Cody Rhodes wasted no time settling the score on the February 6th episode of WWE SmackDown. He ambushed Drew McIntyre to open the show in direct response to his Royal Rumble elimination loss.
SmackDown began with McIntyre making his championship entrance. However, before he could soak in the moment, Rhodes sprinted in from behind and launched a full-scale attack.
The surprise brawl spilt down the ramp and quickly drew a swarm of security, turning the opening minutes into controlled chaos rather than a traditional promo segment.
The confrontation stemmed from the Royal Rumble match on January 31. The Scotsman delivered a Claymore to Rhodes on the apron, costing him a chance at a guaranteed WrestleMania title shot.
For Cody Rhodes, payback wasn’t just personal — it was business. After officials finally separated the two, Rhodes grabbed a microphone and delivered a clear warning to the WWE Champion. “Drew McIntyre, don’t worry about a thing, because you won’t make it to WrestleMania,” proclaimed Cody Rhodes.
Road to WrestleMania 42 Intensifies for Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre
The rivalry has been simmering since McIntyre defeated Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship in a brutal Three Stages of Hell match on January 9.
That loss, followed by the Rumble elimination, blocked Rhodes’ fastracked path to WrestleMania 42 and turned the road into a fight uphill — with McIntyre standing right in the middle of it.
SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis did not take kindly to the early-night mayhem. He confronted Rhodes backstage and ordered him to leave the building immediately. The SmackDown GM reminded him that even “The American Nightmare” isn’t immune to management decisions.
Aldis later noted that Rhodes could still earn his way back into contention through an Elimination Chamber qualifying match — provided he keeps his emotions in check.
For now, Rhodes may be out of the building, but he’s very much still in the hunt. McIntyre escaped with his title intact, yet the message landed loud and clear — this rivalry isn’t getting pinned anytime soon, and the path to WrestleMania just got a little more… Nightmare-fueled.
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