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Internal Push For 2-Time WWE Champion To Dethrone Cody Rhodes

By Sridhar Krishnan • Published Jan 06, 2026 13:03 EST
Cody Rhodes WWE

It may be time WWE brings the curtain down on Cody Rhodes’ run as the champion.

Rhodes is scheduled to defend his title against Drew McIntyre on the January 9, 2026, edition of SmackDown in a 3 Stages of Hell match.

The two superstars continued their long-standing feud to close out 2025, setting up a bout with three different stipulations to kick off the company’s European tour.

The upcoming episode of the blue brand comes from the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany.

Of late, McIntyre has upped the intensity of his personal hits on Cody Rhodes, often targeting his family and his late father, Dusty Rhodes.

On January 2, The Scottish Warriors announced the three stipulations under which their match would be contested in Berlin.

The first match would be a traditional wrestling match, whereas the second would be a Falls Count Anywhere match. If the bout went into a third fall, then it would be inside a steel cage.

Drew then produced a picture frame containing a photo of Cody with Dusty, which he stomped on before burning the photo and throwing it in a trash can.

Drew McIntyre Receives Strong Internal Push To Become WWE Champion

Drew McIntyre has come close to winning the Undisputed WWE Championship multiple times, only for the victory to be snatched away at the last minute.

Owing to multiple missed opportunities, the creative team is said to be leaning towards a favourable outcome for the 40-year-old in Berlin.

During a recent episode of the Self Made Session podcast, the panel discussed a potential major title change on SmackDown.

I was told to expect a title change this week, so that’s interesting. I was told that one of the world titles is changing this week — yes, the Three Stages of Hell match on SmackDown.

There are significant voices in creative actively pushing for Drew McIntyre to beat Cody Rhodes in this match. That was as of last week. By this point, I’d imagine the decision has been made as to where they’re going, but I know that as of last week, there were significant voices pushing hard for Drew McIntyre to go over. Ultimately, it’s Paul Levesque’s call. [H/T: Ringside News]

Cody Rhodes had previously pitched an idea that would see Drew McIntyre win the title.