Cody Rhodes recently returned to WWE after a brief hiatus. (Credit: Rich Wade/WWE via Getty Images)
WWE via Getty Images
Cody Rhodes faced one of his toughest challenges to date at WWE WrestlePalooza 2025 in the form of former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.
Eight days ago on SmackDown, “The American Nightmare” returned from a brief hiatus from WWE programming to lay down a challenge to McIntyre for WWE’s first-ever PLE on ESPN. McIntyre had just defeated Rhodes’ long-time friend and mentor Randy Orton in SmackDown’s main event, but didn’t have much time to celebrate.
Rhodes’ triumphant return to SmackDown set the stage for a monumental clash between the WWE Champion and McIntyre at WWE WrestlePalooza in Indianapolis.
WWE WrestlePalooza 2025 Results for Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre
WWE presented WrestlePalooza as a WrestleMania caliber, and Rhodes and McIntyre delivered a match worthy of the “The Grandest Stage of Them All.”
Inside the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Rhodes and McIntyre battled in a classic clash of established main eventers, but in the end it was Rhodes who stood tall. The two-time WWE Champion finished off McIntyre with a super Cody Cutter and a Cross Rhodes to retain the WWE Championship he won just last month when he defeated John Cena at SummerSlam.
Among the key highlights of Rhodes’ successful WWE title defense were:
- The first few minutes of the match were evenly matched until Rhodes attempted to run to the ropes but eased up, hinting at an injured leg. He was able to hit a Cody Cutter but favored his knee.
- Rhodes eventually hit a springboard kick onto McIntyre followed by a suicide dive on the outside. He went for a second one, but McIntyre caught him and drove him spine-first into the turnbuckle before tossing him over the Spanish announce table.
- McIntyre gained control and hit a pair of belly-to-belly suplexes on Rhodes but missed a shoulder block in the corner, sending himself into the ring post. McIntyre regained control with an Alabama Slam on the steel ring steps.
- McIntyre climbed to the top, but Rhodes jumped up and hit a big superplex. The two exchanged blows, then Rhodes hit a running punch, a power slam and a Disaster Kick. Rhodes hit another Cody Cutter and went for Cross Rhodes, but McIntyre fought out if with a knee to the head. McIntyre hit a Glasgow Kiss headbutt and an avalance White Noise.
- McIntyre went for the Claymore Kick, but Rhodes countered with a weak powerbomb for two. McIntyre attempted another Claymore Kick, Rhodes avoided and locked in the Figure Four before McIntyre broke it up with a big punch to the jaw.
- With the ref distracted, McIntyre ripped off the turnbuckle pad and pushed Rhodes into the turnbuckle. He had Rhodes down for a long count, but the referee, who was forced to move out of the way, was unable to count. That kept Rhodes’ chances alive.
- Rhodes hit the Cross Rhodes, but McIntyre kicked out. McIntyre countered another Cody Cutter attempt with a slam, then hit a flipping dive onto Rhodes on the outside. Back in the ring, McIntyre hit the Claymore Kick for the closest nearfall of the match.
- On the outside, McIntyre lined up Rhodes for a Claymore Kick into the announce table, but the ref intervened. That allowed Rhodes to move and avoid the kick, which sent McIntyre’s leg crashing through the side of the announce table. back in the ring, Rhodes attempted a Cody Cutter, but McIntyre countered with the Glasgow Kiss.
- Rhodes hit a Super Cody Cutter, then picked McIntyre up and nailed him with the Cross Rhodes. That was enough for the pin and the victory.
Since his first WWE title win at WrestleMania 40 in April 2024, Rhodes has now surpassed 425 total days as champion across two title reigns.
WWE WrestlePalooza 2025 Results: What’s Next for Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre?
WWE WrestlePalooza 2025 likely wasn’t the end of the feud between Rhodes and McIntyre. In fact, it’s just the beginning.
Although Rhodes held onto his WWE Championship in Indianapolis, he only did so after inept refereeing arguably cost McIntyre the match on more than one occasion. That convoluted finish and questionable victory for Rhodes suggests that there is much more to come from Rhodes and McIntyre, arguably the top two full-time stars on SmackDown at the moment.
Truth be told, there really aren’t many other options for Rhodes on the blue brand right now. Cena is back on Raw while Randy Orton is a babyface, so too is Sami Zayn, and virtually no other star on SmackDown has been positioned as a viable world championship contender.
Given Rhodes’ lack of challengers on SmackDown and WWE’s upcoming PLE schedule, his rivalry with McIntyre could, and should, extend well into the fall. In just three weeks, WWE will head to Perth, Australia for Crown Jewel. The following month, WWE will host Survivor Series: WarGames in San Diego.
That seemingly sets up a McIntyre vs. Rhodes rematch for Crown Jewel, with the possibility of that feud extending all the way to Survivor Series, perhaps even in a WarGames match. WWE has done such a lackluster job of building up heels on SmackDown that extending Rhodes vs. McIntyre is the only realistic option.
While Rhodes may have won the battle at WWE WrestlePalooza 2025, McIntyre’s war with the WWE Champion, and WWE’s referees, is far from over. As it should be.
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