RAW Star Unhappy With Pat McAfee’s Angle; Urges Him To Leave WWE
Pat McAfee’s alliance with Randy Orton has been receiving massive negative reactions, not just from fans but also from WWE talent.
McAfee returned to WWE on the April 3 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, revealing himself as the mystery caller who had been advising Orton. Following his return, he cut a controversial promo in which he targeted WWE’s low WrestleMania 42 ticket sales and criticized the current product.
Several WWE stars have since spoken out against Pat McAfee. On the same night, Cody Rhodes delivered a shoot-style promo criticizing McAfee’s ties with TKO management and his sudden insertion into the main event scene.
On the following episode of Monday Night Raw, CM Punk dropped a pipe bomb promo, calling McAfee a hypocrite and even a “no-brain hillbilly” for criticizing WWE talent. Punk also told Pat McAfee to ask his agent, Ari Emanuel (TKO CEO), to lower WrestleMania ticket prices.
Then, on the April 10 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Jelly Roll aligned with Cody Rhodes and had an intense backstage confrontation with Pat McAfee, further highlighting the growing tension. Now, Raw star Austin Theory has also voiced his dissatisfaction.
Austin Theory Calls Pat McAfee “Old”
In a recent interview with Adrian Hernandez on Unlikely, Theory criticized McAfee’s involvement in the high-profile storyline featuring Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. He called Pat McAfee “an old guy” and urged him to step aside so younger talents like himself and Logan Paul can shine.
Theory didn’t stop there. He also took shots at CM Punk, Roman Reigns, and Cody Rhodes, asking top stars to give opportunities to rising talent instead of dominating the spotlight.
“I think whatever is going on there, that’s just for that lane. I think for me personally, I really don’t care what he says. I think he’s an old guy, too. So, all these guys, they’re just, you know, they’re sitting there with dust all over them and they need to get out of here. It’s time for the shiny stuff.
It’s time for the greatest tag team champions of all time, Austin Theory and Logan Paul to, you know, let the world know that The Vision is clear and it has nothing to do with a CM Punk, a Roman Reigns, none of this, a Cody Rhodes. We’re done. How many times do we have to see this? Like, we’re just done with it, man.”
According to reports from the Wrestling Observer, McAfee’s return is not a one-off. He is currently penciled in to team with Randy Orton against Cody Rhodes and Jelly Roll at Backlash on May 9, 2026.
Pat McAfee has also vowed to leave the wrestling business permanently if Orton loses to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42.
Given WWE’s reported plans for a tag team match involving McAfee at Backlash, it raises speculation that Orton could walk out of WrestleMania 42 as the WWE Undisputed Champion, though this remains purely speculative at this point.
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