As previously reported, Pat McAfee was kept hidden during last Friday night's WWE SmackDown before his surprise reveal. His inclusion was directed by TKO executives, particularly Ari Emanuel, likely to boost ticket sales for WrestleMania 41. It was also reported that Cody Rhodes was unhappy about what appeared to be a last-minute addition to the show, and he was instructed to deliver an improvised promo that had not been planned beforehand.
According to BodySlam+, this indicates that McAfee's appearance and the segment itself were not sudden changes. Although it was the TKO executives who requested it, sources suggest that there had been a plan for McAfee to be the mystery person on the other end of Randy Orton’s phone calls since at least the Elimination Chamber event. The report also noted that his promo was unscripted, which contributed to Rhodes’ response being partially improvised as well.
Dave Meltzer previously reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the identity of the mystery person—who turned out to be McAfee—was known only at the highest levels and was kept a closely guarded secret. Although there was speculation that it could be The Rock, sources denied this possibility, with Meltzer even suggesting that the denials might be a form of misdirection.
