The April 10, 2026, episode of WWE SmackDown featured a wild segment as Pat McAfee took his rivalry with Cody Rhodes to another level and even walked away holding the WWE Championship.
As the episode began, Nick Aldis revealed to the WWE Champion that he had an order from “above” that nobody could lay their hands on McAfee. Jelly Roll, who was also looking for McAfee after what happened to him last week, was also advised not to get involved.
Pat McAfee walks off with the WWE title with Randy Orton after attacking Cody Rhodes
Now, the segment began. McAfee started things in a loud fashion, getting heavy boos from the San Jose crowd. He grabbed a mic and began insulting the city and fans while calling himself WWE’s “hero.” He also took shots at CM Punk, mocking his merch and attitude.
Pat McAfee then claimed he is trying to bring change to WWE. He talked about rising ticket prices and even said he made a deal with RAM Trucks to help fans afford WrestleMania tickets. Most of his praise went to Randy Orton, saying the Viper is the only real reason to watch WrestleMania and predicting he will win his 15th world title.
Things changed when Cody Rhodes came out. He didn’t waste time and called McAfee out, saying he doesn’t belong in WWE. Rhodes mocked him as a “play wrestler” and said he should stay backstage with a fake title.
McAfee fired back, calling Rhodes a “cosplay champion” and taking shots at his background and legacy. He also said that if Orton doesn’t win at WrestleMania, he will leave WWE forever. Rhodes responded with his own insults and even suggested bringing out Gunther to deal with McAfee.
Just when Rhodes was leaving the ring, McAfee fired more personal insults. He called Rhodes an elite runaway artist, reminded him of Stardust, and asked if he was going to “suck Triple H’s ass” for more opportunities. Rhodes lost his cool and rushed back to attack McAfee.
But before things could go further, Orton appeared on the screen and revealed he had attacked Jelly Roll backstage. He dragged Roll onto the stage. Rhodes left the ring to help his friend.
While Rhodes was screaming at McAfee, the Viper attacked him from behind. Then, both Orton and McAfee teamed up and took control of the situation. Rhodes tried to fight back and even knocked Randy Orton down with a lariat, but McAfee hit a cheap shot, allowing Orton to recover and hit a hanging DDT.
McAfee then handed the WWE title to Orton, who used it to hit Rhodes in the face. With Rhodes down, McAfee raised Orton’s hand and then kicked Rhodes one more time. At the end, McAfee picked up the WWE title and walked away with it, along with Orton.
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