Cody Rhodes’ SmackDown Title Win Becomes WWE’s Most Disliked YouTube Video of 2026

Cody Rhodes winning the Undisputed WWE Championship on the March 6 episode of WWE SmackDown was meant to be a huge moment heading toward WrestleMania 42. Instead, the online reaction has turned into a massive wave of backlash.

After the show aired from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, Rhodes’ title victory over Drew McIntyre quickly became a lightning rod for criticism across social media. Now the reaction has spilled over onto YouTube in a big way.

The video of Rhodes winning the championship has become the most disliked WWE video of 2026 on the company’s official YouTube channel. At the time of writing, the clip has racked up over 58,000 dislikes compared to roughly 17,000 likes — an overwhelming negative reaction from viewers.

The match itself was a chaotic main event that saw Rhodes defeat McIntyre after a long back-and-forth battle. The closing stretch featured multiple referee bumps that created confusion in the ring. McIntyre attempted to use a steel chair to keep control of the championship before the situation changed when Jacob Fatu appeared and stopped him. That distraction opened the door for Rhodes to hit a Cody Cutter followed by Cross Rhodes to secure the three-count and reclaim the title.

The massive dislike ratio appears to reflect growing frustration from a portion of the fanbase that has turned against Rhodes’ traditional babyface presentation. Some viewers have even started comparing his push to the “Super Cena” era, arguing that his booking has become too predictable. Others were hoping McIntyre would enter WrestleMania 42 as champion after winning the title earlier this year in a brutal Three Stages of Hell match.

There has also been criticism about the short turnaround of the title change. McIntyre had only recently ended Rhodes’ 159-day second title reign at Saturday Night’s Main Event XLI, only for the championship to return to Rhodes less than two months later. Jacob Fatu’s involvement in the finish has also fueled the backlash, as it marked the second time he has played a direct role in an Undisputed WWE Championship change.

Despite the negative reaction online, the result now locks in the direction for WrestleMania 42. Rhodes is set to defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton in Las Vegas after Orton won the 2026 Men’s Elimination Chamber match and later attacked Rhodes with an RKO. Now the road to WrestleMania is set — even if a large portion of the online audience isn’t happy about how WWE got there.