Pat McAfee stirred things up ahead of WrestleMania, trolling fans hard during WWE World.

A “huge surprise” countdown played on screens at the convention Friday, getting the crowd buzzing. But when it hit zero, it wasn’t a debut or crossover it was McAfee’s show. He immediately mocked the audience for buying into the hype, taking shots at anyone expecting a major reveal or even an AEW name to show up.

“Surprise, nerds,” McAfee shouted. “The surprise that you thought was maybe going to be your favorite wrestler of all time. Maybe somebody from AEW was going to sign with WWE at WrestleMania and you marks were going to get zipper burn all over yourself. Instead, well, well, well, Pat McAfee is smarter than all of you dumb marks yet again.”

McAfee wasn’t even in Las Vegas at the time, but said he’d be there for SmackDown later that night, adding another jab by claiming he could already smell the fans from wherever he was.

His current run took shape two weeks ago when he returned to WWE TV and aligned himself with Randy Orton, fully leaning into a heel role. McAfee has framed himself as someone looking to “save the business” by helping Orton climb back to the top.

That continues at WrestleMania 42, where McAfee is set to be in Orton’s corner as he challenges Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship in the night one main event.

Despite some fan backlash to his involvement, Paul “Triple H” Levesque told ESPN that McAfee generating buzz is ultimately a positive heading into WrestleMania.

McAfee has also raised the stakes, vowing to walk away from WWE for good if Orton fails to win on Saturday.

SURPRISE MARKS

YOU SHOULD ALL BE THANKING ME AND RANDY ORTON #PMSLive https://t.co/SwyPYVtQvr pic.twitter.com/HGC2X1Xw4a

, Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 17, 2026