The road to WrestleMania 42 has taken a sharp and unexpected turn following the dramatic events of early January. For months, the working assumption among fans and insiders was that the “Grandest Stage of Them All” would feature a trilogy bout between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship. However, following Drew McIntyre’s title victory on SmackDown, reports indicate that the creative direction has shifted significantly, with the “Tribal Chief” no longer factored into the immediate championship picture.
Triple H Calls For A Change
According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestleing Observer Newsletter, the decision to scrap the planned Reigns vs. Rhodes main event came directly from Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque. The logic behind the move was to avoid repetitive booking for the company’s biggest show of the year.
“The way it was explained is that Paul Levesque [Triple H] took another look at the [Royal] Rumble-to-Mania planned direction and decided that doing a Rhodes vs. [Roman] Reigns match for the third time in four years, and spending months building that direction, would lead to audience fatigue. We were told that Reigns will be the odd man out of the WWE title picture. He is scheduled to return at the Rumble and one would expect his direction to be clearer there.”
Cody Rhodes Preferred The Chase
The report also highlights that “The American Nightmare” was involved in the strategic pivot. Rhodes reportedly discussed the storyline possibilities with management, ultimately deciding that his character is more effective when chasing the gold rather than defending it.
“Rhodes brought up McIntyre at the same time and asked for advice on whether it made sense, and if he would be more valuable chasing than defending, and eventually decided that chasing would be better.”
Reigns Returns To A New Landscape
While Reigns is still expected to make his triumphant return at the Royal Rumble on January 31, he steps back into a WWE that has changed in his absence. With the title picture now centering on McIntyre, Rhodes, and The Bloodline’s Jacob Fatu, Reigns’ role at WrestleMania remains a mystery. Speculation suggests he could be moving toward a non-title marquee matchup, perhaps settling family business or facing a new challenger, as WWE looks to stack the card for their return to Saudi Arabia without relying on the same main event formula of the past two years.
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