Drew McIntyre has been on a destructive path since taking credit for putting Cody Rhodes on the shelf, and that rampage continued tonight on SmackDown. After defeating Randy Orton with a Claymore Kick in the main event, McIntyre wasn’t satisfied, dragging Orton outside to inflict more punishment near the commentary booth.
But before he could repeat the same act that sidelined the champion, the arena erupted as Cody Rhodes’ music hit. “The American Nightmare” stormed the ring, forcing McIntyre to retreat up the ramp.
Rhodes’ absence, which began after a storyline assault by McIntyre following SummerSlam and also coincided with the birth of his second child, is officially over. Grabbing a microphone, Rhodes made a simple, definitive statement to the WWE Universe: “[T]he champ is back.” He then officially challenged McIntyre to a match for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Wrestlepalooza.
The title match is now set for the massive event airing on ESPN on September 20th. It joins a stacked card that includes John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar, The Usos taking on Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, Iyo Sky defending her Women’s World Championship against Stephanie Vaquer, and the highly anticipated mixed tag team match between CM Punk & AJ Lee and Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch.