WWE Originally Pitched Huge Gimmick Match For Cody Rhodes At WrestleMania 42
Cody Rhodes is facing Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42, but it wasn’t WWE’s original plan for the American Nightmare.
The Undisputed WWE Championship changed hands on the March 6th edition of SmackDown when Cody Rhodes beat Drew McIntyre to regain the WWE Championship that Rhodes lost two months earlier.
It was a controversial win for Rhodes, as there were referee bumps during the match, and McIntyre tried to cheat with a chair, but Jacob Fatu prevented it. Rhodes capitalized and hit Cross Rhodes to become a 3-time WWE Champion.
While the fans in Portland reacted favorably to Cody Rhodes winning the WWE Title again, fans online have complained a lot, feeling that McIntyre deserved to carry the WWE Title into WrestleMania 42.
As a result of his victory over McIntyre, Rhodes will now face his good friend and wrestling mentor Randy Orton, the Elimination Chamber match winner, at WrestleMania 42 in what is likely a main event match.
WWE Had A Different Plan For Cody Rhodes At WrestleMania 42
It has been reported by PWInsider Elite that the original plan for WrestleMania 42 was for McIntyre to defend the WWE Title against Rhodes in a Hell in a Cell Match.
Considering that the McIntyre-Rhodes rivalry started last September at Wrestlepalooza, WWE may have felt like it was running for too long and is going with Rhodes-Orton instead. McIntyre is likely going ot face Jacob Fatu at WrestleMania 42, but it’s not official yet.
There have been four Hell in a Cell matches at WrestleMania: The Undertaker vs. Big Boss Man, The Undertaker vs. Triple H, The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon, and Edge vs. Finn Balor.
The next WWE PLE is WrestleMania 42 on April 18 & April 19 in Las Vegas. Here’s the lineup so far:
- WWE World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Roman Reigns
- WWE Undisputed Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton
- WWE Women’s World Championship: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Liv Morgan
- WWE Women’s Championship: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
There will be more matches added in the weeks ahead.
WrestleMania 42 will STREAM LIVE Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19, 2026, at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT on ESPN in the United States and Netflix everywhere else.