Backstage News On Drew McIntyre Winning The Undisputed WWE Title

Drew McIntyre became a four-time world champion on the January 9 edition of Friday Night SmackDown as the 40-year-old defeated Cody Rhodes in a Three Stages of Hell Match, winning the match 2-1 by escaping the cage.

McIntyre initially looked set to lose as Jacob Fatu made his return in the closing moments of the match and proceeded to attack Drew, but Fatu then also attacked Cody Rhodes out of nowhere, which allowed McIntyre to crawl out of the cage door and win the match.

BodySlam has reported there were a few different pitches over the finish of the Three Stages of Hell match before WWE landed on McIntyre becoming champion with Jacob Fatu's accidental help. The wrestlers involved in the main event weren't told about the direction of the finish until just a few hours before the match.

There was a push for McIntyre to win the Undisputed WWE Title on SmackDown, including from both McIntyre and Cody Rhodes. They both originally pushed for a title change at September's Wrestlepalooza pay-per-view, but WWE decided against it at the time.

Courtesy of his January 9 win, Drew McIntyre is now a three-time WWE Champion and one-time World Heavyweight Champion. The victory also meant McIntyre was WWE Champion for the first time in front of fans, with his two previous reigns taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic.