As seen during the January 9th 2026 edition of WWE SmackDown, Cody Rhodes defended the Undisputed WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre in a Three Stages of Hell match that main evented the show, and Drew McIntyre ended up winning the title after Jacob Fatu returned and interfered in the match.
According to Bodyslam+, Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre pitched for the title change on SmackDown like they did around the WrestlePalooza premium live event last year. According to the report WWE decided that the time was right and they moved forward.
McIntyre is set to defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against the winner of a Fatal Four-Way match at Saturday Night’s Main Event. The winner of that bout will challenge McIntyre at the Royal Rumble on January 31 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
