Ripple Effects After Drew McIntyre's Shocking Win vs. Cody Rhodes For WWE Championship
Although it took far longer than it should have, Drew McIntyre is finally a WWE world champion again.
This time, his title win happened in front of a capacity crowd in Berlin, compared to when he originally won it in an empty arena at the dawn of WWE's pandemic period in 2020. He also captured the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XL but was beaten for the belt mere minutes later.
His return to the top of the company was overdue. He previously failed in his efforts to dethrone Cody Rhodes at Wrestlepalooza and Saturday Night's Main Event but managed to secure the strap on SmackDown by besting The American Nightmare in a grueling Three Stages of Hell match, thanks to an inadvertent assist from Jacob Fatu.
More importantly, his shocking victory gives the blue brand a shot in the arm as it not only kicks off its latest three-hour era but also what's shaping up to be an unpredictable Road to WrestleMania.
Let's look at the ripple effects caused by The Scottish Warrior becoming Undisputed WWE champ and what they mean for the months ahead.
SmackDown Is Instantly More Interesting
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SmackDown has been struggling to generate positive buzz for well over a year now. The end of the Bloodline saga largely left the show without an identity or anything to build around, specifically in the main-event scene.
John Cena's heel run as Undisputed WWE champion and Cody Rhodes chasing to get it back should have carried the blue brand through 2025, but the poor execution of the angle and its aftermath did more to hurt the show than help it.
Rhodes thrives as the face of the franchise, but something drastic had to be done to switch things up at the top of the card on SmackDown. Him losing the Undisputed WWE title was the most efficient way of accomplishing that, regardless of whether it ends up being temporary or not.
McIntyre being champ benefits the rest of the roster as well. It gives everyone in the upper-midcard and above something to strive for, whereas there were limited options creatively with Rhodes in the role.
Right out of the gate, SmackDown is instantly more interesting than it has been in some time, and there are a number of different directions WWE can embark in from this point forward.
Rhodes Can't Regain the WWE Title Until Elimination Chamber at the Earliest
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In addition to McIntyre clinching the WWE title on Friday night, SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis announced that four qualifiers will be held on the Jan. 16 episode to determine who will take part in the number one contender's Fatal 4-Way match at the next installment of Saturday Night's Main Event, with the winner of that advancing to the Royal Rumble to face McIntyre.
The qualifiers will consist of Randy Orton vs. The Miz, Trick Williams vs. Matt Cardona, Damian Priest vs. Solo Sikoa, and Ilja Dragunov vs. Sami Zayn. Unless one of those competitors is deemed unable to compete, it's confirmed that Rhodes can't contend for the WWE title at the Rumble.
That also means he can't regain the gold until Elimination Chamber on Feb. 28 at the earliest.
Of course, another round of Rhodes vs. McIntyre shouldn't even be considered a possibility. That rivalry has run its course, so if Rhodes does get the belt back on that show so he can walk into WrestleMania 42 with it, it should be inside the Chamber itself.
If that ends up being the case, it's smart to give Rhodes another obstacle to overcome in the meantime instead of keeping the strap on him through 'Mania, including having to go through the men's Royal Rumble match (and losing). McIntyre taking the title much earlier on would have been ideal, but at the very least, it's better late than never.
Is Roman Reigns Still a Front-Runner to Win the Royal Rumble?
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The ending of Survivor Series back in November heavily hinted at Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns being one of the main attractions of WrestleMania 42, presumably for Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Championship. There has been zero interaction between the two since.
From a sheer star power standpoint, it's understandable that WWE would view Rhodes vs. Reigns III as the biggest bout they can possibly book for the event. From a fan standpoint, however, there's very little for them to explore creatively at the moment, even if a top title is on the line.
Despite that, Reigns can't be counted out as a candidate to triumph in this year's men's Royal Rumble match.
Rhodes may not currently be in possession of the prestigious prize, but as previously noted, he could easily recapture it at Elimination Chamber and go on to defend against Rumble winner Reigns at 'Mania. This would perhaps be the most predictable route WWE could take, as well as the least compelling.
If McIntyre is able to hold onto the gold until WrestleMania and Reigns rules the Rumble, the two longtime rivals could settle their score at The Show of Shows. McIntyre getting that elusive victory over Reigns and closing that chapter would be the best possible outcome, but the idea of Reigns losing his third consecutive WrestleMania isn't realistic.
All of that is assuming Reigns wins the Rumble at all and chooses the champ on SmackDown, but there are far more exciting options WWE could go with. Either way, don't sleep on The Tribal Chief and the role he could potentially play in the blue brand's world title picture on the Road to WrestleMania.
Randy Orton Is Effectively Out of the Championship Conversation for Now
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WWE has gradually been planting seeds for a feud between Rhodes and Randy Orton for the last two years, essentially since Rhodes won the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Reigns at WrestleMania XL and Orton was among those out in the ring to congratulate him.
The story writes itself with the two having history dating back to their days in The Legacy over 15 years ago and Rhodes overshadowing Orton with the success he's had, or at least in Orton's eyes. They met in the finals of the 2025 King of the Ring tournament and even then there was a tease for more matches when Orton hesitated to follow through on his patented punt kick on Rhodes and that being what ultimately cost him.
Unless Orton wins his third Royal Rumble at the end of the month—and that doesn't appear to be in the cards—then he's effectively out of the championship conversation until after WrestleMania season is over.
It's highly unlikely Orton becomes number one contender if Rhodes regains the belt by Elimination Chamber, because SmackDown's Chamber match would be for the belt, not a shot at 'Mania. Furthermore, Orton vs. McIntyre has been done to death and isn't worthy of the WrestleMania stage.
The only way Rhodes vs. Orton happens at WrestleMania 42 is if it's a non-title affair. It would work as an attraction in the undercard, and it would be wise to give The American Nightmare a break from main-eventing his fourth straight WrestleMania, but whether WWE wishes to pull the trigger on that program at this point remains to be seen.
Jacob Fatu, Sami Zayn, Ilja Dragunov or Oba Femi Could Be Elevated
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The aforementioned Fatal 4-Way at Saturday Night's Main Event and the four qualifiers leading up to it provide WWE with a chance to feature some fresh faces in the main-event mix on SmackDown for a change.
Trick Williams, Ilja Dragunov, Matt Cardona and Sami Zayn are all getting opportunities they otherwise wouldn't be afforded. Jacob Fatu and Oba Femi won't be involved in the qualifiers, but they could conceivably wind up in contention for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42 depending on the path WWE takes to get there.
Of the eight Superstars vying for a shot at the Royal Rumble, Zayn or Dragunov would make the most sense to advance and fight McIntyre. Both bouts have the potential to be show-stealers, not to mention that either of them could win the Rumble itself if they were to take part in that instead.
For Fatu and Femi, they have unfinished business with McIntyre from late last year. Fatu was seemingly put on the shelf (in storyline) by McIntyre who cost him months of his career, while Femi had his massive match with Rhodes at Saturday Night's Main Event in December ruined by McIntyre.
Rhodes taking the title back from McIntyre at Elimination Chamber or at any point for that matter would be a waste of whatever momentum McIntyre has at the moment. It would be more beneficial to have The Scottish Warrior dethroned by an up-and-comer who has never held a world title, most notably Fatu, Femi or Zayn and tell that story at WrestleMania.
A Rhodes Heel Turn Just Became a Little More Likely
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The biggest question on the mind of many for months has been when a heel turn for Cody Rhodes will be ready to become a reality. The time has yet to be right, but his loss of the Undisputed WWE Championship on SmackDown might start to put the wheels into motion.
Drew McIntyre revealing himself as Jacob Fatu's mystery attacker from a few months ago isn't some sort of significant swerve. Rhodes being behind it would be a much bigger deal and set up a highly-anticipated outing between them at WrestleMania, but it would have to be logical.
Moreover, WWE needs to have a replacement for Rhodes as the face of the franchise waiting in the wings, whether that be Oba Femi, Bron Breakker or Fatu himself. It would be shortsighted to turn him heel without building up someone else to fill in the spot he'd leave behind.
It wouldn't necessarily need to be imminent, either. Rhodes going rogue could be saved for after WrestleMania, and the fans slowly turning on him in the meantime could be the catalyst for his eventual villain origin story.
Rhodes being champion again come Elimination Chamber would only expedite the process and cause the audience to sour on him that much quicker.
The American Nightmare taking some time away from the title picture should make him a more well-rounded character in the long run, but whether it's intentional or not, it also makes a heel run for him a little more likely for the immediate future.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
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