Could Cody Rhodes’ Battle with Jacob Fatu Derail His WWE Royal Rumble Plans?

On January 9, 2026, an episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown, Cody Rhodes faced a furious Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship in a Three Stages of Hell match, where three matches would be contested in order to determine the winner.

The score was tied one to one after a regular match and a Falls Count Anywhere match. Things got really ugly in the steel cage match. Jacob Fatu interfered, surprisingly attacking Rhodes, allowing McIntyre to claim the title for himself.

The following week, Rhodes and Fatu had an extremely heated confrontation. That led to a match being made at Saturday Night’s Main Event this Saturday. The Royal Rumble is the very next Saturday, with Rhodes being the first person to declare for the match. Wrestling two weeks in a row shows confidence, but could it severely impact his success in the rumble? 

A Dominating Win against Fatu Could Be Motivating for Rhodes 

It’s extremely clear that Rhodes and Fatu have earned their match against each other. Fatu thinks that Rhodes was the guy who attacked him months ago, forcing him out of the ring. Rhodes sees Fatu as the guy who cost him his Undisputed WWE Championship, something that he obviously cherishes for good reason. Accepting the match holds more weight for Rhodes than it does for Fatu. He knows his upcoming schedule is rough, but he loves that.

Beating someone who cost him his title on the way to beating twenty-nine other men to get the title back, potentially, is gratifying to him. He’s willing to put his body on the line early in order to re-energize himself after the loss. Beating Fatu could put him on the fast track to reclaiming his gold. If things go according to plan, McIntyre’s reign could end extremely prematurely. 

A Lucky Win or Loss Could Handicap Him Majorly 

Everyone knows that when Rhodes is capable of performing extraordinary feats, he can do them. Infamously failing to win the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 39, he fought back and won the title the following year. However, that was two years ago, and he only had to wrestle Roman Reigns. If he barely squeaks by Fatu or loses the match, he’ll have a much larger mountain to climb next Saturday.

It’s not like he’ll face Fatu and then McIntyre for his rematch. There’s an extra step in that plan, and the additional step is outlasting twenty-nine other men in the Royal Rumble. Knowing him, he’ll enter at number one or number thirty, with no in-between. Even if he does enter at number thirty, if he’s banged up, he won’t be performing at one hundred percent. He has to win definitively, or else his rumble experience could be disastrous. 

The Stakes for Him are High against Fatu 

There’s no question that Rhodes has been extremely impressive ever since returning to WWE in 2022. He’s solidified himself as a top performer and someone who they can rely on for many things. However, he’s a human being, so disaster can strike if he takes things too far.