Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns III Reportedly Off The Table For WWE WrestleMania

The landscape of WrestleMania 42 has shifted dramatically in the span of a single week. Following the shocking events of the January 9 episode of SmackDown in Berlin, where Drew McIntyre defeated Cody Rhodes to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship, reports indicate that the company has completely overhauled its plans for the “Show of Shows” in Las Vegas.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the decision to put the title on McIntyre was made as late as Wednesday, January 7—just two days before the show aired. This last-minute pivot has had a domino effect on the rest of the card, most notably effectively killing the planned main event between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. For months following Survivor Series and the Men’s WarGames match, Rhodes vs. Reigns III was heavily teased and considered the locked-in headliner for the event at Allegiant Stadium. However, Meltzer notes that with Rhodes no longer holding the gold, that match is “probably not happening.”

While the exact card remains a mystery, there is speculation regarding a potential triple threat match involving the new champion Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes, and Jacob Fatu. Meltzer clarified that this lineup is “not even 100 percent” and might not necessarily take place at WrestleMania, but it is being discussed as a possibility. The sudden change has left fans scrambling to predict the new direction, especially given the history between Rhodes and Reigns that now appears to be put on hold indefinitely. The move to strip Rhodes of the title on a weekly television episode, rather than a Premium Live Event, underscores the volatility of the current creative direction as WWE looks to shake up its programming heading into the spring.

With the Royal Rumble fast approaching on January 31 in Saudi Arabia, the fallout from this creative shift will take center stage on the upcoming edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event. Scheduled for January 24 in Montreal, the event will feature a high-stakes Fatal Four-Way match to determine who will challenge Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. Qualifying matches for this bout are set to take place on this week’s SmackDown, featuring heavy hitters like Randy Orton, The Miz, Damian Priest, and Solo Sikoa. The winner of the Montreal four-way will effectively set the course for the WWE Championship heading into WrestleMania 42.

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