Pat McAfee is leaning all the way into his new role alongside Randy Orton, and after the big reveal on WWE SmackDown, he made it clear he believes Orton is about to change everything heading into WrestleMania 42.
During the April 3, 2026 edition of SmackDown, McAfee was revealed as the mystery voice Randy Orton had been speaking to on the phone for weeks. The reveal turned violent when Cody Rhodes was attacked, confirming McAfee’s alliance with Orton and instantly shaking up the WrestleMania picture.
Not long after that moment aired, McAfee addressed the situation on his podcast and didn’t hold back when talking about Orton’s place in WWE and what he believes is about to happen next.
While reacting to the SmackDown reveal and discussing Randy Orton’s future heading into WrestleMania, McAfee praised Orton heavily and claimed he believes Orton is about to take over the top of the business once again.
“Number one story coming out of the weekend, you guessed it. Randy Orton saving the business at WrestleMania. You know, it was a fun time on Friday night letting the world know that, yeah, you remember when Randy Orton came on the show at the Combine? Then you remember shortly after that I say I thought the business passed me by, and then all of a sudden Randy’s on the phone with somebody motivating, dominating everybody. Oh yeah, maybe it was me telling him, hey bud, my daughter is about to turn 3 years old.”
McAfee continued by explaining why he believes Orton should be at the very top of WWE, pointing to his size, presence, and star power as reasons he thinks Orton represents what wrestling should look like at the highest level.
As he continued discussing Orton’s role and WWE’s direction, McAfee questioned why Orton had spent time away from television and suggested that the company should revolve around him.
“I would like her to be a wrestling fan, but I would like wrestling to be what wrestling’s supposed to be, especially at the top of the card. 6’5″, 275 pounds of perfection from the wrestling gods has been sitting here this whole time. And is he on TV all day, every day? Absolutely not. He was actually sent home for about 6 months recently.”
McAfee also made it clear that he believes Orton winning another world title at WrestleMania could mark a turning point for WWE, calling it something future fans might look back on as a defining moment. While hyping up WrestleMania in Las Vegas, McAfee claimed Orton’s next championship win could be remembered as a historic turning point for the industry.
“Just know that we got some things cooking and you’re going to want to be in Las Vegas. It’s going to be spectacular. It’s going to be special. And future wrestling generation fans will have to look back on the night that was in Las Vegas and say that was the moment that that GOAT saved the entire business. By becoming 15-time world champion.”
McAfee didn’t stop there, also taking aim at critics online who questioned the storyline and the direction WWE is heading with Orton at the center. While discussing fan reactions online, McAfee fired back at critics who weren’t thrilled with the direction of the storyline.
“I was asking the wrestling fans this weekend, hey, did you thank Randy Orton yet for what he’s going to do at WrestleMania for the future of wrestling? And you know, these IWC dipshts, they have no idea. This is for the good of them. They have no idea what they’ve been missing.”*
With WrestleMania 42 getting closer, McAfee’s comments only add more attention to Orton’s push toward another world title. The alliance between McAfee and Orton has already shaken up WWE television, and it looks like this storyline is far from finished.
Pat McAfee clearly isn’t playing it safe with his words, and tying himself to Randy Orton has already created one of the biggest talking points heading into WrestleMania. If Orton does walk out with another world title, this partnership could end up being remembered as the moment everything shifted.
Do you think Randy Orton really can take over the top of WWE again, or is this hype getting ahead of reality? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know.