Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes’ Contract Signing for the WWE Title Turns Chaotic on the Halloween Segment of SmackDown

Ahead of their WWE title match at Saturday Night's Main Event, Drew McIntyre takes out Cody Rhodes with a claymore and powerbomb.

Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes’ Contract Signing for the WWE Title Turns Chaotic on the Halloween Segment of SmackDown

Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre (via WWE)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

The Halloween edition of SmackDown aired from the Delta Center in Utah and featured a solid build-up to the November 1st edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event. And it is safe to say that the closing segment on this week’s blue brand show incited a lot of excitement for Cody Rhodes defending his WWE title against Drew McIntyre. 

Nick Aldis kicked off the segment inside the ring, ready to oversee the contract signing for the Undisputed Championship bout. First out was Rhodes, who greeted the Salt Lake City crowd and wished everyone a Happy Halloween. Moments later, McIntyre made his entrance, setting the stage for a tense face-off. 

Aldis informed both men that all that remained was to sign the contract, but McIntyre immediately refused, claiming the terms were unfair and lopsided. The SmackDown GM insisted it was standard WWE legal wording, yet the Scotsman continued to object.

He cited the champion’s advantage of retaining the strap in case of a disqualification as his main concern. Aldis, unimpressed, called his bluff, saying he could easily find another challenger in the locker room willing to sign. 

McIntyre then fired back, daring Aldis to go find one, and began to walk away. That’s when Rhodes stood up, stopping him in his tracks. ‘The American Nightmare’ acknowledged his complaint and asked if he wanted a clause allowing the title to change hands by countout or disqualification. McIntyre agreed, and the reigning champion, without hesitation, said he was 110% fine with it. 

Despite Aldis’ strong objection, Rhodes insisted, telling him to let it happen. Reluctantly, Aldis allowed it, and McIntyre signed the contract. ‘The Scottish Warrior’ said he was happy to finally make it official, but also sad. He claimed that he and Rhodes should have been the best of friends after all these years on the road, but couldn’t stomach how the WWE Champion carried himself.

McIntyre accused Rhodes of representing corporate America, saying fans should hate him for it but instead cheer him weekly. He then declared himself the true embodiment of the American Dream, a hardworking immigrant who never used influence to get ahead. Rhodes fired back, saying he respected McIntyre’s journey and the path he carved, calling it commendable.

He credited McIntyre for creating a blueprint that others, including himself, followed, traveling overseas, performing in front of small crowds, and grinding for the love of the business. But, he pointed out, their stories diverged when things went south with WWE. Rhodes ended his speech by wishing McIntyre good luck and vowing to finish on top. 

Fuming, McIntyre snapped back, accusing the WWE Champion of taking everything while others give until they have nothing left. He warned that one day, the fans would turn on Rhodes just like they did on him. Then, in a low blow, McIntyre taunted Rhodes by mentioning his daughters and asking their names. 

That crossed the line. Rhodes snapped, smashing McIntyre’s face into the table. Rhodes lined up for a belt shot, but the Scot ducked out, baiting ‘The American Nightmare’ into losing his composure. As Aldis tried to intervene, Rhodes shoved him aside, only to walk straight into a devastating Claymore Kick.

McIntyre wasn’t finished. He picked up the championship belt, looked it over, then moved the table and powerbombed Rhodes straight through it. Standing tall over the wreckage, McIntyre laughed and promised he would do whatever it takes to walk out as the new Undisputed WWE Champion.

Drew McIntyre recalls teaming up with Cody Rhodes in 2010 and reigning as WWE Tag Team champions

As teased during their SmackDown segment, both Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre have become prime examples of wrestlers who reinvented themselves after leaving WWE. McIntyre was released in 2014 following his forgettable stint with 3MB, while Rhodes requested his release in 2016 after growing frustrated with the Stardust persona.

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

From there, both men rebuilt their careers on the independent circuit. McIntyre, wrestling under his real name Drew Galloway, captured world titles in TNA and other promotions. Rhodes, meanwhile, made waves in Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling before helping launch All Elite Wrestling in 2019. 

McIntyre returned to WWE in April 2017, while Rhodes took a longer path back, making his grand return at WrestleMania 38 in 2022. However, before their individual journeys to the top, the two once shared the ring as partners. 

In late 2010, they briefly teamed up as ‘The Dashing Ones’, a duo built around their good looks. Their partnership lasted just over a month but was long enough to capture tag team gold, though, even then, both men had bigger ambitions. Reflecting on that time during the No-Contest Wrestling podcast, McIntyre said:

We were the Dashing Ones back then, and we were, uh, we’re very similar. We’re both the same age, both very driven, both that people believing in us to the point we really believed in ourselves, maybe more than we should have at the time. We were so sure of ourselves that we should be like world champions at that time when we won the tag titles, instead of taking that opportunity and making it as big as we possibly could.

Drew McIntyre via No-Contest Wrestling podcast

Looking back, McIntyre admitted that the mindset seemed ridiculous at the time, but it reflected their hunger to succeed. Both he and Rhodes endured tough roads before ultimately becoming top stars in 2025’s WWE. Rhodes has now main-evented three consecutive WrestleManias (2023–2025), ended Roman Reigns’ historic title reign, and played a key role in John Cena’s retirement run. 

McIntyre, on the other hand, carried the company through the pandemic era, winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36 by defeating Brock Lesnar and later reclaiming world title glory at WrestleMania 40 by toppling Seth Rollins.

With their shared history and current rivalry heating up through WrestlePalooza and SmackDown segments, it will be fascinating to see how this next chapter between two rejuvenated main-eventers unfolds.

Also Read: