Pat McAfee claims his promo on WWE SmackDown wasn't scripted

The latest episode of WWE SmackDown revealed one of the biggest mysteries on this Road to WrestleMania 42 when Pat McAfee appeared by surprise to attack Cody Rhodes and confirm that he was the person Randy Orton had been talking to in recent weeks.

McAfee not only showed a new heel attitude, but also attacked Rhodes and WWE itself for the recent problems the company is going through. This led him to mention the slow ticket sales pace for WrestleMania and even the poor ratings the blue brand show had received the previous week. A promo that, according to McAfee, was completely real.

"Let's see how this goes. Let's see what happens. Don't you think there are multiple layers to all of this? We don't have much time until WrestleMania. We are just a few weeks away from Randy Orton securing his fifteenth world title and saving the business. I think we've started off on the right foot," he said on The Pat McAfee Show.

"There's 20 years of history between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton, and Randy Orton is the best. He walks into a room and everyone thinks, 'That's a WWE superstar. That's a sports entertainer.' I'm glad I had the opportunity to whisper in his ear: 'Now is the time to save the business.' Was there ever a script? No. This is real," he concluded.

The choice of McAfee as the man behind Orton's recent heel turn hasn't completely convinced some fans, who were expecting anyone else related to "The Viper" at some point in his extensive career. Additionally, McAfee has always stood out for his sense of humor and for being a showman on the commentary table. It remains to be seen if this new heel role will work out.