Backstage Reaction to Drew McIntyre’s Undisputed WWE Title Win

Drew McIntyre’s Undisputed WWE Championship win on the January 9, 2026 episode of SmackDown wasn’t just well-received by fans—it was also backed strongly backstage.

According to Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful’s post-SmackDown show, there was a clear internal sentiment within WWE that McIntyre needed to win the 3 Stages of Hell match against Cody Rhodes to solidify his place as the top guy heading into WrestleMania season.

“One of the things that I was hearing within the company about this Drew McIntyre title win was that a lot of people felt like he needed to win this title match,” Sapp said. “They felt that, in order to take him seriously as a top guy moving forward, he needed to win it.”

The dramatic finish—complete with the steel cage return of Jacob Fatu—was originally pitched by both McIntyre and Rhodes themselves. As previously reported by Bodyslam.net, the two stars approached WWE officials before the show and proposed the idea of a major title change to elevate the stakes and shake up the main event scene.

The match, held at Berlin’s Uber Arena, saw McIntyre take the first fall, Cody tie it up with a brutal Cross Rhodes through a table in the second, and chaos erupt in the third fall when Fatu returned to attack both men. McIntyre escaped the cage to win the third fall and his fourth world title.

Now with Cody Rhodes dethroned, Jacob Fatu finally back, and WWE teasing a new #1 contender, Drew McIntyre is right back where many fans believe he belongs — on top.

Do you think WWE made the right call putting the title on Drew McIntyre? Was Cody Rhodes’ loss the right move at this stage of his story? Let us know in the comments below.

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