Corey Graves Offers Thoughts On Backlash To Pat McAfee & Jelly Roll’s Involvement In Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton WWE Storyline

Graves’ take on the situation.

The lead-up to Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 42 and the match itself featured involvement from Pat McAfee and Grammy Award-winning music artist Jelly Roll.

McAfee was introduced as Orton’s on-screen manager, and Jelly Roll was there to offset McAfee. There was fan backlash to McAfee and Jelly’s involvement, and that was discussed by WWE commentator Corey Graves during his chat with Bill Apter.

Graves thinks if their involvement was in a different match, the reception would have been different. He added that it may not have felt inorganic if they were included months before WrestleMania. Graves contrasted it to rapper, songwriter, and producer Lil Yachty being paired with United States Champion Trick Williams and said they fit like a glove.

“I truly believe it was the timing of it. I think if there had been a little bit more time to work with and again, I don’t know — there are decisions made far above my pay grade. I don’t know the ins and outs and truthfully, I don’t care to these days. But I think if there had been a little bit more time and maybe it had been in a different match. I mean, obviously, WrestleMania and celebrities have been synonymous since the beginning, and I think Pat (McAfee) and Jelly Roll caught a few strays. I think it was just a matter of people have been waiting for Cody (Rhodes) and Randy (Orton) for so long and they wanted to see that story told and unfold organically, and you get these other players that don’t necessarily fit. You get a couple square pegs in round holes. I think that was the biggest problem. I don’t think it was that anybody didn’t wanna see Pat or that anybody was upset that Jelly was involved. I think it was in that particular circumstance. But again, it was what it was, and I think they did a fantastic job with what the circumstance was. I think Randy and Cody, two of the best in the business of all time and they delivered a WrestleMania-worthy main event. I thought it was fantastic. Again, I understand the skepticism, I understand the confusion. I truly believe that had this begun back at Royal Rumble or at Elimination Chamber, or there had been a little bit more runway, it wouldn’t have felt so inorganic and I think that’s what sort of caused the backlash. I think you could have put anybody in that position and it would have had the same result. It wasn’t a Pat thing, it wasn’t a Jelly Roll thing. I think you could have put Jason Mamoa in there and someone would be like, what’s he doing here? He doesn’t belong here. On the other hand, you’ve got Lil Yachty, who comes from the world of Hip Hop, and he has fit like a glove in the Trick Williams presentation. He, to me, Lil Yachty — and I only know who he is because my kids are fans —  he makes Trick Williams a bigger star, and nobody has a problem with that. He fits in that role…”

After WrestleMania, Pat McAfee gave his farewell to the wrestling business.

If the quote in this article is used, please credit Bill Apter with an H/T to Fightful for the transcription.