On the April 3 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown, Pat McAfee was revealed as the mystery backer for Randy Orton in his feud with Cody Rhodes.
With Orton set to challenge Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42, it sets the stage for McAfee to play an instrumental role in this matchup and could see someone else step in to join this alliance.
Whether it be former friends and tag team partners of the two men or a rival-turned-ally, this McAfee and Orton alliance could add another important figure to their group on ‘The Grandest Stage of Them All.’
Here are seven WWE stars to potentially join Pat McAfee and Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42.
7. Aleister Black
Ahead of WWE Elimination Chamber 2026, Randy Orton had started a storyline with Aleister Black that saw the two stars interacting with one another in the ring and backstage.
While Orton picked up a win in a triple threat to qualify for the Chamber, it was Black who got an upset win over ‘The Viper’ in singles competition.
Backstage, Black and his wife Zelina tried to make Orton embrace his dark impulses, which subsequently led to his heel turn on Cody Rhodes after making their WrestleMania 42 main event official.
After being seen watching the latest backstage interactions around his feud with Cody Rhodes, Black could emerge as a new ally to Orton and Pat McAfee when the lights are the brightest at WrestleMania 42.
6. Jade Cargill
At WrestleMania 42, Jade Cargill will defend the WWE Women’s Championship against Rhea Ripley.
While Cargill has started her own group alongside Michin and B-Fab ahead of Mania, she could see the benefit of aligning herself with Randy Orton and Pat McAfee.
With McAfee and Orton looking to save the business, they could see Cargill as a major asset for their mission.
Wanting to bring arguably the biggest female star into their ranks, Orton and McAfee should look no further than Jade Cargill at ‘The Showcase of the Immortals.’
5. Sami Zayn
Heading into WrestleMania 42, the tide has turned in regards to the crowd reactions for Sami Zayn.
On the March 27 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Zayn defeated Carmelo Hayes to win the United States Championship.
This has led to Sami getting booed every time he appears since then, while his Mania opponent Trick Williams gets showered with cheers from the WWE Universe.
With all signs pointing to a double turn, Zayn could align himself with Pat McAfee and Randy Orton to guarantee he walks out of Mania still the US Champion.
4. Trick Williams
Speaking of Sami Zayn, his WrestleMania 42 opponent Trick Williams has been riding a wave of momentum ever since being called up to the WWE main roster.
Williams has displayed all the traits that made him a must watch talent on WWE NXT with his unmatched charisma, impressive mic skills and underrated in-ring ability.
Considering he could walk out of Mania as the new United States Champion, Pat McAfee and Randy Orton could see Trick as a “can’t miss” prospect.
Williams joining forces with McAfee and Orton could guarantee his rapid rise up the ranks moving forward following WrestleMania 42.
3. Drew McIntyre
At one point, Drew McIntyre looked like he was about to walk into WrestleMania 42 as the Undisputed WWE Champion.
However, Cody Rhodes defeated McIntyre to win the title on the March 6 episode of Friday Night SmackDown thanks to an assist from Jacob Fatu.
Now at Mania, McIntyre will face Fatu in an Unsanctioned Match. After ‘The Scottish Warrior’ takes care of ‘The Samoan Werewolf,’ he could seek revenge on Rhodes.
Aligning himself with Pat McAfee and Randy Orton, McIntyre could help ‘The Legend Killer’ win his 15th world title against ‘The American Nightmare’ at ‘The Show of Shows.’
2. Brock Lesnar
Another WWE star who will have a huge matchup at WrestleMania 42 is Brock Lesnar.
‘The Beast Incarnate’ will go one-on-one with Oba Femi in a battle of behemoths. While they match up well, Lesnar may need some help to overcome the threat that ‘The Ruler’ offers him.
Paul Heyman could see this alliance of Randy Orton and Pat McAfee as a duo who could help Brock, while Lesnar could assist them in capturing the Undisputed WWE Championship.
An alliance between McAfee, Orton and Lesnar could be unstoppable and lead to this trio getting their spot at the mountaintop of WWE coming out of ‘The Showcase of the Immortals.’
1. The Rock
Before Pat McAfee was revealed as the Randy Orton mystery caller, many fans believed it would be The Rock.
‘The Final Boss’ has played a pivotal role in the road to WrestleMania over the past two years in his rivalry with Cody Rhodes.
It just makes a ton of sense with TKO bringing in Pat McAfee for this storyline if The Rock was behind this alliance with Randy Orton that is looking to take down Rhodes.
The Rock returning to align with McAfee and Orton would be a compelling twist in this storyline at Mania.
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