For weeks, fans have speculated about the identity of the person providing Randy Orton with advice and guidance over the phone. The Rock? Vince McMahon? Ted DiBiase Jr.? As wild as some of the guesses were, no one predicted a heel Pat McAfee.
During a brawl between Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton in the opening segment of SmackDown, the former commentator entered the ring and hit the American Nightmare with a low blow.
He then cut a promo, dropping multiple curse words and tearing into the current WWE product, its ratings, low WrestleMania ticket sales, and Rhodes himself. The response from fans has been mixed, even with those in the arena still cheering for The Viper.
Why has WWE added McAfee, an already divisive personality among pro wrestling fans, given his obnoxious on-screen persona, to Orton and Rhodes' feud? And why is his whole gimmick to tell fans how bad WWE is right now?
We have an answer to the first question. PWInsider Elite reveals that Ari Emanuel and TKO bosses made the decision, not Triple H and WWE creative. While McAfee's return has been planned for a while, Emanuel believes the ESPN host adds star power and elevates the program with Orton and Rhodes.
There's also a belief that adding a mainstream name to the Show of Shows two weeks before it takes place will bring more eyes to the product and boost ticket sales.
Many believe that WWE is aware of the negative reaction to McAfee being revealed as Orton's new ally, as Rhodes cut a promo later in the night where he said, "We got all dressed up in St. Louis tonight to find out who Randy Orton was talking to on the phone. And color me surprised, it was Pat McAfee. 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."
Perhaps WWE wants fans to hate the reveal so they'll finally start booing Orton on the Road to WrestleMania? Either way, it's a divisive creative decision, and one that speaks to some of the issues many fans have had with how this year's Showcase of the Immortals has taken shape.