The WrestlePalooza main event is official. On SmackDown, WWE confirmed that Cody Rhodes will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre in the closing match of the night.
The announcement ended speculation stirred earlier in the week when Joe Tessitore stated on SportsCenter that John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar would headline the event. Pat McAfee later corrected the report, noting that Cena and Lesnar would open the show, leaving Rhodes and McIntyre to close it.
The confirmation came during a tense contract signing that quickly escalated. Rhodes mocked McIntyre as a “keyboard warrior” for his recent social media activity, even provoking him into tweeting during the segment. McIntyre obliged, posting: “Thank you Cody.”
McIntyre explained that the message reflected his belief that Rhodes, as a so-called “corporate champion,” would finally grant him a clean title match without interference. He warned Rhodes that fans would eventually turn on him, insisting that the champion would see he was right all along.
Rhodes fired back by revisiting their shared history. Exactly 15 years ago, the two held tag team gold together. He dismissed the memory as irrelevant, saying fans weren’t interested in nostalgia—they only cared about watching them fight.
After the paperwork was signed, tensions boiled over. McIntyre rose from his chair and drilled Rhodes with a headbutt, dragging the brawl to ringside. He set up to drive Rhodes’s head through the announce table, as he had threatened before, but pulled back, saying he wouldn’t “screw it up” and risk losing the main event.
That hesitation gave Rhodes an opening. He launched himself through the ropes with a suicide dive, reigniting the fight. Officials swarmed the scene, but McIntyre broke free, landing a Claymore Kick that left Rhodes sprawled.
SmackDown closed with McIntyre stomping on the champion’s head, standing over him as he told Rhodes to savor his final night with the title.