Cody Rhodes defeated Drew McIntyre on the March 6, 2026 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown to win back the Undisputed WWE Championship at a pivotol moment on The Road to WrestleMania 42.
How did this go down tonight, what led to this, and what could be on the horizon? Let's break it all down!
How We Got Here:
Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre have been in a feud for many months, but it took a significant turn on January 9th when they fought in a Three Stages of Hell match in Berlin. During the final stretch of that, which was a cage match, Jacob Fatu interfered and inadvertently distracted Rhodes for a long enough time frame that McIntyre was able to escape the cage and win the title by the skin of his teeth.
Part of the stipulation behind their match was that Rhodes would not be granted an automatic rematch and would have to earn it, but in future opportunities to secure that match, McIntyre continued to interfere and cost The American Nightmare a victory. The most recent example was Elimination Chamber, wherein Randy Orton won after capitalizing on McIntyre attacking Rhodes. This prompted SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis to toss out the previous agreement and award Rhodes a match out of spite for McIntyre's actions.
Match Details:
Referee Charles Robinson was taken out during this match when McIntyre got out of the way, causing Rhodes to knock into him. When another referee came out, he was eventually knocked out purposely by McIntyre, who had grown frustrated.
McIntyre was about to resort to using a steel chair, but Jacob Fatu interfered to pull it away from him, making things a fair fight once more. Eventually, Rhodes was able to hit the Cross Rhodes and score the pinfall to become a three-time champion.
Personal Reactions & What Happens Next?:
This means Cody Rhodes will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton on The Grandest Stage of Them All. Given their history together, this is a must-do feud to cross off the list for Cody as champion. The Viper could actually win the belt for his fifteenth time, too, which will be interesting. Who wins, the master mentor or the prized pupil? In the meantime, McIntyre will obviously be involved in some sort of gimmick match with Jacob Fatu, but that has yet to be announced or confirmed in any way. It's a shame McIntyre can't also share the spotlight as much, but it's a good thing he got another title reign out of this, even if it was a relatively short one, and he will undoubtedly have a fun match with Fatu.
Tell us what you think about this title change by leaving a comment below! Who do you think will be the next in line to challenge for the title, or possibly even win the belt next? Keep the discussion going!