It’s Time For Drew McIntyre To Finish His Story And Become WWE Champion — Here’s Why

That match - originally scheduled to be McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu before the latter was “attacked” backstage - saw Rhodes hit McIntyre with the title in an interesting twist.

Is Rhodes about to turn to the dark side? Could McIntyre be right about him? And who took out Fatu? These are all questions surrounding the showdown at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

The real question is, who should win?

Is It Now Or Never For Drew McIntyre?

On our Takedown on SI predictions video for Saturday Night’s Main Event, I didn’t give much thought to the idea of McIntyre winning. After all, this is Rhodes we’re talking about. He’s the face of WWE, and surely WWE wants to keep it that way entering Survivor Series: WarGames and beyond.

However, my colleague, Rick Ucchino, surprised me with his pick for McIntyre to win the title. Upon further review, he may be onto something.

WWE has been telling a long-term story with Rhodes. We’ve seen him showcase some heel tendencies for a while now, even before he regained the championship from John Cena at SummerSlam.

Rhodes celebrated his huge victory by getting a Claymore to the head via McIntyre on the August 8 edition of SmackDown. Rhodes returned to defeat McIntyre at Wrestlepalooza, but he became further frustrated after his first-ever singles loss to Seth Rollins at Crown Jewel.

Will this increased aggression be Rhodes’ downfall? It’s possible.

But for once, this isn’t just about Rhodes’ story. It’s also about McIntyre’s story.

McIntyre said it himself on a recent SmackDown. He has reached a point where he has to finish his story, and that includes finally defeating Rhodes to become WWE Champion for the first time since 2021.

If he doesn’t, then what? He will have lost yet another big championship match, and fans may see him as nothing more than the guy that “the guy” beats every so often to add another respectable title defense to the resume.

McIntyre has proven that he is much more than that. He and Punk produced one of the best WWE feuds in years in 2024, and while many expected ‘The Scottish Warrior’ to ride that momentum into a banner year in 2025, it hasn’t exactly played out that way.

He was ousted from the Royal Rumble in unspectacular fashion, followed it up with a back-and-forth feud with Damian Priest, and then teamed with Logan Paul to defeat Orton and Jelly Roll at SummerSlam.

There’s nothing wrong with any of that. It’s just that none of those things have launched McIntyre into a new stratosphere in WWE, which many expected following the stellar run with Punk.

That changes if McIntyre defeats Rhodes at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

What Would It Mean For Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes?

McIntyre would regain that unique connection with the fans that one gets after a defining moment in their career, and it sets up plenty of intrigue on the road to Survivor Series, the 2026 Royal Rumble, and even WrestleMania 42.

Rhodes becomes a more fascinating character by seeing how he reacts to losing the title, what he’s willing to do to get back, and whether it impacts his friendship with Orton.

Another scenario is in play: Rhodes somehow retains the title at Saturday Night's Main Event, but McIntyre’s post-match rampage leads to a third match at Survivor Series, where McIntyre triumphs in a stadium setting at Petco Park in San Diego to become champion.

A recent report from The Wrestling Observer Newsletter stated that McIntyre vs. Rhodes was originally slotted for Survivor Series before Fatu was sidelined. If accurate, one would think there was a realistic possibility of a title change.

Will WWE expedite that by having McIntyre win at Saturday Night’s Main Event? Will they run it back and have McIntyre capture gold at Survivor Series? Or was Rhodes always the choice?

Those are the three options, and the most intriguing choice is for WWE to lean into the three words that defined Rhodes’ ascent to the top of the industry at WrestleMania 40:

Finish the story.

McIntyre has earned his moment, and he should be the next Undisputed WWE Champion.