Cody Rhodes sounds off on Pat McAfee's involvement at WrestleMania

The build to WrestleMania 42, which will kick off on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, has been an unusual one. The ticket pricing controversy has become such a public storyline of the event that WWE talent has been openly discussing ticket sales on air, and fans have been dismayed at some of the match card choices - but above all, the rather awkward injection of celebrity into a potential classic main event matchup has drawn backlash on social media.

Celebrity involvement in WWE's biggest event of the year isn't just common, it's a foundational piece of the brand from the beginning. Cyndi Lauper and Mr. T played major roles in the first-ever WrestleMania in 1985, which was a major boom-or-bust moment for the business.

Since then, we've seen iconic WrestleMania moments involving the likes of Mike Tyson, Bad Bunny and Floyd Mayweather. Involving celebrities in a wrestling storyline, when done correctly, can significantly amplify the result. Yet in 2025, and potentially again in 2026, WWE's indelicate handling of celebrity drawing power is testing the fanbase.

Last year at WrestleMania, a belabored entrance from Travis Scott at a pivotal moment in the main event between John Cena and Cody Rhodes was widely panned. For WrestleMania 42, Rhodes is set to defend his undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton. The anticipation for this match hit a high in March with their contract signing on Smackdown, where Orton attacked Rhodes brutally, leaving fans stunned. The stage was set for a WrestleMania classic.

Yet in recent weeks, it was revealed that a mysterious advisor who had been calling the shots for Orton was.... Pat McAfee?

McAfee is no stranger to WWE, having served as an analyst, commentator and occasional wrestler for the last seven years, mostly to a warm reception from WWE fans. His energy at ringside was welcome, and as his radio-show-turned-ESPN-behemoth continued to rise in popularity, his addition to the WWE roster was a win-win for the company.

Yet to go from a comedic side act to a central character in a major feud between two WWE veterans with years of history between them? At WrestleMania of all places? It's a bridge too far for many WWE fans, and even Rhodes doesn't sound convinced that the storytelling works.

In an appearance on Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast, hosted by comedians Shane Gillis and Matt McCusker, Rhodes echoed the rumors that McAfee's involvement is intended as a star vehicle for him.

"I've been told that some of the people in his orbit, his circle, think he's the next Sylvester Stallone in terms of TV, film. I don't know if I'm getting that. From what I've watched, I have very limited knowledge on Pat, other than I love me some College GameDay. He is very good on College GameDay.... This is the first time I've been asked about him, and I think henceforth I'm just going with the Mariah Carey 'I don't know him' response."

When Rhodes was asked to explain McAfee's involvement in the WrestleMania buildup, Rhodes opened up a bit on how he really feels.

Rhodes: "Randy Orton, who I'm wrestling at WrestleMania, we have almost two decades of history together. He was my mentor. I had Cena who I drove around, I had Randy - very different opinions but also really helped shape me. We were on screen together as part of his group Legacy. He had my dad's last match, my first match in the company was against Randy. There was a lot of rich story material. And then we inserted Pat McAfee, we are literally in that part right there. So your question is everybody else's question."

Gillis: "What the hell is this guy even doing here?"

Rhodes: "You know the troops all outside and then there's that clown [meme]? I'm not saying he's like the clown, in those regards, it's just, it's an interesting fit. And we're going to see where it goes."

Rhodes finished by saying that in his opinion, someone needs to tell McAfee "no" once in a while.

"What I would say is right now what I've seen is everyone around Pat McAfee, his orbit, probably someone needs to say 'no' every now and then."

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Cody Rhodes open up on Pat McAfee's role in his feud with Randy Orton