WWE SmackDown Results & Reactions: Pat McAfee Hijacks the Road to WrestleMania 42

If you had “Pat McAfee ruins a blood feud” on your WrestleMania 42 bingo card, please report to the nearest casino immediately because you are legally clairvoyant.

Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown rolled into the Enterprise Center in St. Louis with a relatively simple mission: keep the momentum going for the biggest show of the year. Instead, we got a masterclass in corporate synergy gone wrong, a hilarious referee cramp, and a reminder that Cody Rhodes is absolutely bulletproof on the microphone.

Let’s break down the chaos, the comedy, and the downright confusing moments from a SmackDown that left me staring at my television in sheer disbelief.

Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and… Pat McAfee on Smackdown? Really?

For weeks, WWE has been teasing a mysterious voice in Randy Orton’s ear. The man pulling the strings. The devil on the shoulder of “The Viper,” urging him to embrace his darkest instincts to dethrone Cody Rhodes. Fans were tossing out legendary names. Could it be Ric Flair? Cowboy Bob Orton? A returning Shane McMahon?Nope. It was Pat McAfee.

I legitimately groaned at my screen. Orton had his hometown St. Louis crowd eating out of the palm of his hand, cutting a phenomenal, tension-laced promo on Smackdown. Rhodes marched down to the ring, no pyro, straight business. They started throwing hands. And then, out of absolutely nowhere, McAfee slid into the ring, wearing an Orton shirt, and delivered a ruthless low blow to the Undisputed WWE Champion.

McAfee then grabbed a mic and cut a promo that made the Orton-Rhodes storyline take a sharp, jarring turn. His speech, sounding like a corporate attempt to generate headlines and boost ESPN ratings, shifted the focus away from the personal rivalry. Suddenly, the drama centered on McAfee questioning the “good of the business” and declaring things too lenient. The audience’s confusion was palpable. Rather than enhancing the two-decade blood feud, McAfee’s involvement injected a celebrity element that undercut the main event vibe, making the program feel forced and out of sync.

Cody Rhodes Drops a Nuclear Mic Drop

Thankfully, Cody Rhodes is a professional cleanup hitter. Later on Smackdown, Rhodes hit the ring, visibly infuriated, and completely dismantled the McAfee reveal.

Rhodes compared Pat McAfee’s alliance with Orton to the nWo bringing in Disco Inferno instead of Hulk Hogan to be the third man. I genuinely laughed out loud. It was sharp, incredibly self-aware, and exactly what the frustrated audience needed to hear. He even threw in a veiled shot at his AEW departure, daring WWE to fire him again and asking how that worked out for them the last time.

While the McAfee twist was a massive swing and a miss, Cody’s fiery response almost made the misery worth it. Almost.

Sami Zayn’s Shady US Title Defense

Over in the United States Championship picture on Smackdown, things are getting delightfully murky. Sami Zayn defended his title in a rematch against Carmelo Hayes, and the in-ring action was easily the match of the night. Hayes is a freakish athlete, soaring around the ring and selling a tweaked knee to absolute perfection.

The finish, however, raised some serious eyebrows. With the referee checking on Hayes’ seemingly injured knee in the corner, Zayn decided he didn’t care about sportsmanship. He capitalized on the distraction, charging in with a brutal Helluva Kick to secure the pin.

The crowd relentlessly booed Zayn, chanting “Sami sucks” throughout the match. Zayn operating as a desperate, cornered champion who will take cheap shots to keep his belt is a fascinating wrinkle. Add in Trick Williams (accompanied by rapper Lil Yachty) laying Zayn out with a Trick Shot post-match, and the WrestleMania title picture is heating up nicely.

Danhausen Hexes the Tag Team Titles (In the Best Way Possible)

Pro wrestling is a bizarre art form. Sometimes, a serious heavyweight title angle falls completely flat, but a vampire cursing a referee is pure cinematic gold.

Damian Priest and R-Truth defended their tag titles against The Miz and Kit Wilson. Before the match, the very evil, very entertaining Danhausen tried to offer his services to the challengers. Miz screamed at him to leave. Big mistake.

In the climax of the match, Danhausen magically appeared, accidentally cursing the referee after Miz pulled the poor official into the line of fire. Moments later, Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale on Truth and went for the cover. One, two… and the referee’s hand aggressively cramped up. He couldn’t make the three-count. He was just writhing in pain, holding his hand. Priest immediately recovered, hit South of Heaven, and the cursed ref made the final count with his good hand.It was ridiculous, stupid, and undeniably brilliant.

Final Thoughts on the Road to Vegas

This week’s SmackDown brought standout matches and memorable comedy from Truth, Priest, and Danhausen. But injecting Pat McAfee and Lil Yachty into top WrestleMania storylines for viral moments feels forced, and it’s a disgrace to a company I love. Let the wrestlers and their stories shine.