Hell Freezes Over in Berlin: Why WWE’s Drew McIntyre Needs to Beat Cody Rhodes

2025 is now in the rearview mirror, and WWE isn’t wasting any time by starting 2026 off with a bang on SmackDown. The January 9, 2026, edition will air from Berlin, Germany’s Uber Arena, as part of WWE’s annual European tour. With the return to the three-hour format this Friday, WWE is pulling out all the stops a week later with their main event feature, which is shaping up to be an absolute thriller. 

Three Stages of Hell: SmackDown’s Massive 2026 Opener

It was announced on the Boxing Day episode of SmackDown that Cody Rhodes would defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre in a Three Stages of Hell match. This rare spectacle has only occurred five times before, with the last bout taking place on August 10, 2019, when Johnny Gargano faced Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver.

This will be the first time a match of this kind has taken place in a non-PLE format, making it the first time most fans will be able to see it live.

A Three Stages of Hell match is a 2-out-of-3 falls contest. Unlike your standard matchup, each stage of the match features a different stipulation, with each fall typically escalating in intensity and violence. Common stages have included a standard match, a Street Fight, a Steel Cage match, an Ambulance Match, a Lumberjack match, or Hell in a Cell. 

WWE creative has decided the types of matchups in some cases, but as part of this Three Stages of Hell bout, McIntyre was given the right to determine each stage. This type of battle is used to definitively end a feud between two superstars, which shows how serious WWE is about the clash between the two titans. The stage is certainly set for this to be a battle for the ages.

Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre: A Rivalry Years in the Making

Before diving into what has been taking place for the last five months between Rhodes and McIntyre, let’s take a quick look back at the history between the two. Their worlds intertwined briefly in September 2010 when they formed the tag team duo of “The Dashing Ones,” winning the WWE Tag Team Championship at Night of Champions by defeating Hart Dynasty.

They would hold the belts for a month before losing them to John Cena and David Otunga at Bragging Rights, and would split shortly after.

Both superstars would leave WWE for other divisions a few years later, only to have McIntyre return in 2017 and Rhodes in 2022, respectively. The two largely avoided fighting each other until 2025, when things exploded between the duo.

There have been two singles matchups between McIntyre and Rhodes in the past year, with Rhodes emerging victorious from both of them. The first took place on September 20, 2025, at Wrestlepalooza, where it ended in controversy due to a few referee missteps during the match, which allowed Rhodes to gain the upper hand.

At the end, the referee appeared to accidentally block McIntyre from performing a Claymore Kick to Rhodes, causing him to hit the announce table LED screen, leading “The American Nightmare” to deliver a Cross Rhodes to secure the pin. 

Their second match took place at Saturday Night’s Main Event on November 1, 2025. A stipulation introduced during the SmackDown before would have seen Rhodes lose the title if he was counted out or disqualified, and made the bout more intense.

McIntyre saw the ending as once again controversial, as the referee was briefly taken out. McIntyre brought the title belt into the mix, but it was Rhodes who delivered a DDT onto the title, followed by a Cross Rhodes, allowing him to pin McIntyre for the win. 

Over the last two months, things have escalated and gotten personal between the two. On November 21, 2025, McIntyre viciously attacked Rhodes on his bus, enraging the champion. On December 5, 2025, things intensified as Rhodes initiated a parking lot brawl, exacting his own form of revenge.

Ten days later, a fight ensued at McIntyre’s private residence that required police presence. Things grew even more fiery and personal between the two during their mic promos, with McIntyre levying insults at Rhodes’ wife and late father, WWE Hall of Famer, Dusty Rhodes. 

Why Drew McIntyre Needs to Win the Undisputed WWE Championship

With their next bout only days away, it is time to make the case for why Drew McIntyre not only should, but needs to win and become the new Undisputed WWE Champion. For starters, it was widely reported that WWE was going to have McIntyre win at Wrestlepalooza, but changed their minds at the last minute. 

Perhaps the intent was to have McIntyre win the title in a more shocking fashion, and by having this kind of stipulated match, it provides a bold opportunity to have McIntyre win in a more spectacular fashion.

By having Rhodes lose by way of such a grueling matchup as a Three Stages of Hell bout, it allows him to surrender the belt without appearing weak. Undoubtedly, it will come down to the third stipulation, with each superstar having one win. 

The odds are also in McIntyre’s favor, as heels have won all Three Stages of Hell matches except one, with John Cena defeating Ryback in 2013. McIntyre would know this history, and this would no doubt have played into his decision when determining the type of matchup he would next face Rhodes in. There could not be a more perfect format for a title change than Three Stages of Hell.

Secondly, WWE is in serious jeopardy of permanently damaging McIntyre’s character should he not emerge victorious from this battle. It has been over four years since he had a solid run as champion, and not only is he deserving of this accolade, but it would not be an understatement to say that McIntyre’s reputation is on the line. 

For the majority of 2025, WWE has had McIntyre’s character look weak in the ring. From losing to Damien Priest in May at Saturday Night’s Main Event in a Steel Cage match, not winning the United States Championship at Backlash, to the two losses to Rhodes, McIntyre has only won 12 of the 27 matches he was involved in this past year.

It’s made his heel persona less dominant. There are only so many times he can lose before fans don’t view him as a threat or serious title contender any longer. If WWE wants to retain McIntyre as one of their pinnacle bad guys, they need to start restoring credibility to his character by having him defeat Rhodes on January 9. 

Lastly, there has been much noise about the storylines in WWE being stale, and for good reason. Rhodes secured his first Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40 by defeating Roman Reigns, who had held the belt for 1,316 days. Rhodes would go on to hold the title for 378 days before losing to John Cena at WrestleMania 41, but would regain the belt 105 days later at SummerSlam.

On January 9, Rhodes’ current reign will be at 159 days. While fans love the character of Cody Rhodes, who is the undeniable face of the company since the retirement of John Cena, fresh blood needs to be injected into the company for fans to want to keep tuning in every week. 

The number of possible feuds that could occur with McIntyre holding the belt makes it an easy decision to award him the title. Oba Femi, who is widely speculated to be making his main roster debut soon, would be an intriguing potential first feud for McIntyre, and would immediately show the WWE universe just how much belief the company has in his talent.

What a McIntyre Victory Means for WWE’s Future

The two had a brief but powerful exchange when McIntyre interrupted Femi’s fight with Rhodes at Saturday Night’s Main Event, and the crowd erupted.

Jacob Fatu is another option for a McIntyre feud, as he hasn’t been seen since being attacked in October and missing time due to a dental procedure. Having “The Samoan Werewolf,” who was supposed to go after Rhodes for the title before his hiatus, confront McIntyre, would be another intriguing option. 

Randy Orton is another potential opponent for McIntyre to face. They have had their run-ins over the last couple of years, and providing Orton another opportunity to try and win a 15th world title would make things very interesting and give him another push as his career winds down.

Online speculation has the company flirting with a Rhodes heel turn, and having him lose the title to McIntyre would be the perfect catalyst for a darker character arc for him, leading to fresh storyline opportunities.

A Drew McIntyre victory at Three Stages of Hell would completely disrupt the predictable Road to WrestleMania path that WWE had been appearing to go down. A third Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship was the route the company was taking. Still, if they are serious about reviving ratings, the road needs to be paved with shock value and intrigue instead of monotony.