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3 Stages of Hell Matches Announced on 1/2 WWE SmackDown

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Michael Joseph Sugue | Last updated Jan 2, 2026 10:58 PM ET

On next week’s January 9, 2026, edition of WWE SmackDown, live from Berlin, Germany, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes is set to take on Drew McIntyre in a brutal 3 Stages of Hell Match for the championship. On this week’s SmackDown, with a contract to his favor, McIntyre would name each and every possible match for this upcoming championship showdown.

Cody Rhodes marched into the ring to take care of business, as Drew McIntyre was nowhere to be seen all night long. As Rhodes poured his heart out, McIntyre would appear on the tron, naming his stipulations. First, it was a straight-up singles match, as Drew said, he knows no one will screw with him based on the agreement he struck with Nick Aldis.

Second, a Falls Count Anywhere Match, where the two men can do whatever they want to each other without the obstruction of rules. Finally, if it so happens to come to a last fall, it will be an old-fashioned Steel Cage Match, no interferences, no excuses, two men locked in a cage for the Undisputed WWE Championship.

McIntyre would not stop there and made some detestable statements towards the “American Dream,” Dusty Rhodes, the father of Cody. Drew said that he hopes Dusty is “looking up” on Cody to see the man that he has become. On top of that, McIntyre would continue to say that most think that it will be a “cold day in hell” before he ever becomes champion.

There’s a reason there’s only been five 3 Stages of Hell Matches in WWE History, with the final one coming way back in 2019; it’s a brutal match that takes not only endurance but willpower to survive, and let alone win. That said, the Undisputed WWE Championship Match between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre is more than just a title match; it could be a career-ending confrontation that finally puts the nail in the coffin of this year-long rivalry.

For Cody Rhodes, there really is no rest for the wicked, as someone is already waiting in the wings to challenge him if he pulls it off. As for McIntyre, it’s a vindication and justification of his actions over the past year.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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