Cody Rhodes’ SmackDown Promo Was Instructed to Be a Shoot

Cody Rhodes’ emotional and unfiltered promo on the April 3 SmackDown — where he addressed Pat McAfee’s reveal as Randy Orton’s mystery caller and teased heading to a darker place heading into WrestleMania 42 — was not a scripted promo in the traditional sense. According to Bodyslam, Rhodes was specifically instructed to make the promo a shoot and deliver it “from the hip.”

The directive explains why the segment carried a noticeably different energy than a typical championship promo. Rhodes’ candid delivery, his reference to hearing voices in his head, and his admission that he doesn’t know if he knows how to be a bad guy anymore all landed with a rawness that felt distinctly unpolished in the best possible way.

Rhodes’ Shoot Promo Adds Extra Meaning to His WrestleMania 42 Championship Build Against Randy Orton

The decision to let Rhodes speak freely rather than follow a script reflects a level of creative trust from WWE in their Undisputed Champion heading into the biggest show of the year. With WrestleMania 42 now just two weeks away at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18 and 19, allowing Rhodes to speak from a genuine emotional place rather than a written page gives his character authentic momentum heading into his championship defense against Orton. The combination of the McAfee reveal and Rhodes’ unscripted response made for one of the more compelling SmackDown closing stretches of the entire WrestleMania season.