Cody Rhodes destroys Pat McAfee ESPN set in CCTV footage as WrestleMania 42 storyline fails to impress fans

The set of The Pat McAfee Show looked completely wrecked when the show went live on Wednesday on ESPN. Chairs were broken, screens were damaged, and parts of the set were scattered around.

At first, viewers were confused. There was no clear explanation, and the camera slowly showed more of the mess.Then Pat McAfee played CCTV footage. In the clip, Cody Rhodes was seen walking through the set with a baseball bat, hitting anything in front of him. McAfee explained it as revenge after he “stole” Rhodes’s WWE title during a recent SmackDown segment. The moment quickly spread online and became part of the build-up to WrestleMania weekend.

Pat McAfee and Cody Rhodes storyline builds heat before Randy Orton title match at WrestleMania 42

This whole scene is part of WWE’s ongoing storyline ahead of WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas. Pat McAfee is set to be in the corner of Randy Orton, who will face Cody Rhodes in a major title match. At the same time, singer Jelly Roll is expected to support Rhodes during the match.The partnership between WWE and ESPN is clearly being pushed strongly, especially with WrestleMania now streaming on the ESPN app. This crossover moment on McAfee’s show is one way they are trying to bring more attention to the event.

Still, not everyone liked how it was done. Many fans reacted strongly on social media after watching the clip. One user wrote, “They are trying so hard to get us to care. News flash, we don’t.” Another said, “This is actually pathetic. Why are you in this storyline? Is WWE Creative so bad that they would ruin a good match like this?”There were also comments about the CCTV footage itself. One fan posted, “Criminally cheesy attempt at security footage.”

Some viewers felt the scene looked too scripted and did not feel real.Even with the criticism, big events like WrestleMania usually attract huge audiences. The mix of sports entertainment, celebrity involvement, and dramatic storylines continues to bring attention. Whether fans liked this segment or not, it has already done one thing and people are talking about it.