Wade Barrett Surprised by Pat McAfee’s Alliance with Randy Orton

Wade Barrett admitted he was taken aback when Pat McAfee appeared alongside Randy Orton on SmackDown. Barrett said the segment arrived as a surprise to commentary. He and Joe Tess were as surprised as the live audience.

Unexpected SmackDown moment

Barrett described his commentary notes as having a blank section for that segment. He had no advance notice McAfee would appear. Barrett said he did not understand some of McAfee’s barbs or references.

He singled out an odd mention of 40-minute Ironman matches. Barrett said it made him wonder what show McAfee had been watching. Cody Rhodes’s immediate rebuttal, he added, landed well.

Reaction to CM Punk and the wider angle

Barrett praised a CM Punk response on Raw. He called it one of the funniest promos he had seen in years. At the same time, he acknowledged some fans and peers were upset by Punk’s off-script remarks.

Barrett said the back-and-forth made the storyline messy. That mess, he argued, has increased interest.

Blurring fiction and reality

After more than two decades behind the scenes, Barrett said he can no longer tell where reality ends and story begins. He called the situation brilliant for that reason. The uncertainty has generated buzz heading into WrestleMania.

Barrett credited the key players for creating talk around the event. Whether intentional or accidental, he said the controversy has drawn attention.

Road to WrestleMania

The first night of WrestleMania 42 will be topped by a WWE Championship match. Cody Rhodes will face Randy Orton in that main event. The angle involving McAfee, Orton and others has added heat to the build.

Special thanks to Filmogaz.com for the interview material used in this report.