On SmackDown, Cody Rhodes compared Pat McAfee to WCW wrestler 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. Pat — you, stoner, grifter, Logan Paul without muscles, human hat rack, fly by night. You’re going to get your receipt.”
Disco tweeted the following about Cody’s comments:
“If I catch Cody Rhodes on Old canton Rd when I go back to visit my mom, that boy might get a good ol’ fashion Marietta tushy kickin'”
The issues between Cody Rhodes and Disco Inferno date back to 2018. After a fan posted a photo of Cody getting a cut above his eye due to a kick from Kenny Omega in NJPW, Disco tweeted the following:
“Nobody knows how to ‘work’ anymore. They would rather kill each other to get Dave Meltzer to put their match over. That is a problem that needs to be put front and center. Guys are going to keep getting hurt.”
Cody replied:
“Stop. You know nothing. You have drawn 0 dollars. No fan has ever left a show thinking about you. You were lucky to be a juiced up double-lifer ‘over with the boys’ type in an era where you hid in plain sight coasting on others’ success. Couldn’t hang then, can’t get booked now.”
WWE Officials Not Happy With What Pat McAfee Said In His Heel Turn Promo
Pat McAfee shocked fans on the April 3rd episode of SmackDown by attacking Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and revealing himself as the mystery person on the phone with Randy Orton.
While the move has caused a lot of debate online, the decision came from the very top of TKO. According to PWInsider, this wasn’t an idea from the regular WWE writing team. Instead, it was a direct order from TKO CEO Ari Emanuel, who is also McAfee’s agent.
Emanuel reportedly pushed for the move to create “corporate synergy” with ESPN and help sell more tickets for WrestleMania 42.
Despite rumors that he’s losing power, Triple H is still the one running the day-to-day creative for the rest of the show. He reportedly approved the McAfee move after the “edict” came down from TKO leadership.
According to Fightful Select, many people within WWE weren’t fans of the “this place sucks” angle in McAfee’s promo, feeling those types of stories rarely work in wrestling. Some insiders called the online backlash “bad heat” that the company didn’t need right now.
Later that night, Cody delivered a promo that wasn’t even listed on the show’s official schedule. He was reportedly told to “shoot from the hip” to address the situation.
Even though McAfee previously denied he was coming back, WWE sources say he is now a major part of the plans leading all the way through WrestleMania 42.
RELATED: Cody Rhodes Was Told To Shoot On TKO In Unscripted SmackDown Promo
