Randy Orton ultimately left WWE WrestleMania 42 bloodied and without the Undisputed WWE Championship in his grasp. At one point, though, WWE reportedly did arrange for him to walk out of the premium live event with it.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE’s change in plans came as a result of broadcaster Pat McAfee opting out of the storyline, which was set to extend through a tag team match at WWE Backlash on May 9. There, Orton, as the new Undisputed WWE Champion, would have partnered with McAfee to take on Rhodes and Grammy-award winning singer Jelly Roll.
Those within WWE reportedly believe that McAfee asked to end his heel turn early due to the negativity surrounding the storyline, which paired him with Orton on a mission to “save the wrestling business” during the lead-up to WrestleMania 42. WON noted that the heat McAfee attracted as a heel wasn’t an issue for him, but rather the criticism aimed at his on-screen work from both fans and WWE talents was.
Rhodes himself compared McAfee to the clown featured alongside a group of soldiers in a popular meme. In the eyes of former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest, McAfee’s involvement in the Orton-Rhodes program simply “suck[ed].”
WON indicated that the decision for Rhodes to defeat Orton at WrestleMania was made official sometime prior to WrestleMania night one, where the former Legacy members battled each other in the main event. In the final scene, Orton dropped McAfee with an RKO, allowing Rhodes to then blindside Orton with a Cross Rhodes to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Read the full article here
