New Champion Crowned on WWE SmackDown

WWE SmackDown had a massive main event as the WWE Championship was contested in a 3 Stages of Hell match between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre on the Jan. 9 episode. After an incredible battle, there is a new champion as McIntyre has won the WWE Championship.

The 3 Stages of Hell match is something that is rarely used as the winner of two of the three falls wins the entire match. With the third stage being a cage match, it led to a returning superstar interfering and causing a new champion. Let’s take a closer look at how this all broke down.

Drew McIntyre is the new WWE Champion on WWE SmackDown

Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes battled in a 3 Stages of Hell match on WWE SmackDown with the first fall being a standard match, the second being a falls count anywhere, and the third being a cage match. McIntyre would win the first match by hitting a low blow and then a Claymore for the pin. Rhodes would counter with a Cross Rhodes through the announce table to secure the second match and force the third stage.

The cage match saw McIntyre attempt to escape through the cage door before a masked man would interfere, being Jacob Fatu, the man who McIntyre sidelined since November. Fatu would enter the cage and attack McIntyre before heading towards Rhodes. During that time, McIntyre would escape the cage to be crowned the Undisputed WWE Champion.

This ends Rhodes’ reign as champion at 159 days with four successful title defenses. This is also McIntyre’s third reign as champion and the first since 2021.

It is going to be intriguing to see who will be challenging McIntyre at the Royal Rumble, as there is a fatal four-way happening at Saturday Night’s Main Event to determine the challenger for the top title on WWE Smackdown.