Shocking Finish Report Shakes Up Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre at Wrestlepalooza

According to reports, Cody Rhodes was initially set to drop the WWE title to Drew McIntyre at Wrestlepalooza owing to an major interference.

Shocking Finish Report Shakes Up Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre at Wrestlepalooza

Drew McIntyre vs. Cody Rhodes at Wrestlepalooza (via WWE)

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Ahead of WWE’s debut on ESPN with Wrestlepalooza, Triple H promised plenty of surprises. Fans expected a show of historic proportions, one that could even elevate the event into WWE’s ‘Big 4’ in the future. Unfortunately, the mega card didn’t live up to the hype.

The main event between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre, in particular, left many underwhelmed as ‘The American Nightmare’ retained without any major twists or turns. Rhodes secured the win after exploiting McIntyre’s kayfabe knee injury and finishing him with a Cross Rhodes in just 17 minutes.

But according to BodySlam.net, both champion and challenger had very different plans for the finish. A major rumor claims Rhodes actually pitched the idea of losing the match on Saturday night. The report states that Rhodes suggested Randy Orton interfere in the main event, accidentally costing him the WWE Championship.

This would set up a storyline where Rhodes chased the title once again, eventually regaining it from McIntyre before Orton betrayed him, leading to a long-awaited Rhodes vs. Orton feud, potentially at WrestleMania 42.

The same report also notes that McIntyre was open to the idea of a title change at Wrestlepalooza. However, as fans saw, WWE went in a different direction and put over Rhodes in a standard match. 

Sources indicate that both Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre pitched Randy Orton, accidentally costing Rhodes the Undisputed WWE Championship. This would’ve set up Cody chasing the title once again and winning it back from Drew before Randy pulled the trigger and turned on Cody.

via report from BodySlam.com

It is possible that the decision to bring back the Crown Jewel Championship played a role in how the Wrestlepalooza main event ended. With the WWE Champion and World Heavyweight Champion set to clash at Crown Jewel in Australia later this month, putting the title on McIntyre would have created a heel vs. heel matchup on October 11. 

Instead, WWE opted to keep the belt on Rhodes, setting up a renewed rivalry with Seth Rollins in a battle for bragging rights. That outcome, however, didn’t sit well with fans, or even ESPN. In its official review, ESPN was blunt, giving Wrestlepalooza an overall grade of C. 

The main event between Rhodes and McIntyre was described as “underwhelming” and graded a C, while the highly anticipated John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar bout fared even worse with a C-. The one bright spot came from Stephanie Vaquer, who made history by defeating Iyo Sky to win the Women’s World Title. ESPN noted this as the saving grace of an otherwise disappointing show.

After Wrestlepalooza’s failure, WrestleMania 42 further disappoints fans with hefty ticket prices

WrestleMania 41 was a massive success earlier this year in Las Vegas, spanning two nights of blockbuster action. Night 1 closed with Seth Rollins defeating Roman Reigns and CM Punk in a 40-minute thriller, where he shockingly aligned with Paul Heyman to secure a historic win. 

Night 2 saw John Cena capture his record 17th World Championship by defeating Cody Rhodes in what many called a lukewarm main event. Despite mixed reviews, the event was a huge financial hit. Looking ahead, WWE has already confirmed WrestleMania 43 will take place in Saudi Arabia, with reports of a staggering $250 million payout. 

WrestleMania 42
WrestleMania 42 (via WWE)

But before that, the company is bringing WrestleMania 42 back to Las Vegas. And if one wants to be there, they will need to spend big. Ticket prices for WWE’s biggest show continue to climb. Recently, TKO COO Mark Shapiro stirred controversy by saying Vince McMahon kept prices too family-friendly and claimed WWE hadn’t been maximizing revenue. 

This comment drew plenty of backlash from fans. Still, WWE is standing firm with record-high prices for WrestleMania 42. According to PWInsider’s Mike Johnson, the two-day ticket costs (before Ticketmaster and handling fees) are set as follows.

  • Section A1 (floor): $8,998.00
  • Section B (floor): $3,868.00
  • Section R101: $2,200.75
  • 100 Level: $1,495.00 – $1,174.80
  • 200 Level: $1,303.54 – $1,174.80
  • 300 Section: $1,174.80
  • 400 Section: $854.15

Tickets officially go on sale Wednesday, September 24. With prices higher than ever, the big question is: will fans still sell out Allegiant Stadium, or will sticker shock take its toll on WrestleMania 42’s attendance?

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