3 reasons why Cody Rhodes retained his title over Drew McIntyre at SNME

Overview

• On November 1, 2025, episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, Cody Rhodes won his match against Drew McIntyre and successfully retained the Undisputed WWE Championship
• The American Nightmare delivered a Cross Rhodes and defended his title by claiming a win via pinfall
• There are three major reasons behind Cody's win, although Drew's win could've made things interesting

On November 1, 2025, episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, Cody Rhodes won his match against Drew McIntyre and successfully retained the Undisputed WWE Championship. The American Nightmare delivered a Cross Rhodes and defended his title by claiming a win via pinfall. There are three major reasons behind Cody's win, although Drew's win could've made things interesting.

Also Read: Results of all four matches from WWE SNME, November 1, 2025

The feud between Cody and Drew did not meet the expectations, as there was a lot of potential for it to be one of the best feuds of the year. However, it was not the case, as the feud lacked the fire required to enhance their rivalry, and the matches had plain endings, which meant that the future storylines were not explored.

3 reasons why Cody Rhodes retained his title over Drew McIntyre at SNME

Cody Rhodes is a bigger draw than Drew McIntyre

Cody Rhodes has been one of the most popular WWE Superstars since his return in 2022. The star wrestler has been a big draw in the big PLEs, as he has main-evented Night 2 in three consecutive WrestleManias from 2023 to 2025. He is treated as the biggest babyface of the company, although the fans have started to turn on him.

Also Check: All WWE Superstars whose names were showcased in the announcement for John Cena's 'The Last Time is Now Tournament'

While Drew McIntyre could be a great champion, who has a lot to offer, the belt being held by Cody means a bigger draw, given that he has been more popular than Drew and can attract fans to buy tickets. McIntyre might have to wait for his chances before winning the title again.

Cody Rhodes is likely to hold the title till WrestleMania

There is a good chance of Cody potentially holding the title till WrestleMania 42. In the promo, which was released for the show of all shows in Las Vegas, Cody was featured, which meant that WWE has big plans for him. He is likely to defend his title in one of the Main Events of the two nights.

Read More: Predicting winners for all four matches of WWE SNME, November 1, 2025

The star wrestler is rumored to face one of Brock Lesnar or Roman Reigns for the world title, although there could be a case for other opponents. It is good for him to stay as the champion, which will open up room for many big matches, compared to what Drew had to offer, although he is a great worker and has proved it time and again.

Potential big feuds to follow

As mentioned earlier, Cody might be involved in big feuds in the days to come, featuring Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and Randy Orton. WWE can decide it based on the story arc and the hype for these feuds. Some of these are dream feuds and have a bigger leverage for a major PLE like WrestleMania.

Tap Here: John Cena reaffirms that his SNME appearance on December 13, 2025, will mark his retirement

There is a potential case for The Rock being involved in some of these feuds or having a go at Cody himself, given what transpired between the two at the Elimination Chamber 2025. Given the story around Cody, he might be seen as an individual better suited to carry the title than McIntyre.