{"id":154399,"date":"2026-03-06T06:00:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T11:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=154399"},"modified":"2026-03-05T16:19:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T21:19:02","slug":"3-finishes-for-cody-rhodes-vs-drew-mcintyre-on-smackdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/03\/06\/3-finishes-for-cody-rhodes-vs-drew-mcintyre-on-smackdown\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Finishes for Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre on SmackDown"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The chaotic finish of the Men&#8217;s Elimination Chamber has rocked the WWE Championship scene. The WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre, invaded the chamber and attacked Cody Rhodes yet again. However, Rhodes and Randy Orton neutralized McIntyre, but Orton landed the RKO out of nowhere to <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/03\/02\/3-reasons-why-randy-orton-won-the-mens-elimination-chamber\/\" target=\"_self\">win<\/a> the Chamber.<\/p>\n<p>The Viper is going to WrestleMania 42, but his opponent has yet to be confirmed. A furious Nick Aldis, upset with McIntyre&#8217;s antics, booked a WWE Title match between Rhodes and McIntyre on the upcoming episode of SmackDown. This clash will have significant implications for Mania, and fans eagerly await Friday.<\/p>\n<p>On that note, let&#8217;s look at 3 finishes for Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre on SmackDown this Friday.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_154423\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-154423\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/03\/113_EC_02282026GD_74162-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"Drew McIntyre cost Cody Rhodes the win at WWE Elimination Chamber on February 28, 2026\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" class=\"wp-image-154423 size-large\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/03\/113_EC_02282026GD_74162-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/03\/113_EC_02282026GD_74162-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/03\/113_EC_02282026GD_74162-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/03\/113_EC_02282026GD_74162.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-154423\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>#1. Jacob Fatu Costs Drew McIntyre the WWE Championship<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>With Randy Orton&#8217;s Elimination Chamber win, fans have been salivating at the prospect of witnessing Orton battle Cody Rhodes for the WWE Title at WrestleMania. Triple H has been teasing Rhodes vs. Orton for years. He now has a great opportunity to finally execute it at Mania 42.<\/p>\n<p>If the plan is for Rhodes to defend against Orton, then McIntyre is likely dropping the top prize back to the American Nightmare on Friday. The Scottish Warrior has not only been a thorn in Rhodes&#8217; path, but has also stuck his nose in Jacob Fatu&#8217;s business, too. If it weren&#8217;t for McIntyre, Fatu would have competed in the Men&#8217;s Elimination Chamber match.<\/p>\n<p>The Samoan Werewolf finally has the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/03\/03\/wwe-smackdown-predictions-3-6-26-jacob-fatu-will-screw-drew-mcintyre\/\" target=\"_self\">chance<\/a> to turn the tables on the Scottish Warrior. Fatu could interfere in the WWE Title match on SmackDown and cost McIntyre the top prize. This would set the stage for a colossal grudge match at The Show of Shows.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jacob Fatu attacks Drew McIntyre: SmackDown highlights, Jan. 30, 2026\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mUXV4SMFxDM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#2. Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre Ends in a Double Count Out<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The unusual thing about the current landscape of the WWE Title scene is that it could go in several directions. Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton is the most obvious option, but Triple H could also be interested in a Fatal Four Way with Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre in the mix.<\/p>\n<p>If a Fatal Four Way is the plan for Mania, then there is no need for a title change. WWE would also need a way to include Fatu in the fold. Thus, the Samaon Werewolf&#8217;s interference could wreak havoc at ringside. Amid all the chaos, both Rhodes and McIntyre could be counted out, leading to a no-contest.<\/p>\n<p>This finish would kill two birds with one stone. Neither McIntyre nor Rhodes would have to take the pinfall, and WWE could set the stage for a colossal Fatal Four Way at The Show of Shows.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Drew McIntyre taunts Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu: SmackDown highlights, Feb. 20, 2026\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AzMRipaeZx4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#1. Sami Zayn Turns on Cody Rhodes and Helps Drew McIntyre Retain<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Sami Zayn has been experiencing a change of heart recently. The Underdog from the Underground has been losing a lot quite recently, and the World Title feels pretty elusive. A few weeks ago, he came close to qualifying for the Men&#8217;s Elimination Chamber match, but Cody Rhodes took advantage of Drew McIntyre&#8217;s interference to advance.<\/p>\n<p>Zayn confronted Rhodes about the incident, drawing attention to the controversial circumstances of his win. The former NXT Champion showed a more aggressive and frustrated version of himself, heralding the potential for a major character change.<\/p>\n<p>Rhodes and Zayn have been friends for a long time, but it would be intriguing to see a feud play out between the two talented stars. It may also be worthwhile to keep the American Nightmare out of the title picture for a grudge <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/03\/04\/3-non-undisputed-wwe-title-plans-for-cody-rhodes-at-wrestlemania-42\/\" target=\"_self\">program<\/a> with a former friend. A frustrated Sami Zayn could interfere in the WWE Title match, turn on the American Nightmare, and help McIntyre retain the belt.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cody Rhodes: \u201cThe only thing in Sami Zayn\u2019s way is Sami Zayn\u201d: SmackDown highlights, Feb. 20, 2026\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pz1C-qkV-Xk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The chaotic finish of the Men&#8217;s Elimination Chamber has rocked the WWE Championship scene. The WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre, invaded the chamber and attacked Cody Rhodes yet again. However, Rhodes and Randy Orton neutralized McIntyre, but Orton landed the RKO out of nowhere to win the Chamber. The Viper is going to WrestleMania 42, but [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5689,"featured_media":154421,"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":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,2192,26,3],"tags":[98,686,3006,1765,106,52],"class_list":["post-154399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-wrestling","category-smackdown","category-wwe-universe","tag-cody-rhodes","tag-drew-mcintyre","tag-jacob-fatu","tag-nick-aldis","tag-sami-zayn","tag-smackdown"],"modified_by":"Steph Franchomme","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154399","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\/5689"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154399"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154399\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154429,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154399\/revisions\/154429"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/154421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}