According to a report by PWinsider.com, WWE originally had far more sinister plans for Randy Orton heading into WrestleMania 42. The scrapped storyline featured Aleister Black psychologically tormenting the veteran in an attempt to awaken his long-dormant “Apex Predator” persona. However, those darker creative ideas were obviously abandoned in favor of a partnership with Pat McAfee, which was not well-received by fans.
“The role would have involved Aleister Black tormenting Orton, trying to bring out the old Apex Predator version of Orton. The idea was that if Black succeeded, it would prove Orton had never changed or evolved and was still the old Orton deep inside.” – PWInsider.com
At WrestleMania 42, Pat McAfee stood in Randy Orton’s corner for the Undisputed WWE Championship match against Cody Rhodes. Still, after Orton failed to capture the title, Orton shockingly turned on his ally, delivering an RKO that appeared to write the former NFL player off television. McAfee’s brief 2026 return as Orton’s advisor was apparently heavily influenced by corporate ties between WWE/TKO and ESPN, who felt the retired NFL players’ involvement would attract more eyeballs.
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