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WWE Wrestlepalooza will mark WWE's debut on ESPN, and the main event will feature the QB1 of the company, Cody Rhodes, defending the richest prize in our industry, the WWE Championship, against a three-time World Champion and one of the company's biggest and most dangerous names in Drew McIntyre.
Tonight's show will be just the first title defense of Rhodes' second reign as WWE Champion, after he reclaimed the title from John Cena at SummerSlam in the first week of August. Rhodes was, of course, off TV for a few weeks due to his commitments filming the upcoming Street Fighter movie, where he has been cast as Guile, as well as the birth of his baby daughter last month.
With the face of the company set to defend his title and status against a man who was in a very similar position several years ago, McIntyre vs Rhodes has a ton of intrigue, with a storied and stunningly similar past set to finally converge in the present of WWE's inaugural PLE, with massive potential for a long and epic feud and major possible ramifications for the future of SmackDown and WWE.
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In this article, we shall discuss three reasons why Drew McIntyre must defeat Cody Rhodes to win the WWE Championship at Wrestlepalooza.
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#3 WWE must kick off a "new era" with a bang
WWE will mark a major change in the distribution of its product beginning tonight. When we talk about PLEs (the likes of WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, and more) and a brand like ESPN, the stakes are higher than ever.
Wrestlepalooza needs that defining moment to forever etch tonight in history, and the best way to do so is an impactful ending. Well, what could be more impactful than one of WWE's top names in Drew McIntyre, defeating THE GUY, Cody Rhodes, in his first title defense after just having regained the top prize in the business?
#2 A win for Drew McIntyre elevates him back to where he belongs
The very top guys in the industry can't always hold the top prize all the time, but they need to be around it and be a major threat to stamp their position. And it sure is a hell of a way to mark one's return to the main event, hopefully, in the long term.
Following his incredible feud with CM Punk last year, the body of work Drew McIntyre put in should have been rewarded. Instead, he languished in the undercard. But there remains no doubt regarding his potential and pedigree.
Over the past few months, he has once again been given the freedom and opportunity to do what he does best. Not just winning the WWE Championship, but Cody Rhodes for it, that too at a landmark show like Wrestlepalooza, would elevate McIntyre back to where he once was, this time, however, as a heel, and with more even more goodwill, experience, and credibility too.
#1 A win for Drew McIntyre and a loss for Cody Rhodes spices up SmackDown
There is a reason why essentially the same result has been communicated twice in this heading. Drew McIntyre winning the WWE Championship spices things up on SmackDown, but on the flipside, Cody Rhodes losing the belt does the same in a different vein.
McIntyre as a heel World Champion is a very exciting prospect, whether against Rhodes or other top babyfaces on the brand. Meanwhile, Cody losing the title he believes is his in his very first title defense, after having held it for a year the first time, does open up the opportunity to explore his character in a nuanced manner.
As for the Drew-Cody feud itself, which is expected to turn into a multi-match series that spans several months, the build is always more interesting when the babyface is chasing.
Cody Rhodes can regain the title shortly, in which case, making the feud competitive makes sense to avoid it getting stale or McIntyre looking weak. On the other hand, the feud could even end in McIntyre coming out on top, and Cody moving on to a feud with someone like Randy Orton (if the latter turns heel), and there is potential in Rhodes being away from the WWE Championship for a while, too.
However, if McIntyre ends up winning the feud itself, it would be less likely (not out of the question) that he defeats Cody Rhodes and walks away as champion tonight. Nevertheless, for the reasons discussed above, it is imperative that a new WWE Champion is crowned tonight. Whether Randy Orton gets involved in the proceedings remains to be seen.
