Cody Rhodes Says He’s Trying to Make His Ring Gear Sexier by Drawing Attention to His Butt

Cody Rhodes has made his most pointed comments yet about Pat McAfee’s sudden insertion into the WrestleMania 42 main event storyline — and while he stopped short of attacking McAfee directly, the message he delivered on Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast was unmistakably clear. Rhodes is concerned about the lack of pushback surrounding McAfee’s orbit, and he is not shy about saying so publicly with WrestleMania 42 now days away.

“What I would say is right now what I’ve seen is everyone around Pat McAfee — his orbit — probably someone needs to say no every now and then. That seems like a dangerous group of people. You need that one guy in the room to be like, ‘I don’t know, man.’ Jumping into the WrestleMania main event — also while I was getting my ass kicked in the ring the other night, looking up and he’s wearing shades. Like he put the shades on to go out there. It’s a different era of wrestling,” Rhodes said.

The sunglasses detail is a small but revealing observation. Rhodes was in the middle of absorbing a significant beatdown during a major WrestleMania angle, and the image of McAfee accessorizing for the moment clearly registered as emblematic of a broader dynamic that concerns him — that the people around McAfee are optimizing for style and attention rather than ensuring the storytelling around him is properly stress-tested.

Cody Rhodes’ McAfee Comments Come After Reports of an Unscripted Promo and Mixed Backstage Reaction to His Role

Rhodes’ public comments add another significant layer to a situation that has been generating discussion both on television and behind the scenes since McAfee’s surprise return on the April 3 SmackDown. Reports have indicated that parts of McAfee’s promo that night did not follow the original script, and Fightful Select subsequently reported that the internal reaction to his involvement was mixed, with several WWE talent feeling the Rhodes versus Orton story did not need the additional element.

Rhodes framing the issue as being about McAfee’s “orbit” rather than McAfee himself is a careful but pointed distinction. He is not questioning McAfee’s talent or personality — he is questioning whether the people positioned around him are providing honest counsel rather than simply enabling an escalating role because of the connections and platform McAfee brings. The implicit concern is that nobody in the room with influence is willing to pump the brakes when things move too fast.

With WrestleMania 42 Night One less than a week away at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18, Rhodes’ comments ensure that the McAfee dimension of the Undisputed WWE Championship match will remain a central talking point right up until the bell rings. Whether the Show of Shows ultimately vindicates or complicates the creative decision to bring McAfee in remains the defining question of what has become one of WrestleMania season’s most debated storyline additions.