WWE creative is reportedly honing in on its plans for the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 42, with two clear scenarios currently on the table.
According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the company is debating between a straightforward singles rematch or a high-profile Triple Threat bout involving the new champion Drew McIntyre and his recent challenger Cody Rhodes.
Meltzer reports that the two leading ideas are:
“The two ideas for Mania at this point are a three-way for the title with Rhodes, Fatu and McIntyre, or just McIntyre vs. Rhodes.”
The potential inclusion of Jacob Fatu is directly tied to his interference during the Three Stages of Hell match on SmackDown, where his involvement played a role in McIntyre’s championship victory.
From a booking standpoint, Meltzer suggested that a singles match may be the cleaner option, particularly with the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber still to come.
“The straight match is easier because there has to be a single winner at the Rumble and at the Chamber (for CM Punk or whoever the other champion is), so Rhodes winning the Chamber (could be Rumble but my gut is Chamber makes the most sense) would get him in.”
However, Meltzer added that if WWE ultimately opts for the Triple Threat route, inserting Fatu into the match would be relatively simple from a creative perspective.
“There are always ways to get Fatu in if need be.”
With the Royal Rumble set for January 31, WWE’s championship direction is expected to come into sharper focus in the weeks ahead. Whether McIntyre defends his title in a one-on-one rematch or a chaotic three-way showdown, his first WrestleMania title defense appears poised to be one of the marquee matches on the card.
