Mark Henry Defends Pat McAfee’s Role In Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes Storyline

Fans have been dragging WWE hard over Pat McAfee’s role in the Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes storyline — but now Mark Henry is stepping in with a very different take.

Mark Henry addressed the backlash during Busted Open Radio, pushing back against the criticism and explaining why he believes McAfee’s involvement actually makes sense — especially given the direction WWE may be heading into WrestleMania 42.

Before diving into the bigger picture, Henry pointed out how unexpected the reveal itself was, noting that McAfee being positioned as a key name in the storyline caught people off guard: “Nobody expected Pat McAfee to be the one telling Randy, ‘Take over.’”

From there, Henry framed the reaction as part of a larger divide between older wrestling expectations and the current product, explaining that many longtime fans are comparing today’s WWE to a very different era.

“A lot of the hardcore, old-school wrestling guys keep saying stuff like, ‘I used to watch back in the Attitude Era. I used to watch when guys looked like they would just beat you up just for looking at them. The days of big, burly, middle-aged men wrestling is over. That’s why our business is soft now.’”

Henry then shifted the focus directly onto McAfee’s mindset, explaining that the former NFL star isn’t just randomly involved — he’s pushing for a more aggressive tone in wrestling.

“That’s what Pat McAfee was saying. ‘I want to bring back that part of wrestling—the toughness, the aggressiveness. We’re a little too PG.’ That’s what Pat McAfee is saying. He wants to help change it.”

Rather than seeing the backlash as a negative, Henry suggested it might actually prove the angle is working, arguing that shaking things up is sometimes necessary to move the product forward.

“I want change. I love the fact that there’s somebody else that wants change, and sometimes, in order to have change, you’ve got to ruffle a few feathers. And so far, it looks like everybody’s feathers are ruffled.”

He closed by tying everything back to the bigger picture, suggesting that the Orton vs. Rhodes storyline could take on a much more intense tone by the time WrestleMania arrives.

“What Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes are heading towards is going to be Attitude Era-esque. I’m excited for WrestleMania even more than I already was.”

Whether fans are rejecting the move or not, Henry’s stance makes one thing clear — WWE may be leaning into the controversy rather than backing away from it, especially if it means getting people talking heading into WrestleMania 42.

Do you agree with Mark Henry that Pat McAfee’s involvement could improve the storyline, or do you think fans have a point criticizing the direction? Drop your thoughts below and let us know.

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