Backstage update on Drew McIntyre's Undisputed WWE title win over Cody Rhodes on SmackDown
(Courtesy : WWE.com)
Drew McIntyre beat Cody Rhodes with a little help in Berlin.
WrestleMania season has been thrown into chaos after Drew McIntyre shockingly defeated Cody Rhodes to win the Undisputed WWE Championship on Friday night’s episode of SmackDown.
The title change, which took place during a grueling Three Stages of Hell Match, has dramatically altered the company’s creative direction just weeks before the Royal Rumble.
Drew McIntyre finally reclaimed the company’s top prize after years of near misses, picking up his first world championship since Elimination Chamber 2021. The match reached its turning point in the steel cage fall, where chaos unfolded around and inside the structure.
Jacob Fatu’s return helps Drew McIntyre to pick up the win
The decisive moment came when Jacob Fatu made his long-awaited return to WWE television. The Samoan Werewolf stormed into the cage, interrupting the match and blindsiding Drew McIntyre in an act that appeared to be retaliation for the backstage attack he suffered last year.
However, the interference quickly spiraled as Jacob Fatu began brawling with Cody Rhodes as well, turning the ring into a chaotic free-for-all. Amid the confusion, McIntyre seized the opening, crawling through the cage door to escape and win the championship.
The finish stunned the Berlin crowd and viewers worldwide, as Rhodes had seemed poised to secure a clear path to his fifth WrestleMania main event in four years. The result instantly reshaped expectations for the Undisputed WWE Championship heading into 2026.
Backstage update on why WWE pulled the trigger
According to a new report from Bodyslam, the major title switch was not simply a creative shock, but a decision pitched directly by the two men involved.
“Sources indicate to Bodyslam that both Rhodes and McIntyre pitched for the title change once again just like they did back around WrestlePalooza,” the report stated.
WWE leadership reportedly agreed that the timing was right and executed the title change in front of what BodySlam described as a “red hot crowd in Berlin.”
This decision comes amid earlier reports that WWE had been considering another WrestleMania rematch between Rhodes and Roman Reigns. While that match could still happen, the championship’s involvement is no longer guaranteed.
Meanwhile, McIntyre already has his first title defense scheduled. WWE announced that a No. 1 Contender’s Tournament, featuring Randy Orton, The Miz, Damian Priest, Solo Sikoa, Matt Cardona, Trick Williams, Sami Zayn, and Ilja Dragunov, begins next week. The winner will face McIntyre at the Royal Rumble on January 31 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
With Rhodes’ immediate direction now uncertain and WrestleMania season approaching rapidly, WWE’s world title picture has become more unpredictable than ever.
Why did WWE decide to put the title on Drew McIntyre?
Both McIntyre and Rhodes reportedly pitched the idea, and WWE agreed the timing was right to generate shock and momentum.
What caused the finish in the Three Stages of Hell Match?
Jacob Fatu returned and attacked both men, creating chaos that allowed McIntyre to escape the cage and win the final fall.
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