The landscape of WWE has drastically changed on the road to Las Vegas. In the monumental main event of Friday Night SmackDown, Cody Rhodes successfully defeated Drew McIntyre to become a three-time WWE Champion, securing his spot in the main event of WrestleMania 42 in the process.
Chaos and Interference Lead to a Title Change
The championship bout was a chaotic affair, born out of McIntyre costing Rhodes an Elimination Chamber victory the previous weekend. The match featured intense physicality and a dramatic referee bump that necessitated a second official running down to the ring. The turning point occurred when a desperate McIntyre laid out the replacement referee with a vicious headbutt following a nearfall.
McIntyre then retrieved a steel chair from ringside, intending to use it on the challenger. However, the returning Jacob Fatu suddenly emerged from the crowd, physically yanking the weapon away from the champion. This crucial distraction allowed Rhodes time to recover. “The American Nightmare” quickly capitalized, hitting a springboard Super Cutter followed by his signature Cross Rhodes to secure the pinfall and the championship gold.
With the victory, Rhodes is now officially scheduled to defend the WWE Championship against his former mentor, Randy Orton, at WrestleMania 42 next month. Orton reacted immediately to the title change on social media, posting a video of himself intensely watching Rhodes celebrate his victory. The two men are scheduled for an official contract signing on next week’s episode of SmackDown to finalize their Las Vegas showdown.