There’s only one man who could replace Drew McIntyre at WWE Wrestlepalooza and face Cody Rhodes!

Cody Rhodes is set to defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre at Wrestlepalooza. The rivalry started on the post-SummerSlam episode of SmackDown, where The Scottish Warrior brutally attacked Rhodes, driving his skull through the commentary desk with a Claymore. The attack put The American Nightmare out of commission for several weeks.

The Undisputed WWE Champion returned on last week's edition of the Friday night show, attacking McIntyre, who was about to take out Randy Orton, just as he had done with Rhodes. The bitter rivals will now go one-on-one this Saturday with Cody's title on the line. However, what if the Scotsman doesn't make it to Wrestlepalooza? In that case, there could be no better replacement to face The American Nightmare than The Viper himself.

During Cody's absence, Orton targeted Drew McIntyre, laying him out with an RKO on the August 22 episode of SmackDown. Previously, The Viper had teamed up with Jelly Roll in a losing effort against McIntyre and Logan Paul at WWE SummerSlam. The two faced off in a grudge match last week, where the Scotsman was victorious.

After the bout, the veteran was about to suffer the same fate as Cody Rhodes, as McIntyre had him in position for a Claymore near the commentary desk. However, The American Nightmare made a timely save. Given that The Scottish Psychopath attempted to put him on the shelf, Orton may come seeking revenge on this week's SmackDown.

The Apex Predator is no stranger to taking things too far, and if he does the same tonight, McIntyre may be forced to miss Wrestlepalooza. Taking advantage of the situation, Orton could step up as Rhodes' opponent for the Indianapolis event. Given the hype around the show, if McIntyre can't compete, Nick Aldis may have to make Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes official for the forthcoming PLE.

That said, this is just speculation about one of many routes the Triple H-led creative team could take.

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Randy Orton previously faced Cody Rhodes at WWE Night of Champions 2025

If the abovementioned scenario does play out, it wouldn't be the first time the two would square off this year. The Viper locked horns with The American Nightmare in the final of the King of the Ring Tournament at Night of Champions. After falling short against Gunther last year, this was Randy Orton's second chance at winning the coveted crown.

During the bout, the veteran had Rhodes in position for a Punt Kick. However, the 14-time World Champion hesitated to pull the trigger, allowing Cody to get out of the way in time. In the end, The American Nightmare sent Orton into an exposed turnbuckle before hitting a Cross Rhodes to win the match.

The Viper was visibly frustrated after the loss, but he later showed support to Rhodes ahead of his Undisputed WWE Championship match against John Cena at SummerSlam.