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WWE’s Stance On Massive Shots At Pat McAfee Ahead Of WrestleMania 42

By Monika Thapa • Published Apr 14, 2026 06:24 EDT
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Pat McAfee on Raw, April 28, 2025 - Source: WWE.com

Pat McAfee recently returned to WWE and aligned himself with Randy Orton.

His controversial return came on the April 3, 2026, episode of Friday Night SmackDown, where he revealed himself as the mystery caller who had been guiding Orton’s vicious behavior.

McAfee also delivered a controversial promo, which was reportedly unscripted, in which he criticized the current WWE product, saying that it “sucked” under Cody Rhodes. He further took shots at WWE, lambasting the company for struggling with WrestleMania 42 ticket sales.

Pat McAfee was reportedly brought in by TKO Group Holdings CEO Ari Emanuel to boost “corporate synergy” ahead of WrestleMania’s ESPN debut. The situation sparked significant backlash from fans and reportedly created friction within the WWE locker room.

Several WWE stars have openly taken shots at McAfee following his return. Cody Rhodes was among the first, delivering a shoot promo on the same night and even taking a bold jab at TKO while expressing frustration with the decision.

On the following episode of Monday Night Raw, CM Punk delivered a “pipe bomb”-style promo targeting Pat McAfee and criticizing TKO executives for their involvement. Damian Priest also called out McAfee, expressing dissatisfaction with his insertion into WWE storylines.

WWE Talents Can Freely Criticize Pat McAfee Amid Growing Controversy

The ongoing criticism of Pat McAfee and his WWE angle has become a major talking point among fans. According to a report from Fightful Select, WWE has placed no restrictions on talent speaking out about McAfee in the media, meaning stars are free to openly criticize him.

While much of the WWE Universe has been criticizing Pat McAfee for his involvement in the WrestleMania storyline, JBL is one Hall of Famer who believes McAfee is generating the right kind of heat. He recently defended McAfee against criticism on the Something to Wrestle podcast.

“It just blows me away when a guy gets heat like this, people go, ‘Oh, no, no, no. It’s go away heat.’ No, it’s not. You’re talking about it. If it was go away heat, you would not be talking about it because you would not like it. You would not even mention it.

It’s real heat. And people look out there, they want to have heels to my fans. They want to have heels, but they want to be in on it. They go, ‘Hey, listen. I, you know, he’s a great heel.’

If you’re saying somebody is a great heel, they’re not a heel because you realize they’re playing something. When you come out there, and you’re able to strip away the veneer of that person’s playing a heel to that person’s just an a***ole, and I don’t like them, that’s when you’re winning.”

Also Read: RAW Star Unhappy With Pat McAfee’s Angle; Urges Him To Leave WWE