Upon his official reveal as Orton’s new ally, McAfee claimed that he, Orton, and the “forgotten” WWE fans weren’t fond of WWE’s current direction, which sees Orton in the background while “two five-five guys [did] a 45-minute Iron Man match 10 weeks straight for no rhyme or reason.” McAfee additionally questioned the lower-than-expected ticket sales surrounding WrestleMania, especially considering that Orton, who is potentially on the cusp of his 15th world title, is still around.

According to BodySlam+, McAfee’s promo on “SmackDown” was one done entirely off script. Based on what he’s heard from WWE sources, however, Dave Meltzer believes the opposite to be the case.

“This is scripted for him by somebody. He’s not coming up with this one on his own.” Meltzer said, referring to McAfee’s line about seeing shorter talents competing in an Iron Man Match. “… If he did that one on his own, that was very, very bad business. Now, I will say this. I didn’t hear anyone saying he went off script. When people complain to me internally about this, it was the idea is bad, not that Pat McAfee was bad or that Pat McAfee went off script and said something really stupid. It was like the idea is bad.”

In order to “save” the wrestling business he’s loved since he was a kid, McAfee further asserted that Orton needed to kill everything, including Cody Rhodes, the current Undisputed WWE Champion. Rhodes later clapped back at McAfee in an unlisted promo of his own, promising that the former NFL punter would get a receipt for his actions.

Rhodes and Orton will clash over the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, with McAfee now backing “The Viper.” 

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Wrestling Observer Radio” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.