Pat McAfee isn’t backing down on his take on the current WWE product.
In fact, he’s doubling down on those comments in a big way.
After drawing controversy for his involvement in the WrestleMania 42 build on WWE SmackDown, McAfee stayed firmly in character during a fiery appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, where he addressed the backlash head-on.
Looking back at the weekend in sports, McAfee didn’t hesitate in claiming that his WWE return and alliance with Randy Orton was the biggest story coming out of it.
He also took aim at Cody Rhodes and the current state of WWE, calling Rhodes a “puppet” champion while criticizing the overall product as “terrible.” McAfee even pointed to ticket sales for WrestleMania as part of his argument.
“Somehow tickets are still available for WrestleMania,” he said. “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.”
McAfee didn’t stop there, going all-in on Orton’s legacy and teasing a history-making moment on “The Grandest Stage of Them All.”
“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.’ Shout out to Randy Orton. Thank you, Randy, for doing that.”
Not surprisingly, the segment and McAfee’s comments have sparked plenty of backlash online. But in his view, that reaction is exactly the point.
“These IWC dipsh*ts, they have no idea,” he said. “This is for the good of them. They have no idea what they’ve been missing, they have no idea what it’s supposed to look like. Now we change that.”
He continued to double down on his criticism of the so-called Internet Wrestling Community, arguing that they’ve contributed to the very issues they now complain about.
“That’s the Internet Wrestling Community. They’re not the biggest fans of what happened, they’re pretty upset about it. But they are a part of the problem. They are the ones that said, ‘Yeah, this is what it’s supposed to be, all this stuff.’ It’s like, ‘Nah, let us show you what it’s supposed to be whenever Randy Orton is at the top of the marquee.’”
As things stand, the Undisputed WWE Championship showdown between Rhodes and Orton is expected to headline night one of WrestleMania 42 on Saturday, April 18, setting the stage for what McAfee is promising will be a defining moment for the industry.
If Orton wins, he secures his 15th world title, and WWE has the proper “GOAT” in the company driver’s seat. If he loses, McAfee has vowed that WWE fans will no longer see or hear from him again.
Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com on 4/18 and 4/19 for live WrestleMania 42 Results coverage.
THE NUMBER ONE STORY FROM THE WEEKEND
RANDY ORTON IS SAVING THE BUSINESS#PMSLive https://t.co/SxtupOe4UU pic.twitter.com/J5to6rsE0e
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 6, 2026
