WWE has reportedly made significant changes to the main event plans for WrestleMania 42 following the major title change that occurred on SmackDown. On January 9, 2026, Cody Rhodes defended the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre in a “Three Stages of Hell” match. McIntyre ended up winning the title after interference from Jacob Fatu, a decision that was reportedly made to shift the direction heading into the biggest show of the year.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the original plan likely involved a third showdown between Rhodes and Roman Reigns. However, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque reportedly decided to pivot away from that direction to avoid repetitive booking.
Meltzer noted, “The way it was explained is that Paul Levesque [Triple H] took another look at the [Royal] Rumble-to-Mania planned direction and decided that doing a Rhodes vs. [Roman] Reigns match for the third time in four years, and spending months building that direction, would lead to audience fatigue.”
Cody Rhodes Preferred Chasing The Title
The report indicates that Rhodes himself played a role in the decision-making process. The “American Nightmare” reportedly discussed the scenario with management and weighed the pros and cons of chasing the championship versus entering WrestleMania as the defender. Meltzer stated, “Rhodes brought up McIntyre at the same time and asked for advice on whether it made sense, and if he would be more valuable chasing than defending, and eventually decided that chasing would be better.”
With the title now around the waist of the “Scottish Warrior,” the creative team is narrowing down the options for the marquee match at WrestleMania 42. Meltzer added that the current two ideas for the WWE Title match are McIntyre vs. Cody vs. Fatu in a triple threat match, or a standard singles match between McIntyre and Cody.
As for the “Tribal Chief,” his path to WrestleMania appears uncertain. At this time, Roman Reigns is said to be “the odd man out of the WWE title picture,” leaving his role for the event up in the air as the Road to WrestleMania officially begins.
