The April 10 episode of WWE SmackDown played a key role in building momentum toward WrestleMania 42, delivering a chaotic and highly charged segment involving Cody Rhodes and Pat McAfee in front of a vocal San Jose crowd.

McAfee opened the segment to a hostile reaction from fans, who made it clear they were not on his side following last week’s controversial actions. On the previous episode, McAfee shocked viewers by attacking Rhodes with a low blow before delivering a scathing promo that stirred strong reactions across the wrestling world.

This week, McAfee continued his verbal assault, taking aim at CM Punk. He mocked Punk’s comments from RAW and sarcastically questioned where Punk’s merchandise royalties were going, even referencing Saudi Arabia in a pointed remark. McAfee then labeled himself an “agent of change” and made a notable announcement, claiming WWE would offer WrestleMania tickets at a 25% discount until the end of next week’s RAW.

He didn’t stop there, boldly predicting that WrestleMania Sunday would fall flat while declaring that Randy Orton would capture his 15th world title on night one.

Rhodes soon interrupted, confronting McAfee face-to-face. He stated that McAfee doesn’t belong in WWE and referenced how Nick Aldis had made it clear that no one was allowed to get physical with him. Rhodes criticized McAfee as a “play wrestler” and emphasized that fans are family, not just customers.

The exchange quickly escalated, with Rhodes telling McAfee that while fans want to see Orton at WrestleMania, they have no interest in seeing him. McAfee fired back with personal insults, calling Rhodes a “cosplay champion” and taking shots at his appearance and background.

McAfee then raised the stakes, vowing that if Orton fails to leave WrestleMania as a 15-time world champion, he would walk away from professional wrestling entirely. The crowd responded with chants of “go home,” prompting McAfee to lash out further.

As Rhodes prepared to leave, tensions spiked again when GUNTHER was mentioned as a potential threat to McAfee. Moments later, the situation took another turn when Orton appeared on the screen, standing over Jelly Roll backstage. Orton then made his way to the ring and blindsided Rhodes, laying him out just eight days before their WrestleMania 42 showdown.

The segment added another layer of intensity to the rivalry, with McAfee’s involvement continuing to divide both fans and the locker room as WrestleMania approaches.

WWE SmackDown Sees Heated Cody Rhodes and Pat McAfee Confrontation

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