Returning for WrestleMania 42 initially was not part of Pat McAfee's plan. But after a lot of speculation, he made a comeback on WWE SmackDown. With fans still looking for answers behind McAfee's inclusion in the storyline, it's the CEO who made it happen. A Netflix deal is also in the making for McAfee, with the CEO playing a big role.

Multiple reports suggest Pat McAfee’s role in the Randy Orton–Cody Rhodes feud didn’t come from WWE creative or Paul “Triple H” Levesque. It came from higher-ups at TKO Group Holdings, with CEO Ari Emanuel's name catching the most attention.

Emanuel and McAfee have been trending together for quite some time now. The TKO Group co-founder is said to have picked interest in the former Indianapolis star for several acting roles. The fourth season of Tulsa King is coming soon, featuring Sylvester Stallone and a special four-episode arc from McAfee.

At the same time, Netflix is the current favorite to land the famous “The Pat McAfee Show.” Here, too, Manuel plays an important role. According to Blake “Axe” Avignon's reports, Emanuel will be heavily involved in where Pat McAfee speaks next.

The dots are connecting slowly: McAfee is returning to the WWE, and Netflix is being the frontrunner to secure the rights of his podcast and WWE Raw streams on Netflix, where previously McAfee served as a commentator. 

The reason Netflix is in pole position to get the deal done over ESPN is thanks to its push into video podcasts. What strengthens its case even further is its existing partnership with WWE Raw, where McAfee already has a presence as a commentator.

As the deal is still under construction, the match between Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes plays a major factor in this decision. 

How Big Is the Match Between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton for Pat McAfee?

What better timing for McAfee to create hype. The former Indianapolis star continued to shower Randy Orton with praise. McAfee seemed very confident about Orton's performance at WrestleMania 42. So much so, that he made one thing crystal clear.

For McAfee, he will not be a part of professional wrestling if Orton does not win his 15th World Title at WrestleMania. 

"The only “shock” is that @RandyOrton, the greatest Sports Entertainer of all time, isn’t running @WWE," read McAfee's tweet. "That all changes at Mania… When he becomes 15 TIME WORLD CHAMPION AND SAVES THE BUSINESS for future generations while doing so. And if he doesn’t.. I”LL NEVER BE SEEN OR HEARD IN THE WRESTLING WORLD AGAIN.” 

Just a month after saying he was likely done with WWE commentary, Pat McAfee finds himself at the center of the WrestleMania main event. Will Orton give McAfee a reason to return to the wrestling world again?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar