Triple H WWE

WWE Reportedly Looking to Rework Top WrestleMania Storyline

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI | By Matt Black | Last updated Apr 9, 2026 7:00 PM ET

It appears Triple H is looking to pivot one of the company's top WrestleMania storylines heading into SmackDown this week.

After weeks of speculation, it was revealed on last Friday's episode of WWE SmackDown that Pat McAfee has been the man on the phone with Randy Orton in recent weeks, encouraging his heel behavior ahead of his match with Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship at the 'Showcase at the Immortals.'

The reaction to the reveal and McAfee's supposedly unscripted promo wasn't well received by the WWE Universe or by people in the back. This resulted in Cody Rhodes taking reportedly unscripted shots at McAfee later in the show. World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk would follow up with some shots of his own 72 hours later on Raw.

WWE

WWE is reportedly reworking the Cody Rhodes/Randy Orton/Pat McAfee storyline ahead of WrestleMania

On the latest episode of WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, it was revealed that WWE has reportedly "reworked" the plans for this Friday's episode of SmackDown, which is set to feature the return of Pat McAfee following negative fan reaction to his interactions with Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.

Last Friday's reaction was so bad that WWE has reportedly gone back to the drawing board on storyline possibilities for this WrestleMania match, including potential involvement from Grammy Award winning artist Jelly Roll.

CM Punk's comments towards McAfee on Raw are said to be an indicator of things shifting within the storyline backstage in WWE, as his comments were not part of the company's plans as of the reveal last Friday night.

Can WWE salvage the mess that Pat McAfee created last week on SmackDown?

WWE

WWE had a lot of fan interest in Randy Orton's mystery caller heading into last week's episode of SmackDown. But after the Pat McAfee reveal, things shifted, and fans quickly soured on the build to the night one main event of WrestleMania 42.

Next weekend is WrestleMania, so WWE only has one real opportunity to get the fans back on board with this storyline, and that is tomorrow night on SmackDown. This will be a huge test for Triple H and the current creative regime to right the ship after unneeded involvement from Ari Emanuel and TKO for the third year in a row.

Whether it's a reveal that Randy Orton has been speaking to more than just Pat McAfee, or McAfee is taken out by Cody Rhodes before we even get to the Showcase of the Immortals, it's clear something needs to shift in a big way Friday night when SmackDown rolls through San Jose.

This article first appeared on Wrestling on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: