WWE Smackdown Gave Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre a Match for the Ages
* Spoilers for Smackdown on the way, so if you don’t want to know stop reading right now*
WWE SmackDown gas folks talking after the volatile Three Stages of Hell match between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre. Berlin played host to the massive event as WWE takes its show on the road for the next few weeks. But, the story here is Drew McIntyre claiming the WWE Undisputed Title against Cody Rhodes in a massive shake-up of the status quo. For weeks, Rhodes and the heel have been at each other’s throats. There was a home invasion where The American Nightmare attacked McIntyre at his house.
Then SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis had to step in and stop the carnage before it got out of hand. Basically, Rhodes would be stripped of the WWE title if he laid a single finger on Drew Mcintyre before their match scheduled for tonight. This stipulation brought out a more vengeful version of the current Champion. However, Mcintyre would ask for a Three Stages of Hell match to settle their long running feud.
McIntyre entered tonight boasting about how he would dethrone The American Nightmare. And, the fact that he actually accomplished this goal had most wrestling social media stunned. Let’s walk you through everything that happened in each of the three matches that led to the title change.
Three Stages of Hell for Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre
Now, Three Stages of Hell Essentially means that there are three separate matches that will take place to decide who walks out of Berlin with the WWE undisputed championship. As the challenger, McIntyre was able to name the three stipulations on each individual match. #1) A standard match, #2) Falls count anywhere match, and #3) A steel cage match to provide a decisive victory.
In the first bout McIntyre ended up prevailing by using underhanded tricks. He is a heel after all. The Scottish warrior delivered a low blow after distracting the referee by exposing the top turnbuckle. From there he delivered a massive boot to Rhodes’s face for the first fall. In the second bout Cody even the odds by battling through physical punishment like being put through a table. The former WWE champion Notched a frog splash to give Mcintyre a taste of his own medicine. A CrossRhodes on the announce desk delivered the tying pinfall
Things got a little screwy in the steel cage for the final bout. Both competitors notched a ton of offense here. Cody Rhodes deployed an exquisite cutter from way up on the cage. But as Mcintyre tried to escape the cage with the title, Jacob Fatu returned from injury. Those two began brawling, and Cody made the critical mistake of interfering with the Samoan werewolf. Fatu’s engagement with the champ allowed Mcintyre to escape with the title as SmackDown went off the air.
Drew McIntyre claims the WWE Title
A moment like this has massive ripple effects throughout the WWE roster. The company is so close to its storied Road to Wrestlemania. And, both title pictures looked as though they were starting to take shape. McIntyre claiming the belt puts A lot of those plans into a blender.
All those rumors about Cody Rhodes versus Roman Reigns part three? Go ahead and put those on ice for the moment. Talk of the American nightmare facing CM Punk for the biggest prize in the sport? Also turns up the volume on those questions. WWE fans of all stripes are wandering about what this means for the biggest event on the wrestling calendar in 2026.
In addition, The Royal Rumble and the Elimination Changer Premium Live events now become even bigger because Cody Rhodes would presumably be competing in them. In a move not too different from Hollywood itself, the swerve ending has provoked all kinds of conversational line. Just like WWE Wanted.
(featured image: WWE)
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