After the January 24th WWE Saturday Night Main Event, the promotion is ramping up toward WrestleMania 42, scheduled for April 18-19 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The landscape for the Undisputed WWE Championship has become clearer, especially following the intense altercation between Jacob Fatu and Cody Rhodes during the show.
Although their confrontation didn’t lead to an official match, Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer predicts a triple threat match for the title at WrestleMania involving Fatu, Rhodes, and Drew McIntyre. Meltzer highlighted Fatu as the crowd favorite for that night, while suggesting that Cody Rhodes might face boos from the Las Vegas audience despite his recent surge in popularity—though that reaction is not guaranteed.
The current champion, McIntyre, will defend his title against Sami Zayn at the Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia this Saturday. The victor of that match is expected to enter WrestleMania as champion, unless an unexpected title defense occurs beforehand. Reports indicate Zayn will eventually get a title shot, but it remains unclear if he will leave the Royal Rumble as champion. Meanwhile, Fatu and Rhodes must win the Royal Rumble match to secure a championship opportunity; if the winner chooses to challenge WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk instead, the Elimination Chamber event in February will represent their final chance to earn a title match at WrestleMania.
If quoting this article, please credit “Wrestling Observer Radio” with thanks to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Fan Take: This developing storyline significantly raises the stakes for WrestleMania 42, injecting fresh intrigue into the championship scene that WWE fans crave. Jacob Fatu’s rise as a fan favorite could mark a pivotal moment for new talent in the company, potentially reshaping the future landscape of WWE’s top title picture.
