In the main event of Friday’s post-WWE Elimination Chamber episode of SmackDown, “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes faced off against “The Scottish Warrior” Drew McIntyre in an attempt to reclaim the title that McIntyre had taken from him.
The match featured several close calls for both competitors, but the finish ultimately favored Rhodes. Frustrated with the referee, McIntyre headbutted him and then exited the ring to grab a chair. However, Jacob Fatu intervened, retrieving the chair from McIntyre as he re-entered the ring. Rhodes then rolled up McIntyre for a near fall before being hit with a Future Shock DDT.
McIntyre attempted a Claymore, but Rhodes dodged the move, responding with a Cody Cutter and then Cross Rhodes to secure the victory and claim the title.
Rhodes’ win has sparked significant outrage in the wrestling community on social media, leading WWE’s YouTube video of his championship victory to receive an unprecedented number of dislikes. Amid this backlash, McIntyre took to his Twitter (X) account to post a thumbs-down emoji, seemingly expressing his dissatisfaction with the loss.
McIntyre’s reign lasted only 56 days. He captured the Undisputed WWE Championship from Rhodes in a Three Stages of Hell Match on the January 9th episode of SmackDown in Berlin, Germany. McIntyre had just one televised title defense, which was against Sami Zayn at the Royal Rumble PLE in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, later that month.
