WWE Talent Concerned Pat McAfee Angle Could Set Troubling Precedent

Pat McAfee’s involvement in Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton’s feud is now raising serious concern behind the scenes — and the reaction isn’t positive.

After reports revealed Pat McAfee was brought into the WrestleMania 42 storyline as a corporate-driven move tied to Ari Emanuel, a new update from Self Made Pro is shedding light on how WWE talent are reacting — and the response is full of concern.

Speaking during a Self Made Session on April 6, Self Made Pro revealed that he spoke directly with a WWE talent who was present at the April 3 SmackDown taping — and made it clear this wasn’t speculation, but something shared on record. From there, the concerns start to pile up — beginning with how the angle reflects on the rest of the roster if it was actually planned.

“I spoke to a WWE talent who was at that SmackDown TV taping, right? And I’m not going to read their text verbatim, but they did talk to me and they did express the following on record. They essentially told me that if this was a work and WWE was in on it, it buries everything that they as talent do on the show, and it just makes everybody look bad.”

But the other possibility — that McAfee may have gone off-script — isn’t being received any better internally: “But if this is instead Pat McAfee going into business for himself, that is even worse.”

That uncertainty is exactly what’s driving frustration backstage, with talent reportedly unsure which scenario is more damaging. The overall reaction, according to the report, is blunt — and not something WWE would want getting out this close to WrestleMania.

“And what the wrestler told me was, 'I don’t know which of those two options is worse—McAfee going into business for himself or WWE having Pat McAfee shoot on the product and bury the product.' The general vibe I got from the talent about this McAfee thing is: this is a mess. This is counterproductive. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. And why would you go in this direction?”

And the concern doesn’t stop at just this storyline. Talent is now reportedly worried about what this could mean long-term — especially with earlier reports pointing to corporate influence behind the decision. That concern quickly shifts into a bigger question about how decisions could be made going forward if business starts slipping. And finally, the fear that outside calls could directly dictate creative direction — even on short notice.

“There’s a lot of concern right now about—like, is this setting a precedent for more of this in the future? Is it going to be a thing now where if business isn’t completely gangbusters, selling out all the tickets, is Ari just going to pop in anytime things are sagging behind? Is he just going to pop in and go, ‘All right, Hunter—Clavicular this weekend.’”

This update flips the story. What looked like a celebrity tie-in now has real heat behind the scenes — with talent openly questioning both the execution and the decision-making process. With WrestleMania 42 getting closer, this isn’t just about one segment anymore — it’s about how WWE is handling creative at the highest level.

Do you think WWE crossed the line with the Pat McAfee angle, or is this just part of doing business at a bigger level? Drop your thoughts and feedback below.

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