During last night's episode of WWE SmackDown, the company announced a huge championship match scheduled for January 9th. Undisputed WWE Champion "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes will defend his title against "The Scottish Warrior" Drew McIntyre in a Three Stages of Hell Match.
The announcement came during the main event segment after McIntyre entered the ring to apologize to referee Dan Engler and pay his fine. Although his apology was sarcastic, McIntyre still fulfilled his obligations, which secured his match.
Rhodes then entered the ring to confront McIntyre. McIntyre attempted to provoke Rhodes into hitting him, which would have resulted in Rhodes being stripped of his title due to the match stipulation. SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis intervened to hold Rhodes back. McIntyre then revealed the match's stipulation and concluded the segment by striking Rhodes with a Claymore kick.
The January 9th episode of WWE SmackDown will take place at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany. It will be broadcast on the USA Network for fans in the United States and on Netflix for international viewers.
THREE STAGES OF HELL?!??
These two are going to absolutely destroy each other 🫣@DMcIntyreWWE @CodyRhodes pic.twitter.com/n8MS0mWkUB— WWE (@WWE) December 27, 2025
