For the second year in a row, Cody Rhodes is made to look like a fool.<\/p>\n
Beginning at Elimination Chamber in 2025, The Rock, John Cena, and rapper Travis Scott wiped the mat with Rhodes as Cena turned heel. That set up a match at WrestleMania 41 between Rhodes and Cena, presumably backed by Rock and Scott.<\/p>\n
Instead, Rhodes was left holding the bag \u2014 and his pearls \u2014 when The Rock was a no-show. He lost the Undisputed WWE Championship unceremoniously at Mania after Cena capitalized on interference by Scott, kicking Rhodes in the yams to win the title.<\/p>\n
When it was over, Rhodes sat dejected with egg on his face after one of the most critically panned main events in WrestleMania history.<\/p>\n
Now, just two weeks before this year\u2019s extravaganza, Rhodes finds himself in a tough spot. The audience is turning on him, and WWE is leaning into it.<\/p>\n
Oh, but not by turning him heel, at least not directly. No, that would be too easy.<\/p>\n
Instead, they recruited Pat McAfee to side with Randy Orton<\/a>, Rhodes\u2019 opponent for this year\u2019s Mania.<\/p>\n The reason? McAfee and Orton are on a mission to save the business from Rhodes, whom McAfee blamed the company\u2019s creative and commercial woes on, while accusing Rhodes of representing everything McAfee and the fans hate.<\/p>\n Allegedly, the call to install McAfee into Rhodes\u2019 Mania storyline may have come from WWE\u2019s parent company<\/a>, TKO, and its corporate overlord Ari Emanuel.<\/p>\n Emanuel, who represents McAfee.<\/p>\n Emanuel, who\u2019s tight with The Rock<\/a> \u2014 the man Emanuel called to boost ticket sales for 2025\u2019s Chamber show, according to Dwayne \u2014 whose absence torpedoed last year\u2019s WrestleMania, then explained said absence on Pat McAfee\u2019s show<\/a>.<\/p>\n More context: this is the same Rock who cleared his Hollywood schedule to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania XL, only for creative head Paul Levesque to push Rhodes in that spot.<\/p>\n