Pat McAfee Reportedly ‘Opted Out’ of Cody Rhodes-Randy Orton Storyline Due to Fan Backlash

Pat McAfee’s involvement in the feud between Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton led to immense backlash from fans and industry veterans, so much so that the ESPN host reportedly opted to distance himself from the storyline.

McAfee was reportedly set to team up with Orton to take on Cody and Jelly Roll at Backlash. However, with Orton turning on Pat during the WrestleMania 42 Night One main event and ultimately losing the bout, the pre-match stipulation dictated that the RAW commentator quit the wrestling business.

Pat bid adieu to the world of wrestling earlier this week, admitting that the business doesn’t need saving and confirming that he is officially out of the storyline. In the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer claimed that it was McAfee’s call to exit the storyline due to immense backlash from fans.

Meltzer added that both Jelly Roll and Pat McAfee realized there was an overwhelming negative sentiment around their involvement and hence decided to opt out. He stated the following (via F4WOnline.com):

“With the Pat McAfee thing, he opted out, so that’s what actually led to everything changing. That’s why the tag match from Backlash was taken off. Orton and McAfee against Jelly Roll and Cody Rhodes, which Cody Rhodes may not be okay for Backlash anyway, you know, with that eye.

“They were very cognizant of what has been said about celebrities in wrestling, and both of them love wrestling, and I think that they realized that there was a lot of negative sentiment about it. And they listened and they understood, and I think they saw the fan side of it. And I think that that’s what led to this. I was told that the belief was that it was due to the reaction that he pulled out. It wasn’t like anything else.”

Meanwhile, Jelly Roll, who sent Pat McAfee crashing through a table with an Elbow Drop at WrestleMania, sent a message to the ESPN host yesterday via a YouTube vlog, admitting that neither man had any business being around the WrestleMania main event and that they should focus on things they are good at (see below).