The April 3, 2026, episode of WWE SmackDown featured one of the most talked-about moments of the year so far, as Cody Rhodes openly criticized the reveal of Pat McAfee as Randy Orton’s mystery caller by making a reference to the legendary faction nWO.
In the opening segment of the show, McAfee emerged as Orton’s mystery caller, a storyline that had been teased for weeks. Pat McAfee hit Rhodes with a low blow, officially siding with Orton. While it was meant to be a big surprise, fans clearly felt it didn’t live up to expectations.
But it was not only fans who felt like that. Rhodes felt the same, too.
Cody Rhodes suggests Pat McAfee’s reveal fell flat with an nWo reference
Later in the show, Rhodes came back to the ring to address what was going through his mind.
The tag team match between R-Truth and Damian Priest vs. Kit Wilson and The Miz had just concluded. Rhodes didn’t even bother Wilson to leave the ring. He came charging at him and hit him with a Cross Rhodes and cleared the ring.
The WWE Champion then took the mic and spoke his heart. He compared the Pat McAfee reveal moment to the famous “third man” reveal from the nWo storyline.
Back then, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash teased a huge third partner, which turned out to be Hulk Hogan. Rhodes joked that McAfee’s reveal felt like how it would have been if someone like Disco Inferno had shown up instead of Hogan.
“We got all dressed up in St. Louis tonight to find out who Randy Orton was talking to on the phone. And color me surprised, it was Pat McAfee. That’s like if Scott Hall and Kevin Nash talked about the third man in the nWo, and instead of Hulk Hogan, it was Disco Inferno,” Rhodes said.
He then took shots at McAfee. Cody Rhodes called him names like a “grifter,” “Logan Paul without muscles,” and even a “human hat rack.” The promo felt very real as it reflected what the WWE fans actually felt after the reveal.
Rhodes also took a shot at WWE management. He joked about going too far and asked if they would fire him again, referencing his past exit from the company. He also recalled Stephanie McMahon’s advice to him on RAW and ended by saying the “voices in his head” are getting louder, which was a hint at a darker side to his character.
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