New WWE Rumors on Why Pat McAfee Was Added to Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes' WrestleMania Feud

The surprise return of Pat McAfee to WWE as the person aligned with Randy Orton was reportedly a decision made by TKO management and specifically CEO Ari Emanuel.

Per PWInsider Elite (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), there's a belief among people within WWE that Emanuel pushed for McAfee to be featured on television in a key role for the top SmackDown match at WrestleMania 42.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider Elite added that part of the thinking is using McAfee's platform on ESPN will give WWE a "new promotional dimension" for the biggest show of the year.

Per BodySlam.net (h/t WrestlePurists), Emanuel's feeling is that McAfee's name recognition will help elevate the Orton-Cody Rhodes feud and TKO wants "mainstream names will help bring more eyes to the product and sell more tickets as they return to Las Vegas."

McAfee returned on Friday's episode of SmackDown when he was revealed to be the person Orton had been talking on the phone in recent weeks. The former NFL punter helped the Viper attack Rhodes in the opening of the show before cutting a promo about how Orton was going to "save the f--king business."

This entire segment was perfectly emblematic of the entire build to this WrestleMania. The reveal of McAfee as someone who hates Rhodes has no bearing in any storyline logic, and his promo explaining that Rhodes is destroying WWE is not dissimilar to what they tried with John Cena last year when he vowed to ruin wrestling during his ill-fated heel run.

We will see how the additional "promotional dimension" plays out with two weeks remaining before WrestleMania.

Presumably there will be some angle that happens with Rhodes on McAfee's show in the lead up to WrestleMania, but that's also just rehashing what they just did with LA Knight crashing an IShowSpeed live stream.

WrestleMania 42 will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18 and 19.