During the January 27 WWE RAW in Atlanta, Drew McIntyre defeated Sami Zayn, marking Zayn’s eleventh consecutive loss against McIntyre. Following the match, McIntyre continued his assault on Zayn, prompting Cody Rhodes to intervene. Kevin Owens entered the fray and attacked Rhodes, leading to chaos that culminated in Zayn accidentally striking Rhodes with a Helluva Kick.
After Rhodes recovered from the attack, he spoke about his upcoming title match against Kevin Owens but was interrupted by CM Punk. The two engaged in a heated exchange, with Punk declaring his intention to challenge Rhodes directly for his title at WrestleMania.
Following the televised segment, Carmelo Hayes launched an attack on Rhodes. The confrontation escalated when Hayes retrieved a table, but his plan backfired as Rhodes countered by powerbombing Hayes through the furniture.