{"id":151663,"date":"2026-01-27T06:00:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T11:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=151663"},"modified":"2026-01-26T22:05:41","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T03:05:41","slug":"why-cody-rhodes-and-jacob-fatus-wwe-match-disqualification-was-necessary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/01\/27\/why-cody-rhodes-and-jacob-fatus-wwe-match-disqualification-was-necessary\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu&#8217;s WWE Match Disqualification was Necessary"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When Jacob Fatu returned three weeks ago, he only had one thing on his mind.\u00a0He wanted to confront the person he thought injured him. During that time, Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre were battling in the Three Stages of Hell match for the Undisputed WWE Championship. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Fatu went inside the steel cage and started attacking Rhodes, leading to McIntyre\u00a0becoming WWE Champion. Words were exchanged, and a match between Fatu and Rhodes was decided for Saturday Night\u2019s Main Event. However,\u00a0things quickly went off the\u00a0rails\u00a0Saturday. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">They <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ytKsWuz5nUw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ended up brawling<\/a> in the crowd and in the arena, with the match never getting started, and ended with McIntyre attacking\u00a0both of them.\u00a0It&#8217;s\u00a0clear that they all still have huge problems with each other.\u00a0Regarding the disqualification angle, there\u00a0are a lot of reasons why this decision will turn out to be a good one.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:480}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NO WOAH! \ud83d\udeab<\/p>\n<p>Jacob Fatu is not wasting any time..<\/p>\n<p>Kicking off Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event with CHAOS! <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/AvJybRltte\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/AvJybRltte<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 WWE (@WWE) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWE\/status\/2015231520923869643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Timing is Perfect for Both Rhodes and Fatu<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:480}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Many fans\u00a0weren\u2019t\u00a0too happy when a Saturday Night\u2019s Main Event was announced just seven days before the Rumble.\u00a0But now that the PLE is over, the timing makes perfect sense. The next time Rhodes and Fatu will meet is in Saudi Arabia, the day before the Rumble.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Both men will be in the match, with SmackDown GM Nick Aldis rightly furious.\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0a lot of things he could do. He could take away their spots, have them re-do the match that night,\u00a0or do so at the Rumble. If Aldis just gives them a warning, one could\u00a0eliminate\u00a0the other\u00a0during the match, leading to\u00a0conflict\u00a0heading into the Elimination Chamber four weeks from Saturday.\u00a0They could also be in the Chamber\u00a0match\u00a0together, which ties into their story. Having a disqualification helps them continue their\u00a0feud\u00a0without either\u00a0taking a loss.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:480}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Stakes are Now Higher for McIntyre<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:480}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If Rhodes and Fatu brawled with the match just being thrown out, the resolution would be simple. But McIntyre just had to interject himself into the\u00a0brawl, sticking his nose into\u00a0their business. Sami Zayn qualified to face him the previous day, so he\u00a0should\u2019ve\u00a0been focused on that. Now he knows that Rhodes and Fatu want\u00a0some revenge\u00a0for his actions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_151711\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151711\" style=\"width: 240px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/IMG_0232-240x300.jpeg\" alt=\"WWE Royal Rumble Match Graphic of Sami Zayn vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship\" width=\"240\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-151711\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/IMG_0232-240x300.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/IMG_0232-819x1024.jpeg 819w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/IMG_0232-768x960.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/IMG_0232-1229x1536.jpeg 1229w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/IMG_0232.jpeg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-151711\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">He\u00a0has to\u00a0face Zayn while also keeping an eye out on the two men he attacked on Saturday night.\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0a huge chance he could get attacked to force\u00a0a disqualification. He could also be distracted if they go to\u00a0ringside, leading to Zayn becoming WWE Champion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">He\u00a0should\u2019ve\u00a0focused all his energy on his match with Zayn, as he just became champion weeks ago. But instead, being angry at Rhodes and Fatu, he made his\u00a0first\u00a0championship defense way more complicated.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:480}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Disqualification Furthers Storylines for All Three Men<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:480}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Saturday will be a huge night for Fatu, McIntyre, and Rhodes. McIntyre will be defending his Undisputed WWE Championship against Zayn, while Rhodes and Fatu will be in the Rumble. However, their\u00a0collective\u00a0actions\u00a0on Saturday made their night a lot more complicated. Friday\u2019s SmackDown will be interesting as Aldis will undoubtedly be furious at their actions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Will there\u00a0be punishments for Rhodes and Fatu, and if so, will that affect their standing in the Rumble? Should McIntyre watch his back against Zayn in case of interference?\u00a0Perhaps,\u00a0they will settle their differences at the Elimination Chamber in four weeks. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">There are a lot of\u00a0different ways\u00a0that their feud can go at this point.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0clear Rhodes and Fatu have\u00a0major issues, but could\u00a0they put that aside to fight McIntyre?\u00a0The disqualification\u00a0just made their stories way more interesting, making it the right decision.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:480}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">DREW McINTYRE JUST TOOK OUT RHODES AND FATU! \ud83e\udd2f<\/p>\n<p>The WWE Champion showing both these men who runs WWE right now. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hXvGkpRbCY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/hXvGkpRbCY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 WWE (@WWE) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWE\/status\/2015233689538498741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/span><u><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/span><\/a><\/u><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> for more on Cody Rhodes, Jacob Fatu, and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.<\/span><\/em><amp-fx-flying-carpet height=\"600px\"><amp-ad data-block-on-consent=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"600\" layout=\"fixed\" type=\"doubleclick\" data-slot=\"\/15188745,22512265771\/FS-lastwordonsports-AMP\/AMP-FlyingCarpet\" data-lazy-fetch=\"true\" data-loading-strategy=\"1.25\" rtc-config=\"{ &quot;vendors&quot;: { &quot;t13&quot;: { &quot;TAG_ID&quot;: &quot;f502adbd-5c9b-4d6f-9ec5-b0cdc0f4827c&quot;, &quot;ACCOUNT_ID&quot;: &quot;9a3c6c23-453a-4cba-b419-30b908f39a50&quot; }, &quot;aps&quot;: { &quot;PUB_ID&quot;: &quot;600&quot;, &quot;PUB_UUID&quot;: &quot;16268e26-dabe-4bf4-a28f-b8f4ee192ed3&quot;, &quot;PARAMS&quot;: { &quot;amp&quot;: &quot;1&quot; } }, &quot;criteo&quot;: { &quot;NETWORK_ID&quot;: &quot;4905&quot;, &quot;ZONE_ID&quot;: &quot;1382491&quot;, &quot;PUBLISHER_SUB_ID&quot;: &quot;FS-lastwordonsports-AMP-FlyingCarpet&quot; }, &quot;medianet&quot;: { &quot;CID&quot;: &quot;8CU8ZT2C4&quot; } } }\"><\/amp-ad><\/amp-fx-flying-carpet><\/p>\n<p><em>You can check out WWE programming on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81788927\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Netflix<\/a> (Raw, WWE archives, WWE Unreal, and other specials), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usanetwork.com\/wwe-friday-night-smackdown\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">USA Network<\/a>\u00a0(SmackDown),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/shows\/wwe-nxt\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The CW<\/a> (NXT), <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/wwe\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ESPN <\/a>(WWE PLEs), <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/tubitv.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tubi<\/a>\u00a0(WWE Evolve),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aetv.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A&amp;E<\/a>\u00a0(WWE Superstar Sunday \u2013 Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments) and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Peacock<\/a> (Saturday Night\u2019s Main Event). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">YouTube.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Jacob Fatu returned three weeks ago, he only had one thing on his mind.\u00a0He wanted to confront the person he thought injured him. During that time, Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre were battling in the Three Stages of Hell match for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Fatu went inside the steel cage and started attacking [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5338,"featured_media":151178,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[98,686,3006,397,106],"class_list":["post-151663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-cody-rhodes","tag-drew-mcintyre","tag-jacob-fatu","tag-royal-rumble","tag-sami-zayn"],"modified_by":"Laci Schlatz","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5338"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151663"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151663\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":151714,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151663\/revisions\/151714"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}