Pat McAfee Addresses Randy Orton Attacking Him at WrestleMania 42

Pat McAfee is speaking out after being attacked by Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42 — and he’s not holding anything back about what went down.

During The Pat McAfee Show on April 20, 2026, McAfee directly addressed Orton’s actions in the chaotic main event, claiming the situation went far beyond what should have happened in the ring. McAfee pointed to the moment where Cody Rhodes hit the Cross Rhodes, claiming Orton’s focus had completely shifted away from the match and onto him.

“Randy Orton lost—and in doing so, tried to break my neck after my neck had already been busted by Jelly Roll’s big ass. Cody Rhodes was somehow able to hit the Cross Rhodes on Randy. You know why? Because Randy was distracted—because Randy wanted to snap my neck in half.”

The situation becomes even more intense considering McAfee says he was already injured before Orton got involved. He revealed he had been wearing a neck brace and had been warned not to take further risks — but still chose to step back into the moment.

“I was already in a neck brace, and doctors said you need to keep stability in your neck—and I said I’m going out there in case something happens. Maybe he knew it was me—it felt like he knew.”

McAfee didn’t avoid his own role in the chaos either. He admitted he had told Jelly Roll to go all out before the match — something that came back around on him in a big way. Even with everything that happened, McAfee framed it as part of what comes with stepping into the ring — especially against someone like Orton.

“First phone call after we decided we had to save the business—I told him, ‘Kill everybody.’ I told him to kill everybody—he killed me too. That’s what happens when you dance with the Viper. All I was trying to do was motivate and inspire… and bam—it ends like that.”

The biggest concern now is his health. McAfee revealed he’s dealing with a potential neck issue and is waiting on scan results to determine the full extent. Beyond that, he described the physical toll the match took on him, including cuts and unexpected injuries from the chaos.

C2–C5—we’ve got scans coming back tomorrow morning. I’ve been wearing this brace since I got Jelly Roll’d. I’m hopeful I’ll be healthy. Got cuts and bruises too—hand right here cut, I think that’s because the table exploded. I got some shrapnel. Somehow got a splinter in the crotch.”

Despite everything, McAfee made it clear he’s still standing after the match and wanted to reassure everyone watching.

“There was a lot that happened out there, and I just wanted to let everyone know—I’m still okay.”

With scans pending on his neck and questions still surrounding how far Randy Orton pushed things in that moment, McAfee’s health is now the biggest concern coming out of WrestleMania 42.

Do you think Randy Orton went too far in this situation, or is this just part of what comes with being in the ring at WrestleMania? Let me know your thoughts.

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