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By Andrew Ravens
Contributing Sports Writer
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Cody Rhodes reportedly channeled real frustration on Friday night, and the promo he cut on SmackDown may have been closer to reality than anyone realized.
The evening began with Rhodes marching to the ring looking for a fight with Randy Orton, only to be blindsided by a low blow from Pat McAfee. It was then revealed that McAfee had been the mystery person Orton had been speaking with on the phone in recent weeks. McAfee cut a heel promo going after the entire wrestling industry, effectively positioning Rhodes as the symbol of everything he claims to now despise about the business. With Orton assaulting Rhodes with a steel chair in front of his hometown St. Louis crowd, the segment landed as one of the bigger angles of the WrestleMania season.
But the online reaction was not universally positive, and what happened after the cameras were rolling added significant context to the night.
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According to BodySlam, Rhodes was directed by members of WWE's creative team to return to the ring unannounced and speak freely. The report states that McAfee's earlier promo had gone completely off script, which contributed to the decision to give Rhodes an opportunity to respond.
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"Sources indicate to BodySlam that Rhodes was told from members of creative to go to the ring and shoot from the hip regarding Pat McAfee and TKO. Rhodes and other members of the creative team have legitimate gripes with TKO for sticking their nose in storylines close to WrestleMania multiple years in a row."
Rhodes responded in kind, going directly after McAfee and, by extension, the forces backing his involvement. He compared the McAfee reveal to if Disco Inferno had been the third man in the nWo instead of Hulk Hogan, a dig that landed immediately with wrestling fans. He also practically dared WWE's leadership to fire him, pointedly noting how things had worked out for the company the last time they parted ways.
The decision to bring McAfee into the Rhodes and Orton storyline was reported earlier this week as coming not from Triple H or the creative team but from TKO leadership, with one source specifically pointing to CEO Ari Emanuel as the driving force. The belief at the corporate level is that McAfee's mainstream profile and ESPN platform can help elevate the feud and drive ticket sales for WrestleMania 42, where the first hour of each night will air on linear ESPN platforms.
Rhodes clearly does not share that enthusiasm, at least not in the way it was executed. Whether his message was received by the people it was intended for remains unclear, but he delivered it without hesitation.
WrestleMania 42 takes place April 18-19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
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