Cody Rhodes and Pat McAfee recently broke character and reunited publicly at Disney’s 2026 Upfront event in New York City.
Before WrestleMania 42, Rhodes was involved in a feud with Randy Orton. The storyline took a controversial turn when McAfee was revealed as Orton’s mystery caller.
McAfee turned heel and even attacked ‘The American Nightmare’ several times. Rhodes also destroyed McAfee’s studio set, with both going back and forth in promos and online.
However, that’s all in the rearview mirror. The duo was seen sitting side-by-side just weeks after their heated WrestleMania 42 feud. The appearance marked a break from kayfabe as WWE promoted its new streaming partnership with ESPN and Disney+.
The WWE Champion and the former NFL star attended an ESPN College GameDay-style panel together, despite their recent on-screen rivalry. Rhodes later posted photos from the event on his social media.
WWE and Disney Partnership
The appearance was part of Disney’s presentation to advertisers after WWE announced its major new deal with ESPN and Disney+. As per reports, the five-year, $1.6 billion agreement will bring WWE Premium Live Events exclusively to ESPN platforms.