Cody Rhodes Calls Pat McAfee Angle the “Worst-Received Thing In Wrestling History”

The backlash around Pat McAfee’s involvement on SmackDown just hit another level—and now Cody Rhodes is openly calling it out as one of the weirdest, most rejected angles fans have seen.

After two straight weeks of heavily criticized SmackDown episodes and brutal Cagematch scores, the conversation has centered heavily around Pat McAfee’s involvement in WWE storylines. But now, Cody Rhodes is addressing it directly—and not holding back.

While speaking to Jimmy Traina on April 15, 2026, Rhodes was asked about the overwhelming negative reaction to McAfee being inserted into a major program. Instead of downplaying it, Rhodes leaned into just how bad the reception has been. Rhodes didn’t soften the landing either, making it clear he sees the backlash as universal across all corners of the audience.

“I’ll further that—this is the most ill-received thing in the history of wrestling. Gobbledy Gooker is one, there’s the Shockmaster—but that was kind of funny. This? The entire fandom—your fandom, my fandom, indie wrestling fans, casual fans, cinema fans—every single fan has received this with, ‘Huh? What?’ Okay—so, worst-received thing in the history of wrestling.”

Those comments come as WWE heads straight into WrestleMania 42, with no real window left to pivot creatively. The April 3 and April 10 episodes of SmackDown already took major hits on Cagematch, and the criticism around McAfee’s role has only grown louder since.

At this stage, the direction is locked in. Whether the reaction changes or not, WWE is going forward with what’s already in place—and that means this storyline is heading into WrestleMania with all the backlash still attached to it. With everything now set in stone, the real test is what happens once WrestleMania plays out—and whether the reaction gets worse or finally turns around.

Do you agree with Cody Rhodes calling this the worst-received angle ever, or do you think the backlash is being overblown? Drop your thoughts below.

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