Pat McAfee’s involvement in Randy Orton’s storyline just took another unexpected turn, as it’s now being reported that his promo during SmackDown wasn’t scripted at all.
According to Bodyslam.net, McAfee’s promo during the April 3 episode of SmackDown was delivered completely off script. The situation forced WWE to react on the fly later in the night, with Cody Rhodes being sent out to respond after McAfee’s segment created momentum that wasn’t originally planned.
That detail adds to what fans saw during the opening segment of the show, when Randy Orton finally revealed McAfee as the mystery person he had been speaking to on the phone for weeks.
The segment quickly turned physical once Cody Rhodes came to the ring to confront Orton. McAfee blindsided Rhodes with a low blow from behind, officially revealing himself as Orton’s ally. Orton then followed up with multiple chair shots, leaving Rhodes laid out in the ring as the two walked off together.
Later in the show, Rhodes returned during the final hour and delivered a fiery promo aimed at both McAfee and the situation that unfolded earlier in the night. That return now appears to have been directly influenced by McAfee going off script earlier in the broadcast.
Reports also suggest that Rhodes had been instructed to respond after McAfee’s unscripted moment changed the flow of the show, which may explain the intensity and tone of Rhodes’ promo later in the night.
With WrestleMania 42 getting closer, this situation suggests that not everything unfolding on WWE television is sticking strictly to the original script. If McAfee’s promo truly went off script, it could explain why the segment felt unpredictable and why Rhodes’ response later in the night carried so much urgency.
Do you think Pat McAfee going off script made the segment feel more real, or do moments like this risk throwing off WWE’s WrestleMania build? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know.