. This led to concern from some fans regarding her in-ring capabilities and future as champion.

Going into their feud at WrestleMania, Ripley has earned the fans’ sympathy and support, especially with Cargill’s new alliance with B-Fab and Michin. Although she has IYO SKY in her corner, it might not be enough for Ripley to counter the numbers advantage for ‘Mania. 

But Ripley winning the title and officially moving to the SmackDown brand would re-establish her dominance, and shift her back into the singles spotlight. It would also prove beneficial for Sky’s future as a singles competitor after their tag team run.

Jacob Fatu sustains momentum

Fatu witnessed a rapid ascent since walking away from Solo Sikoa’s side of the Bloodline fence and on his own.

In January, he interrupted Drew McIntyre’s WWE Title match with Cody Rhodes which cost him the championship. McIntyre vowed revenge ever since and the two have continued their feud which only escalated in March, hence the unsanctioned match this weekend.

Fatu is being cemented as a top tier star in WWE. A marquee win over someone credible as McIntyre would benefit his career while a loss would weaken the dominant presentation WWE has been building up for Fatu. 

On the other hand, for McIntyre, a talent who has competed in consistent main events in his career, a potential loss would serve as a catalyst for a character evolution. It could also push for a more unhinged and unpredictable direction. 

Triple H says WWE has ‘no backup’ for top-tier stars

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Paul “Triple H” Levesque believes WWE’s top-tier stars like Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, and CM Punk are irreplaceable.

Ahead of WrestleMania 42, Levesque sat down with SmackDown commentator Joe Tessitore for a long-form interview posted by WWE. Levesque said there have been “a lot” of surprises on the road to WrestleMania. As a booker, factors like injuries disrupt your plans and change the original vision you had. Levesque feels that injuries in WWE have an even greater impact than they do in other sports, where there is always a backup ready to take over.

“Oh, there’s a lot of them [surprises]. Because sometimes it’s surprises of the way that you think a crowd is going to react to something and they react different,” Levesque said. “Sometimes it’s — when you’re putting stuff together in your mind, Dusty Rhodes used to say this all the time to me, ‘In your mind, you see things 100 percent. If you can get 70 percent of that to come out on the screen, that’s a grand slam.’ In your mind, you picture it perfect. In execution, it’s different. There’s a million variables that can change it that bring it down a notch, or two, or three, or 20, or whatever it is, right? So things turn out differently. Fans begin to react to things differently. What you thought you had locked in four months ago is not the path anymore. The path has changed.

“The other thing about our business is, unlike a sport, and as bad as it is, if you lose your quarterback, if you lose your first-string offensive lineman, if you lose your star center or star guard in the NBA, you have a second-string guy to back them up. And you hope that those second-string guys are pretty good. There is no backup Cody Rhodes. There is no backup Randy Orton. There is no backup Roman Reigns. There’s no backup CM Punk. It’s different because it’s the individual attraction.”

Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, and Rey Mysterio were some of the names who suffered injuries prior to WrestleMania 42. Rollins and Mysterio have returned in time for the event.

All four of Rhodes, Orton, Reigns, and Punk are available and will be headlining this Saturday and Sunday. Rhodes vs. Orton is the night one main event, while Punk vs. Reigns will close things out on night two.

Stephanie Vaquer reveals praise from WWE star Randy Orton

Posted on by Joseph Currier

When she won the Women’s World Championship last September, Stephanie Vaquer received some praise backstage from Randy Orton.

Vaquer won her first main roster gold by defeating IYO SKY a WWE Wrestlepalooza in September 2025. On a new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Vaquer reflected on the match and how much it meant to have SKY as her opponent. Many people — including Orton — told them they had the match of the night.

“I really enjoyed that a lot, because IYO, I respect IYO so much. She’s amazing,” Vaquer said. “She’s really so professional, and I really enjoyed that match. It was an amazing match. I always say, I’m not just the Women’s World Champion, I won with IYO SKY, one of the best in the world.

“So it’s like, for me, it’s really special. IYO SKY, I respect IYO SKY too much. And I remember after that show, many people say, ‘Yeah, you really make that show like amazing because that match, the more important match in that day.’ And I remember Randy Orton say like, ‘You and IYO, you made the Wrestlepalooza, because that was the best match.'”

Everything worked out in the end, but there were some speed bumps on the road to Wrestlepalooza. It was originally supposed to be Naomi vs. Vaquer for the title at WWE Clash in Paris before Naomi had to relinquish the Women’s World Championship due to her pregnancy. Vaquer then almost missed Wrestlepalooza due to illness but ultimately was able to make the show and win the vacant belt.

Van Vliet asked Vaquer why she thinks she and SKY work so well together.

“I don’t know. I think maybe because I’m training before in Japan. So I know the Japanese style and language, no perfect, but we have a good communication and we can understand the style,” Vaquer responded. “We have many things like same and the style. So I think for that reason, we can do some really good chemistry in the ring.”

Vaquer is now approaching seven months as Women’s World Champion. She’s set to defend the title against Liv Morgan at night one of WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas this Saturday.

WWE fan backlash altered creative plans before, so is Pat McAfee next? | Opinion

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Pat McAfee’s involvement in Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes’ feud for WWE WrestleMania 42 has stirred much debate among fans and the wider wrestling community.

His sudden addition to the storyline and siding with Orton has questioned narrative relevance. Fans and wrestlers alike have expressed dissatisfaction with the situation. However, WWE is yet to proceed in the creative direction amid growing concerns. 

This isn’t the first time fans have pushed back on creative decisions or forced WWE to alter the direction of feuds. Over the years, several moments have provoked protests from fans, both online and at arenas.

Here’s a few notable instances when it happened: 

Daniel Bryan’s ‘Yes Movement’ implodes in 2014 

In 2013 to 2014, Bryan had become a fan favorite. Arenas erupted with ‘Yes’ chants every time he appeared. 

So, it came as no surprise when his absence from the 2014 Royal Rumble sparked an uproar. When Rey Mysterio entered as the 30th entrant, the crowd reacted with heavy boos despite him being a face. 

It became worse when Batista won the Rumble to secure his spot at WrestleMania XXX against Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. However, the backlash was so severe that it forced WWE to add Bryan into the fold. 

Bryan was then given the ultimate hero’s challenge to earn his spot in the WrestleMania main event. He had to defeat Triple H earlier in the night with the stipulation that if he lost, he would not be added to the main event. Bryan not only defeated Triple H, but also won the WWE World Title later that night. 

CM Punk chants taking over arenas after WWE walkout 

CM Punk’s 2014 departure triggered one of the most ruthless crowd protests in WWE history. 

While 2014 seemed to peak with fans unhappiness on WWE’s creative booking surrounding Bryan, Punk’s exit worsened it — although his situation intensified the overall sentiment among fans. 

Punk walked out of WWE in January 2014 due to creative differences and lack of respect among other reasons. A few months later in June, he was fired by WWE on his wedding day.

The dissatisfaction of his absence in the ring led arenas to chant for Punk at almost every WWE event for years. Even if major stars were featured on the card or competing in the ring, his name would still be heard from the crowd.  

Punk was viewed as a representative of the fanbase. His departure sparked a rare moment in wrestling history which created sustained pressure on how deeply audiences were invested in his presence. 

Punk eventually returned to WWE at Survivor Series 2023 to a thunderous reaction at the Allstate Arena. 

John Cena hatred at ECW One Night Stand 2006  

At ECW One Night Stand, Cena walked into one of the most hostile wrestling crowds in history. 

ECW was revived in 2006 after being purchased by WWE a few years earlier. To promote the merger WWE produced ECW’s second edition of their One Night Stand pay-per-view. But it turned out to be more chaotic as WWE stars were featured on the match card which drew strong negative reactions from hardcore ECW fans. 

The main event featured Rob Van Dam against Cena for his WWE Championship. The reaction was brutal and the atmosphere at Hammerstein Ballroom was intense. The champ walked out to boos, obscene gestures and jeers. 

This event featured the viral ‘If Cena wins, we riot’ poster along with explicit laden chants directed at him.

Edge’s interference in the match did not go in vain. After the referee was knocked out, Paul Heyman took over and counted the pinfall which made RVD the new WWE Champion that night. 

Given that Cena was positioned as WWE’s babyface at the time, this moment remains a notable example of fan reactions determining the crowning of a new champion. 

#WeWantCody taking over social media 

Cody Rhodes won the 2024 Royal Rumble and chose to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania that year to ‘finish his story’.

Despite facing off in the WrestleMania 39 main event, Rhodes was still on a mission – to win the undisputed WWE Championship. 

On the February 2, 2024, edition of SmackDown, The Rock returned and confronted his cousin. For quite a while, it was marked a blockbuster match by many for Rock to battle Reigns at WrestleMania.

The Rock shook hands and embraced Rhodes who gestured for him to proceed in his confrontation indicating that he was stepping down from his Mania match.

Fans were baffled and instantly expressed discontent at the next few events and online. Almost instantly, #WeWantCody began trending worldwide on social media. 

This forced WWE to adjust plans and re-align Rhodes in his coveted spot in the WrestleMania 40 main event. 

It steered the rivalry into Rock and Reigns uniting against Rhodes. And eventually led to Seth Rollins backing Rhodes for having a common enemy in The Bloodline. 

R-Truth’s 2025 Money in the Bank return  

On June 1, 2025, R-Truth announced on social media that he was released from WWE, ending his 17-year association with the company. It instantly received a jarring reaction online and on the following editions of Raw and SmackDown. 

At Money in the Bank, Cena teamed up with Logan Paul against Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso. During the bout, Paul hit a moonsault on Uso through the announcer’s table while Cena and Rhodes were in the ring. With the referee distracted, Cena grabbed the WWE title belt and hit Rhodes with it. A hooded figure jumped into the ring and attacked Cena and later revealed himself – it was R-Truth. 

Everyone at the Intuit Dome were on their feet, rooting and embracing the return of their beloved star. And it all transpired within a week. 

Later, reports revealed that the overwhelming backlash forced Nick Khan to step in and renegotiate Truth’s WWE contract for a return. 

Final Thoughts

These examples prove the influential role fans play in WWE storytelling. While creative decisions lie in the hands of the promotion, sustained negative reactions and protests can detour the original plans. WWE history has shown a consistent pattern of altering feuds and storylines based on fans pushing back. It also proves that audiences are not just reacting to it but also actively shaping it.

This trend could be reflected in the ongoing discussions on McAfee’s integration in Rhodes and Orton’s WrestleMania 42 clash. The growing retaliation could sway WWE’s creative booking.

Cody Rhodes: There’s ‘a lot of sincerity’ to WWE WrestleMania 42 main events

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Cody Rhodes sees a common theme among the two WWE WrestleMania main events this year.

Taking place this weekend, WrestleMania 42 will be headlined by Rhodes vs. Randy Orton and CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns. Both bouts have been built around long-standing personal issues. With that — and the recent addition of Pat McAfee to the Rhodes vs. Orton rivalry — Rhodes believes that it’s easy for viewers to suspend their disbelief and buy into what they’re seeing on screen.

“When wrestling is done right, the best thing ever is when you can just have a little bit of doubt on, ‘Oh, seems like those guys do hate each other.’ And we have a lot of that in both main events this year,” Rhodes said on Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast. “There’s a lot of sincerity to the suspension of disbelief.”

The history between Rhodes and Orton dates back nearly 20 years to when they were members of The Legacy together. Given that, a lot of fans have been disappointed about McAfee’s involvement, feeling that it’s unnecessary to the story. Rhodes leaned into that sentiment on Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast, comparing McAfee’s inclusion to the popular meme where a clown is trying to blend in among a group of soldiers.

“Randy Orton, who I’m wrestling at WrestleMania, we have almost two decades of history. He was my mentor,” Rhodes said. “We were on screen together as part of his group Legacy. He had my dad’s last match. My first match in the company was against Randy. There is a lot of rich story material.

“And then we inserted Pat McAfee. We are literally in that part right there. So your question is everybody else’s question. You know the troops all outside and there is that clown? I’m not saying he’s the clown. It’s just an interesting fit. And we’re going to see where it goes.”

Rhodes did say that he believes McAfee is a serious person and not a clown. He just wishes the people around McAfee would say “no” to him more often — including telling him that it’s a bad idea to get involved in the main event of WrestleMania.

McAfee will be in Orton’s corner when Orton challenges Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship this Saturday. If Orton loses, McAfee has promised to leave the wrestling industry forever.

Say his name at WWE WrestleMania 42? How Joe Hendry could be included next weekend | Column

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Joe Hendry had everyone singing his entrance song before he even stepped foot in WWE. 

After two months, he lost the NXT Championship at Stand & Deliver on April 12 in a fatal four-way match to Tony D’Angelo. If history is any indication, a popular talent losing a title so close to a PLE suggests a main roster move. But in Hendry’s case, it could set the stage for another WrestleMania moment.

Last year, Hendry was Randy Orton’s mystery opponent at WrestleMania 41 after Kevin Owens announced he needed to undergo a neck surgery in April 2025, pulling him from the match.

Here’s a few ways Joe Hendry could make his presence felt at WrestleMania 42: 

A last minute addition to the Intercontinental title match

On the March 30 edition of Raw, Penta announced a ladder match at WrestleMania 42 for his Intercontinental Championship. Shortly after, WWE confirmed Je’Von Evans, Rusev and JD McDonagh as challengers. This week, Rey Mysterio returned and confirmed his participation in the bout. 

Given Hendry’s popularity among the fanbase, he could easily be announced as a surprise addition. Even without a win, Hendry’s participation would be sufficient enough to re-introduce himself with the main roster audience on WWE’s biggest stage. 

A surprise opponent for The Miz

At Saturday Night’s Main Event last December, R-Truth confronted The Miz and blamed him for stealing another wrestler’s spot in The Last Time Is Now tournament. He handed Miz a piece of paper with the correct participant’s name on it — Hendry, who appeared as soon as his name was said aloud. 

A frustrated Miz lashed out at Hendry who dodged his strike. He teamed up with R-Truth for a comedic tribute to John Cena, using his signature “You can’t see me” taunt followed by a Standing Ovation by Hendry. It was not an official match, but Hendry pinned The Miz as Truth counted the fall. 

In line with their brief encounter, WWE could promote The Miz for a match at WrestleMania 42. Whether pre-planned on SmackDown in a comedic altercation or directly at the PLE, a rematch of sorts between the two could lead to a showdown.

Involvement in the Sami Zayn vs. Trick Williams United States title match

Zayn captured the United States Championship from Carmelo Hayes last month and is now set to defend against Trick Williams at WrestleMania. Hendry and Williams have history from NXT, most particularly associated with their TNA crossover feuds. At NXT Battleground in 2025, Williams defeated Hendry for the TNA World Championship. 

Hendry’s interference in his first-ever WrestleMania match, potentially costing him the win, would immediately set up his first major SmackDown feud. 

John Cena gives him a passing-of-the-torch moment

Cena is scheduled to host WrestleMania 42 and has consistently shown appreciation for emerging talent in WWE. 

Hendry once revealed he bumped into Cena backstage soon after he won the undisputed WWE Title at WrestleMania 41. Cena praised Hendry’s performances at the Royal Rumble and last year’s Mania match against Randy Orton, later labeling Hendry as a “brilliant talent who is going to be a major player” during a Pat McAfee Show appearance.

WrestleMania 41 could provide the perfect stage for an interaction between the two, either backstage or in the ring, with Cena officially giving Hendry his stamp of approval and possibly welcoming him to the main roster. 

Final thoughts

Joe Hendry has proven his ability to captivate audiences with his charisma, music and in-ring presence. With all eyes on WrestleMania 42 and his previous track record at the PLE, it would be a great spot for his official main roster transition. Even if it’s not an immediate shift, his presence alone would make for another memorable WrestleMania moment. 

WWE star says Randy Orton is looking forward to his eventual heel turn

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Randy Orton is eager for another WWE star’s potential heel turn in the future. 

Speaking on the No Contest Wrestling Podcast, Je’Von Evans discussed the topic of turning heel. He said that fans perceive him as a babyface making it difficult for them to accept him as a heel. He recalled a conversation with Randy Orton who expressed interest in what Evans would be like as a heel and the fans’ reactions. 

“There’s actually a lot of people that don’t really see a heel Je’Von. Before Randy started going crazy, I was talking to him about it and he was like, ‘Yeah, bro, you’re just such a good babyface. I’m kind of excited to see what happens when you’re a heel.’”

He also reflected on his pre-WWE persona, Jay Malachi in Deadlock Pro-Wrestling (DPW) where he made his debut as a heel. 

“The crowd, as of right now, they like me a lot. But, people, if you do your research, sometimes Je’Von’s twin brother named Jay Malachi, he can tweet. Sometimes he just be doing too much and he gets too aggressive, and gets too mad. I’ve talked to him about it and he’s taking a break from wrestling right now.”

During the interview, Evans admitted to occasionally overshooting in the WWE ring to add a sense of realism to wrestling. 

“Sometimes, honestly, my mindset – maybe this sounds crazy and maybe I’m just saying this because I’m young right now – but sometimes I try to overshoot. Only because from a fan perspective, if I hit something 100% clean, now it looks like we’re dancing. I don’t want wrestling to look like that. I want true emotion. So it’s kinda like, if you get me mad, or I’m too excited and I jump in the air sometimes if I’m in a real fight and I’m feeling myself too much, I’m swinging something crazy, I’m not gonna hit that right hand every time.”

“So sometimes when I do a dive, if I’m too serious, I’m too locked in, I overshoot but I still get them and I almost hurt myself – at the end of the day I know I’m gonna be okay. I’m gonna be sore but I know I’m gonna be okay. I’ve wrestled for eight years, I know how to land. I’m okay.”

Evans faced Orton on the October 8, 2024 edition of NXT in St. Louis Missouri. He officially moved to Raw in January this year. Evans will make his WrestleMania debut this year participating in the ladder match for the Intercontinental Title. 

Meanwhile, Orton looks to capture his 15th WWE World Championship reign at the Premium Live Event. He will main event Night One of WrestleMania 42 against Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship.

How Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42 has been built for 18 years but somehow still feels rushed | Column

Posted on by Jake Skudder

Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42 should’ve been the easiest match to build to on the entire card. Rhodes joined the Legacy faction in December 2008 and he has at least in part been linked with the 14-time World Champion kind of ever since. It’s student has become the master level stuff, but somehow WWE (and TKO) have managed to make this natural slow build turn into a convoluted mess just weeks before ‘Mania takes place in Las Vegas. How, HOW do you manage that? It’s almost impressive levels of neglect when it comes to creative.

Rhodes vs Orton – Legacy vs Legacy

We all know the story of why Cody decided to leave WWE in 2016 during his run as Stardust. Rhodes managed to build himself outside of the company on the indies, New Japan, ROH and of course, All Elite Wrestling. Orton however was a made man in the company from the early to mid-2000s and he has stuck around since.

It’s two completely different trajectories from a second and third-wave generation of performers that are now meeting for the biggest prize in the game at the biggest event of the year. The story writes itself, yet WWE creative has insisted on trying to rewrite that story with twists and turns they did. not. need.

Cody Rhodes wins the WWE Championship

One of the big issues with this build towards Cody vs Randy is how much it has affected another star on SmackDown, namely Drew McIntyre. The Scottish former WWE Champion has never really had the full backing from the back office; he’s used as a guy that faces “the guy” (see CM Punk, Roman Reigns et al) or as a placeholder until something better comes along.

Orton vs Rhodes appeared to be that “something better” in the company’s eyes, but Rhodes winning the WWE Championship and bringing that into this feud just felt extremely forced and (pardon the pun) outta nowhere. American Nightmare vs The Viper did not need the WWE Championship, except the poor ticket sales for WrestleMania 42 thus far prompted the company to hit the panic button and put both Cody and Roman Reigns back in the main event in some fashion across Night 1 and Night 2.

WWE or TKO isn’t seeing the problem

WrestleMania isn’t selling out tickets because they cost too much. Yes you can look at the card and say it’s not exactly stacked, but ‘Mania shows have often sold a decent amount of allocation before even the Rumble has taken place and we know the main feuds heading into the grandaddy of them all. Hell, I bought WrestleMania 29 tickets in November the year prior (what an excellent life decision that was) and watched in genuine pain as I realised we were getting Twice in a Lifetime.

I paid $150 dollars for that ticket, which wasn’t exactly close to the ring but it was close enough that I could see what was actually going on. That price now will either get you full on nosebleeds or a half decent seat at the Hall of Fame. Oh, and that’s just for one night, you’ll be paying double that if you want to see everything that weekend.

Last Minute “Saves” don’t work here

TKO (meaning UFC), has been a business that can “save” a PPV event in the dying embers by adding a fight that fans genuinely want to see. Although a natural storyline can massively add to the allure of a fight card (think McGregor vs Khabib or Jones vs Cormier), if you can add a big name at the last second then sometimes it can feel like it has saved the entire night. Pro Wrestling, however, is not the same as combat sports, because as fans we treat the build to an event as part of the enjoyment of the match that is then presented to us.

Shoehorning Pat McAfee will not sell more tickets to the show, at least not in a big or meaningful way. There was a natural story to tell here, and instead of just letting it happen, TKO decided that they needed to throw everything at the wall because it worked for Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor or Anderson Silva vs. Daniel Cormier. Forget saying this isn’t ballet (which is a dumb phrase btw)…this isn’t MMA.

So what has happened here is WWE dropping years and years of natural build because they wanted to try and sell far-too-expensive tickets. They could get away with it last year when it was billed as John Cena’s last ever WrestleMania match, but there’s nothing on that level to get away with exceedingly expensive tickets in 2026. Making the focal point of a Cody vs Randy an NFL kicker turned commentator turned part-time wrestler won’t fix anything.

Adding “and this and this and this” to a natural storyline has made it rushed over the past few weeks:

  • Cody beats Drew for the title after Randy wins at Elimination Chamber
  • Randy turns Heel
  • Randy reveals he was on the phone with Pat McAfee this whole time
  • Cody compares the reveal that same night to Disco Inferno being the nWo third man.

That’s all since March 6th. That’s 4 major twists in a storyline in a month and we’ve still got a week or two left. Didn’t need it. Didn’t want it. Who is this even for?

Bishop Dyer: Pat McAfee should not be part of WrestleMania main event

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Bishop Dyer has worked with Pat McAfee in both pro football and pro wrestling. But even though they’re good friends, Dyer is not a fan of McAfee’s involvement in the main event of WrestleMania.

Dyer spoke about McAfee’s involvement with Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes in an interview with Denise Salcedo.

“Pat’s a weird anomaly because he’s not a celebrity to the full extent, he’s not a wrestler, he’s kind of just that guy that is in between and has his finger in everything whether it be comedy, entertainment, sports, wrestling, all that,” Dyer said. “It’s not like Travis Scott all over again that ruined the main event.”

Still, Dyer would prefer the Mania build had remained focused on the two men in the match.

“I’m bummed out a little bit with the story that is being told between Cody and Randy because I think with the history that they have and Randy being the mentor and Randy having him throw Cody out and throwing his brother out of the Royal Rumble, that’s the story we need to be telling,” he said. “Why do we have this anonymous phone call and it turns out to be McAfee?”

“To me, the purest form of wrestling should be the main event of WrestleMania, that should be a one-on-one competition down the line except for a heel trying to take some shortcuts or whatever,” Dyer added. “That’s the thing to me that shouldn’t be touched.”

Dyer closed with a clear statement: “If you’re going to get Pat involved, get him involved in something else, you know? Not the main event of WrestleMania.”

Dyer was McAfee’s roommate when the two were playing for the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL. McAfee also defeated Dyer (then known as Happy Corbin) at WWE’s SummerSlam in 2022.

Corbin also had matches against both Orton and Rhodes in WWE.

Pat McAfee responds to WWE SmackDown fan backlash

Posted on by Joseph Currier

After controversially being inserted into the WWE WrestleMania 42 build on SmackDown, Pat McAfee stayed in character while addressing the situation on his ESPN show today.

McAfee looked back on the weekend in sports and named his alliance with Randy Orton as the biggest thing that happened. They joined forces on SmackDown with McAfee aiming to “save the business’ by having Orton defeat Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania. Bringing up that tickets to WrestleMania still aren’t sold out, McAfee called Rhodes a “puppet” champion and said the business he’s leading is “terrible.”

On The Pat McAfee Show, McAfee brought up that his daughter is about to turn three years old. He wants her to be a wrestling fan, but he wants wrestling to be what it’s supposed to be. That starts with elevating Orton back up to the top of the company.

“Somehow tickets are still available for WrestleMania. Just know that we got some things cooking, and you’re going to want to be in Las Vegas,” McAfee said. “It’s going to be spectacular. It’s going to be special. Future wrestling generation fans will have to look back on the night that was in Las Vegas and say, ‘That was the moment that that GOAT saved the entire business by becoming 15-time World Champion.’ Shout out to Randy Orton. Thank you, Randy, for doing that.”

McAfee acknowledged the backlash the segment received but said the fans who reacted negatively are the exact type of people he’s doing this for.

“These IWC dipsh*ts, they have no idea. This is for the good of them,” McAfee said. “They have no idea what they’ve been missing, they have no idea what it’s supposed to look like. Now we change that. That’s the Internet Wrestling Community. They’re not the biggest fans of what happened, they’re pretty upset about it. But they are a part of the problem. They are the ones that said, ‘Yeah, this is what it’s supposed to be, all this stuff.’ It’s like, ‘Nah, let us show you what it’s supposed to be whenever Randy Orton is at the top of the marquee.'”

The Rhodes vs. Orton Undisputed WWE Championship match is expected to main event night one of WrestleMania 42 on Saturday, April 18. That should be confirmed tomorrow morning when the cards for both nights are revealed on ESPN’s Get Up.

In the United States, WrestleMania 42 will be broadcast live on the ESPN Unlimited app. The first hour of each night will also air on ESPN’s TV channel. In international markets, the show will stream live on Netflix.