The road to WrestleMania 42 became clearer on Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown when Cody Rhodes defeated Drew McIntyre to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship for the third time.

Rhodes’ victory appears to set up a long-anticipated WrestleMania clash with his longtime friend and mentor Randy Orton. However, new reports suggest that WWE originally had a very different plan for the championship match at WrestleMania 42.

According to PWInsider Elite, the original pitch was for Rhodes and McIntyre to settle their rivalry at WrestleMania inside Hell in a Cell. The concept behind the match reportedly revolved around the brutal injuries both men had suffered in previous Hell in a Cell bouts.

Rhodes famously competed in a Hell in a Cell match against Seth Rollins in 2022 despite suffering a torn pectoral muscle, while McIntyre endured a similarly punishing match against CM Punk in the stipulation.

The proposed WrestleMania encounter was also meant to build off the duo’s rivalry earlier this year, including their cage match during a Three Stages of Hell match in January, where McIntyre defeated Rhodes to win the championship.

Ultimately, WWE decided to pivot creative direction. The company opted to put the title back on Rhodes ahead of WrestleMania, positioning him for a high-profile match with Orton instead. Meanwhile, McIntyre is now expected to move into a separate program with Jacob Fatu, whose interference during the SmackDown title match contributed to McIntyre losing the championship.

The report also noted that WWE has been adjusting several WrestleMania plans due to injuries across the roster, which influenced the decision to move away from Rhodes vs. McIntyre.

During a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer echoed the expectation that Rhodes vs. Orton and McIntyre vs. Fatu are the likely WrestleMania matches. However, Meltzer cautioned that plans are not completely locked in, noting he had not been told “100%” that the matches are finalized.

With several weeks still remaining before WrestleMania 42, WWE could still make further changes to the card if circumstances require it.

Original Plan For Undisputed WWE Title Match At WrestleMania 42 Revealed

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