Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes reportedly went off-script during an unannounced promo on SmackDown, and the heat behind it was very real.
The segment (which didn’t even appear on the internal show schedule) saw Cody lash out at Pat McAfee and the leadership at TKO. According to Bodyslam, the promo was fueled by genuine anger backstage after TKO executives made the call to insert McAfee into the WrestleMania 42 main event storyline between Cody and Randy Orton.
Cody mocked the reveal that McAfee was Orton’s mystery caller, comparing it to if Disco Inferno had been the third member of the nWo instead of Hulk Hogan.
Interestingly, members of the WWE creative team reportedly encouraged Cody to “shoot from the hip.” They are said to be frustrated that TKO keeps “sticking their nose” into major storylines right before WrestleMania for the second year in a row.
While Triple H usually handles the stories, this McAfee move reportedly came straight from Ari Emanuel and TKO brass. They want to use McAfee’s massive ESPN platform to sell more tickets and promote the first-ever WrestleMania broadcast on that network.
During the promo, Cody even dared the higher-ups to fire him, reminding them that the last time he left the company, he helped build a massive competitor (AEW).
The tension between the actual wrestling writers and the corporate bosses at TKO seems to be at an all-time high just two weeks before the biggest show of the year.
RELATED: Pat McAfee Makes A Bold WrestleMania 42 Deal After Heel Turn
LATEST: Jacy Jayne Suffers Massive Wardrobe Malfunction At WWE NXT Stand & Deliver 2026 (Photo)
