If Drew McIntyre unexpectedly winning the Undisputed WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes to kick off 2026 wasn’t exciting enough, the match to determine his first challenger is set to be something else. Randy Orton, Damian Priest, Trick Williams (newly called up from “WWE NXT”) and Sami Zayn are set to do battle in a four-way match. The winner will go on to the Royal Rumble next week to challenge McIntyre for the gold.
There are so many reasons why this match is an exciting one. To start, any match with big stakes on Saturday Night’s Main Event is already a good thing, as most of the time, these Peacock specials can use any help they can get to feel special. It’s also exciting that after so many matches with Rhodes, who he’s been battling since Wrestlepalooza, McIntyre is moving on to something new, rather than Rhodes just getting a rematch.
The main reason this match goes in the “draw” column, however, is due to the performers involved. “The Viper” has had his eyes on the Undisputed Championship, quite literally, for a while now. He also mentioned his 14 title reigns in a recent promo with The Miz, making his intentions for the year pretty clear. Williams defeating Matt Cardona to earn his way into the match was also exciting, as he’s a super hot call-up who, even as a heel, is getting over big with fans. While he may not pull out a big SNME victory, he’s likely destined for the Royal Rumble match and other great things.
Priest had been involved in what felt like a never-ending feud against Aleister Black, so him moving on to something different, and something much bigger, feels fresh. And then there’s Sami Zayn, who looks like the favorite to win the match, and the competitor involved in the most interesting story thus far. Zayn has never held a top title on the main roster in WWE, despite holding the NXT Championship, along with main roster tag team gold, four runs with the Intercontinental Championship, and a US title run. He’s really gunning for it, and as a fan favorite, he has plenty of support behind him.
There’s a lot on the line at SNME, a show that could have been a pretty boring one just a week ahead of the Royal Rumble. Adding a match to determine the No. 1 contender for the Undisputed WWE Championship, rather than just run Rhodes vs. McIntyre back at one of the two events, is the best choice WWE has made since finally putting the gold on “The Scottish Warrior.” While the winner may seem obvious, the match is looking to be a good one.
Written by Daisy Ruth
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