On the April 3 episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown, Pat McAfee was revealed as Randy Orton’s mystery caller in an attack on Cody Rhodes.
After influencing this recent change to Orton, McAfee cut a disparaging promo about Rhodes and the current state of WWE.
With McAfee and Orton now aligned, Rhodes may need to seek out an ally to go against this new duo, who are hellbent on making his life a living hell and take the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42.
Here are eight WWE stars to potentially join Cody Rhodes against Pat McAfee and Randy Orton.
8. Matt Cardona
After his heel turn on Cody Rhodes, there were many WWE stars who were not pleased with Randy Orton.
Among the stars who actually confronted Orton about his betrayal was Matt Cardona, who told “The Viper” what he did was wrong. This led to Orton attacking Cardona backstage.
Following advice from Jelly Roll, Orton feigned an apology and then viciously beat down Cardona, breaking his arm with a steel chair,
Cardona could align with his friend Cody Rhodes to try to take down this new alliance between Orton and Pat McAfee, looking to even the odds after his run-ins with “The Legend Killer.”
7. Jelly Roll
Back at WWE SummerSlam 2025, Jelly Roll made his in-ring debut, teaming with Randy Orton to face Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul.
This tag team match led to a friendship between the two men that has deteriorated in the past several weeks following Orton’s heel turn.
After the country music star tried to talk some sense to “The Viper,” Orton showed how deep he had fallen when he delivered a RKO to Jelly on the March 27 Friday Night SmackDown.
This decision could see Jelly joining forces with Cody Rhodes to counteract this new partnership between Orton and his ally Pat McAfee heading into WrestleMania 42.
6. Sami Zayn
At WWE Royal Rumble 2026, Drew McIntyre defeated Sami Zayn to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Since this loss, Zayn has snapped quite a few times in backstage segments that have seen him usually interacting with his friend Cody Rhodes.
However, Zayn was able to forge his way to a spot on the WrestleMania 42 card by winning the United States Championship from Carmelo Hayes and setting up a bout with Trick Williams.
While he is busy with this rivalry with Trick, Sami could show his true colors and that his friends can rely on him again by helping Rhodes against the combination of Randy Orton and Pat McAfee.
5. Royce Keys
Royce Keys has become a star that has been mentioned over the past few weeks since making his WWE debut at Royal Rumble 2026.
While he had an impressive showing in his first appearance on WWE programming, fans have not seen Keys back on television in the two months since this PLE.
The former Powerhouse Hobbs created a strong friendship with Cody Rhodes during their time together in All Elite Wrestling that has been seen in backstage videos on WWE’s YouTube channel.
Wanting to bring this friendship to WWE TV, Keys could return as an ally to Rhodes against Randy Orton and Pat McAfee, looking to set the former AEW star in the right direction in his new home.
4. Jacob Fatu
On the January 9 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Jacob Fatu made his return after months on the shelf and would go on to inadvertently cost Cody Rhodes the Undisputed WWE Championship.
After this kicked off a feud between the two babyfaces, Fatu redeemed himself by helping Rhodes regain the WWE Title against Drew McIntyre on the March 6 SmackDown.
Now, Fatu is on the road to an Unsanctioned Match against McIntyre at the WrestleMania 42 premium live event.
While he is distracted with McIntyre, Fatu might understand more than anyone the threat that Randy Orton and Pat McAfee offer to WWE and have Cody Rhodes’ back to make sure he holds onto the title for an eventual showdown against one another.
3. Drew McIntyre
Starting in the summer of 2025, Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes went through a months-long rivalry over the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Then on the January 9 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, McIntyre defeated Rhodes in a Three Stages of Hell to win the Undisputed WWE Championship.
During this reign, McIntyre showcased how much the top prize in the company and the promotion itself truly meant to him.
Seeing this new alliance of Randy Orton and Pat McAfee as a threat to the company, McIntyre could put his differences with Rhodes aside to destroy the threat in front of them.
2. CM Punk
It has become clear that the inclusion of Pat McAfee in the Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes rivalry and his comments about the state of WWE have touched a nerve with some in the locker room.
On the April 6 episode of Monday Night Raw, CM Punk called out McAfee and TKO for these comments about low ticket sales for WrestleMania 42.
Calling him Pat “MagaFee” and proclaiming that TKO President Ari Emmanuel should lower ticket prices, Punk once again became “The Voice of the Voiceless” once again.
Punk joining forces with his friend Rhodes to take down the threat that is McAfee and Orton would be fitting and be a force that is worthy of eliminating this new partnership come WrestleMania 42.
1. Kevin Owens
Since Cody Rhodes started on the road to WrestleMania 42 against Randy Orton, many fans have been wondering if an absent WWE star might get involved in this rivalry.
Back in 2024, Kevin Owens joined forces with Rhodes and Orton to combat Solo Sikoa and The New Bloodline.
However, the year did not close out before KO turned on both men and went on a rampage in his quest to win the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Owens making his return to reunite with Rhodes would feel like a full circle moment that could counteract this new alliance with Orton and McAfee at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas.
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