Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes to headline Night 1; Becky Lynch vs AJ Lee rematch planned for WWE WrestleMania 42 - Report

Cody Rhodes is one step closer to headlining WrestleMania.

After winning the Elimination Chamber Qualifying match on last week’s SmackDown, ‘The American Nightmare’ Cody Rhodes is one step closer to securing the rematch and recapturing the Undisputed WWE title.

Rhodes is aiming to win the men’s Chamber match after falling short in the men’s Royal Rumble, partly because of the man he’s pursuing: Undisputed WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.

While some fans have criticized the promotion for rebooking the match between the two, arguing that the feud has grown stale, WWE has announced only a single match for the 42nd edition of WrestleMania.

On the other hand, new reports suggest the company may be altering its plans due to low ticket sales. A recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has now shed light on both issues.

Cody Rhodes’ path to WrestleMania 42 might not be easy

Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that nearly the entire WrestleMania 42 lineup remains fluid, except for the CM Punk vs Roman Reigns matchup, which was already planned before the Royal Rumble.

That bout is expected (now confirmed) to close out Night Two, while Night One’s top spot is tentatively slated for Drew McIntyre taking on Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship.

Meltzer also highlighted that Rhodes’ journey to WrestleMania may face complications. The promotion is weaving together multiple storylines, including Sami Zayn’s long-running struggle to defeat McIntyre and Jacob Fatu’s involvement with both stars.

While a Triple Threat scenario can’t be ruled out, the current direction suggests two of the three potential challengers may be eliminated before the event. Additionally, Meltzer noted that WWE’s creative team is aiming to keep the Undisputed title buildup unpredictable.

As noted, Rhodes and McIntyre have been feuding since last year and have already clashed in several high-profile encounters, including matches at WrestlePalooza, SNME, and a grueling Three Stages of Hell Match on SmackDown last month, so the company is looking for ways to freshen their rivalry ahead of WrestleMania.

Update on Becky Lynch vs AJ Lee at WrestleMania

Following her return on the February 9 episode of Raw, AJ Lee baited Becky Lynch into defending the Women’s Intercontinental title at the upcoming edition of Elimination Chamber in Chicago. This will be their first singles meeting, after the mixed-tag team match and the WarGames clash last year.

The sudden match announcement created a lot of confusion as many fans were expecting the match to take place at Mania in April. A new report from Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter has now provided an update on this situation.

According to the report, WWE had mapped out a matchup between Becky Lynch and AJ Lee as far back as late January, with the plan for them to collide at Elimination Chamber and then meet again at WrestleMania. Meltzer added that, from a storyline perspective, this progression “ultimately makes sense.”

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