The rivalry between Cody Rhodes and Pat McAfee was a major part of WWE heading into WrestleMania 42, but the two recently appeared together publicly in a surprising reunion.
For wrestling fans, though, seeing Rhodes and McAfee together felt like a break from kayfabe. Before WrestleMania 42, the WWE Champion was locked in a personal feud with Randy Orton. The storyline took a controversial turn when McAfee was revealed as Orton’s mystery caller as part of an angle connected to WWE and ESPN’s partnership.
McAfee turned heel and attacked Rhodes multiple times. The WWE Champion also destroyed McAfee’s studio set. Both went back and forth in promos and online as well. However, despite all the hype, many fans criticized the NFL legend’s involvement. Many felt it distracted from the emotional rivalry between Rhodes and Orton.
At WrestleMania 42, Pat McAfee appeared to help Randy Orton, but the Viper, true to his nature suddenly turned on McAfee and hit him with an RKO.
Now, a few weeks later, Cody Rhodes and McAfee are sitting side-by-side.
Cody Rhodes shares photos from WWE’s Disney and ESPN appearance
Rhodes and McAfee both attended Disney’s 2026 Upfront event in New York City, where WWE and ESPN promoted their new streaming partnership. The WWE Champion was sitting right next to McAfee during an ESPN College GameDay-style panel, despite their heated past.
The appearance happened as part of Disney’s presentation to advertisers after WWE announced its major new deal with ESPN and Disney+. The reported five-year, $1.6 billion agreement will bring WWE PLEs exclusively to ESPN platforms.
Rhodes later posted photos from the event on social media.
While WWE TV presented them as enemies, their reunion represented a bigger goal. Unlike old times, WWE was more focused on the Disney Upfront event and promoting the company’s future rather than continuing kayfabe grudges.
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