[10.0] "I was so happy when I watched this masterpiece live! THIS IS LEGENDARY. The victory of my favorite champion to the cheers of the hot European crowd! Finally, I got to see Drew McIntyre's championship triumph! I'm a huge fan of his title run in 2020. I've really missed those epic championship pushes. Finally, we don't have Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes as champions, but a Champion of the People! The match itself was genius, and Drew's victory once again looked like an absolute, universe-level win. The scale of the event is incomparable -- when a wrestler becomes champion in an era where only three super-titled wrestlers with reigns of at least a year can hold the belt. And on SmackDown, no less. The ending was legendary. Drew is My Champ! 5 stars!"
[8.0] "Overall as a full package this is a solid match, wasn't a huge fan of how the first stage ended a bit too soon, but they more than made up for it in the 2nd stage. Jacob Fatu possibly unintentionally costing the WWE Championship was a shocking outcome but nonetheless a deserving one for Drew McIntyre."
[8.0] "Finally a truly good match between these two! The first stage is alright and the finish is a clever way to end it prematurely while adding some more heat. The Falls Count Anywhere stage is pretty fun, but that Steel Cage stage is something else. Drew receiving love from the German crowd is awesome, and him finally winning the title is so damn satisfying. On a side note, Cody has got to be the most overly protected wrestler I have ever seen. I kinda dig the finish, but how does a beast like Drew defeating Cody clean hurts Cody? I mean, he's half his size and Drew deserves everything. But hey, at least we finally get Drew as world champion again, and for such a big time moment to happen on SmackDown, we can only be grateful. ***3/4"
[5.0] "[2.5*] It was fine, not bad and not really good, I liked the second fall it was entertaining actually, the other two fall were fine, an interesting ending for the third fall; Da cinema basically! lol."
[6.0] "These two worked hard and did about as much as they could reasonably do with the limitations I imagine were imposed upon them with regards to doing anything too violent. International crowds always go crazy for a title switch and this was no exception. Although it did feel lacking in the sense that the finish was a complete anti-climax after they'd gone at it for the best part of 30 minutes. A world title match with the distraction finish, and to boot one that comes in a match with a cage stipulation, just feels like lazy booking. The feud between these two has never really had the sufficient spark it needed to remain compelling for the months it has stretched across. Somehow, all of this just feels very perfunctory and unimportant."
[6.0] "Modern wwe matchs, all over the place with lack of creativity for a world title match and a weird finish, the first half told you Drew was winning and the rest was boring until the last minutes with the kickout but its just another wwe main event and of course someone in a hoodie make a run in"
[4.0] "Ich hatte drauf gehofft, Cody bleibt Champ bis Mania und tritt dort gegen Sami Zayn an. Das hätte eine tolle Story für beide und nen potentiellen Heelturn für Zayn oder Cody Rhodes gegeben und beide können es gebrauchen. Drew ist der interessantere Wrestler auch wenn sein verbittertes Gehabe monoton wird, weil sich diese Tour schon seit Jahren zieht. Der Kampf war recht ordentlich. Für ein Fehdenende zu wenig, wobei die Fehde die meiste Zeit über stinklangweilig war und man musste Codys whackes Wrestling ertragen, bei dem ich ihn keine Aktion so richtig abkaufe. Und ja, das Finish hat reingeschissen. Positiv zu erwähnen ist die Tatsache, dass es ne Weekly ist und dann sogar noch in Deutschland mit einem World Title wechseln. Aber wenn man sowas schon mit einberechnen muss, war der Kampf einfach schwach. Habe die Hälfte der Zeit auf Instagram rumgescrollt. Und das spricht gegen den Kampf. Sorry, das war nichts."
[8.0] "Great way to kick off Smackdowns return to 3 hours. The ending was a bit slow/unengaging at times, and the feud at this point has been stale for months, and the ending wasn't really that great of a way to put Drew over; despite all of that, this was an incredibly fun watch that by the end had me popping to see drew take the title. The crowd was into this match cheering on drew and hating Cody. I hope this isn't a two week transitional reign for all that's good, but for the first time in forever it truly feels like something happened on an episode of Smackdown."
[9.0] "This was a great match and I'm very surprised that Drew actually won the title as I was 95% sure that Cody was winning again. Interested to see what happens from here then. Also means Cody is probably in the Royal Rumble now then."
[5.0] "The match is fine, it's just quite lifeless. The match feels like a normal match not a match to end the feud. A pretty bad feud, it feels like both Drew and Cody came out worse than when the feud started. They both feel quite uninteresting currently. Still glad Drew won the world title and I hope something actually comes from it. Also the match ending from Drew escaping through the door is bad, funny, but still pretty bad. 2.75/5."
[7.0] "What a strange match this is. The first fall for all things is god awful but the rest of the match is good fun that makes up for that. Nothing insane, hell I think its not even the best match of the night but otherwise yeah good stuff."
[6.0] "mid. first, it was leaked that drew would win, i saw a bunch of tweets saying that there was a push to have drew wit, and so on. Secondly, the fantasy disaster booking with Jacob Fatu appearing was spot on. Many feared he would cost Drew, but putting 2 and 2 together we can see that this was the way that Cody would lose, as this protected him. But what protection? He was pinned in 5 minutes after a low blow? What? This is all it takes after this guy was presented as unstoppable? It makes sense in the connotation that any punch can knock out any fighter, but within WWE's ontology it is perhaps evident how this machination presents itself as. It is farcical to the extreme. Perhaps in another promotion this works excellently, but here we have the most glaring contradiction with the American style of booking. Good for Drew but the match was mid. Cody's jump from the audience was cool but idk why i expected a crazy tope he just fell on him lmao #fire."
[9.0] "I'm still buzzing from this. A '3 Stages of Hell' match on SmackDown and a WWE World Title change! That is HISTORIC. We've all been begging for Drew to get his moment, and to see WWE finally pull the trigger when absolutely nobody expected it was unreal. The match itself was a war. Yeah, the finish with Fatu was a bit messy but honestly I don't give a shit. The right guy finally won. 100% the right call."
[8.0] "Stage one was a quick win after Cody dominated, which is a tried and tested way of doing this type of stip. I loved that Drew was a hypocrite and cheated to win that one. The selfie spot was fantastic and the use of the banana stupid, but funny. The kick out from the balcony table kick out was a surprise and the Cross Rhodes on the announce desk was sick, as was the superplex from the cage in the third fal.I thought the tilt a whirl Cross Rhodes counter was exceptional.Triple cross Rhodes counter into the exposed turnbuckle and Claymore was a great false finish. The Cody Cutter from the cage was another sick false finish. And for me, what a fucking finish. Makes sense as Jacob wants Drew, but Cody got a beating too because, well Jacob is Jacob. The title change freshens up the Road to WrestleMania considerably. Loved this, loved the physicality, scrapes and bleeding."
[3.0] "This finish was absolutely terrible, extremely bad, and it's quite embarassing that I have to write a long comment to justify this rating. Hell we even got two bad finishes in the same match because the finish of the first fall also sucked (yes the so called straight wrestling match ending in 3 minutes with a low blow classifies as a bad finish). Both men worked very hard especially Cody who took some really big bumps and the actual wrestling was good so I won't go lower than 3 but the booking was terrible."
[6.0] "Really liked the "straight wrestling match" (please stop calling it that), after that it becomes more of a mixed bag. The falls count anywhere match was kinda lame walk and brawl nonsense that ultimately climaxed in a couple fun big spots (though the pop when Cody dived off the stairs was louder than the announce table crossrhodes and should've been the finish imo). Then the cage match was looking to be the best segment until the lame interference spot and disappointing escape the cage through the door finish. Right winner, wrong finish."
[5.0] "it was mid all the way long like it was not an incredible match like what i have heard recently on social media the first steelcage was pretty decent but sloppy booking once again by triple h but mcintyre winning the championship was enjoyable"
[9.0] "So the stage was set. The blow off match for a feud that has been quite underwhelming when you factor in the type of work both these men are capable of doing, but they did a good job building this match since there was more time as opposed to Wrestlepalooza and SNME where it felt a bit rushed. Despite being able to pick the stipulation for the last match (where his plan failed), Drew was able to do the same thing again but this time he chooses 3 stages of hell. Regular singles match, falls count anywhere, and a steel cage where the stipulations for each fall. Drew was at crossroads here (no pun intended), where all the things he would say he was going to do didn't come to fruition, which made him more desperate to finally win the WWE title once again, just look at the SNME match for instance, if Cody got disqualified, he loses the belt. Then before this match if Cody laid his hands on Drew he would of gotten stripped of the title, and as we got closer and closer to the match, Drew would try to get Cody to break so he could win the title the easy way. Making a compelling case as to why things didn't turn out on his favour (even tho it was his own undoing), he smartly chose to do this match in Berlin, cause of the times things didn't go his way in America, especially with how this was framed too, look at the video package for the match, they made Drew look like the good guy here. Not to mention, the last time he wrestled in Berlin he lost. Drew mentioned even before Cody won the title for a second time during a segment that he wanted to be the one to rip the title out of his hands after he beat Cena. Now the match, Cody wastes no time getting the jump on Drew when the bell rings, immediately hitting him with an array of offence. Drew tried to bait Cody once again but he wasn't having it, the first attempt at his plan failed once again. I appreciate how Drew was stooging here in the early going. Cody's intensity was on full display. Drew was getting dominated but that was part of the first part of the plan when he would find an opening after he ripped the turnbuckle pad when Cody was attempting to hit him with another suplex, ref got distracted, Drew hits Cody with a lowblow and follows it up with a Claymore to win up the first stage. Drew now another win away from finally winning the title again, picks up the urgency even more when he put Cody through a table with a powerbomb but Cody would kick out. They would continue to fight all over the arena, backstage even, as they land repeated blows one another, using the environment to their advantage. Cody would then hit Drew with the funniest looking splash (I say this affectionately), for a nearfall, with holy shit chants breaking out. The action is then brought back to ringside with Drew attempting to Claymore Cody's head through the bottom of the announce table just until Cody countered, and nails Drew with a Cross Rhodes to even the falls at 1-1 through the announce table. Both men sell the toll of the match really nicely as the cage is lowering after Cody brings Drew back in the ring. Drew cowardly tries to escape out of the cage knowing he's one win away from immortality, and from there, both men would just trade bombs the rest of way. Using the cage as a weapon, high impact moves, big spots, the desperation and urgency to win the match was on full display. Both guys had to dig deep if they were gonna come out the winner. Biting, eye raking, all for the biggest prize in the game, just doing things out of spite without any fear of the repercussions. No hesitation from either man. Then the unthinkable happens, Jacob Fatu shows up as Drew attempted to win the match by escaping through the cage door, and jumps him, since Drew is the presumed attacker of what happened to him in October but we don't know for sure yet, Cody sees this cause this isn't what he wanted and then Jacob and Cody start going at it, and this is where Drew's plan finally came to fruition, just like how he beat Cody in the first fall, he uses the Jacob distraction to his advantage to win the match. Now Drew is a 4 time world champion. 3 time WWE champion. All the pain and suffering he endured over the last couple of years, all the failed attempts, misfires, it all worked in his favor finally. While some people may not of liked the finish, but I think it's perfect, especially if you remember how Drew beat Cody when they wrestled for the first time in the WWE back in February of 2024, how Drew lost to Roman at Clash at the Castle, both matches involved a bloodline member getting involved. The fact that Drew was ok with how he beat Cody in 2024, and now in 2026, perfectly illustrates how far off the deep end the Drew character has fallen, because of everything he's been through. Get yours now and worry about what happens later, he is now WWE champion once again because of that mindset. Now things get a bit interesting in how the road to mania plays out. Who attacked Jacob? What are the big mania matches for this year? For that reason alone, I have no qualms with how this played out, even tho I didn't like how Drew would use Twitter talking points in his promo materials during this feud. It worked out in the end. The road to WrestleMania is officially on. Great match. There are things you can nitpick about like most wrestling matches, but this worked for me. The intention is too hard to ignore here. ****1/4"
[7.0] "I didn't understand the stipulation of this match, since only the final fall truly mattered. The booking did the feud a disservice and ultimately dragged the match down, despite the significant potential it had given its importance. The first two falls were rushed through with little care. In the opening fall, Cody Rhodes' motivation was unclear. At first, it seemed like he genuinely wanted a quick win, but instead he mostly came across as frantic and unfocused. Drew McIntyre's idea of forcing Cody to lose the fall via disqualification was there, but the story never had time to develop because the fall ended far too quickly. The second fall existed almost exclusively to set up two outside-the-ring spots. Beyond those moments, it was a standard WWE-style brawl, lacking creativity or meaningful progression. It was only in the final fall that the match finally found its footing. This is where the character work shined with the tension between Cody and Drew becoming clear, along with each man's desire to prove he is the top wrestler on the brand. Unfortunately, just as the match was reaching a higher level and the final fall had the chance to make up for the first two, the booking struck again and somehow they still failed to give Drew McIntyre a clean victory."
[9.0] "Bisher das beste WWE Match des Jahres mit Abstand, dass normale Match war in Ordnung, dass Falls Count Anywhere Match war gut aber dann eines der besten Cage matches seit langer Zeit mit dem Fatu Finish und dem Schocker, so viele Fragen in Richtung Rumble und Mania sind jetzt offen, alles wurde geändert, Mcintyre ist 4 Times World Champion, es ist perfekt"
[8.0] "[4.25 Stars] This one didn't quite have the same feeling of danger, or that something crazy could happen, that previous three stages of hell matches have had, but these man are so damn good that they sure as hell brought the intensity that the match needed to feel worth it. Terrific stuff throughout from both guys and the way they told the story through each stage was really well done. As it was taped I had heard about/seen the finish before I saw the match. With context, the finish is brilliant. Really great stuff all around and so happy to finally see Drew win a title match again after so many years."
[8.0] "Great match, for my first time watching three stages of hell, I thought it was handled well, really happy Drew is now champion, however I once again hated the ending with Fatu coming back, at least positively it creates a new and cool feud with Cody & Jacob."
[9.0] "They gave it their all, it was Drew's final chance. The splash from the railing from Cody, the Cody Cutter from the top of the cage, Cross Rhoades on the table, both dropping on the ropes hanging from the cage, alongside many many memorable moments. This had the big match feel, you almost forgot this was literally another episode of SmackDown, and not a PPV main event. Crowd was lit up obviously, overall this is what wrestling is supposed to be. Not just an exchange of continuous strikes but a harrowing struggle leading to a memorable finish. Fatu's return led to a debacle at the end leading to slimey Drew winning the title off of an intervention, yet Drew proved his words right, finally got what he deserved."
[9.0] "This really felt like the best match Cody and Drew have ever put on together, very fast, physical, and packed with big moments, even if that first fall flew by a little too quickly. The chaos of the Falls Count Anywhere brawl and the brutality of the steel cage kept the whole thing tense, with Cody throwing himself off crazy heights and both guys going all-in. Then Jacob Fatu showed up out of nowhere, which threw everyone off because his attack on Cody didn't even make sense after how normal their last interaction was. Still, his interference clearly pushes him into the main-event picture and opens the door for a bunch of new storylines. In the end, Drew taking advantage of the madness to finally win the WWE Title just felt right, and it sets things up perfectly for whatever comes next."
[10.0] "Even though some might argue that the ending was lame and the first round was mid, I still thought this was a pretty good match with WWE finally pulling the trigger on Drew."
[7.0] "The first fall was a little bit too short and ended out of nowhere. The second one was better - Cody controlled the action and gave Drew a hard time. The third was so-so. The lack of brutality and a confusing double attack by Jacob. Was it Drew or Cody that assaulted him a few months back? If only one of them attacked him, why was he beating two of them? I don't know, I'll see. A quite good watch, but the appeal of Three Stages of Hell is long gone, because of the violence restrictions if you will"
[9.0] "Loved this one, although the first fall felt a bit rushed the next two made up for it. Great to see Fatu back (although interrupting a cage match does feel a bit cheap) and I could do without seeing Drew absorbing two back to back finishers like they were nothing. However, the cutter from the top of the cage was amazing as was the backstage brawling. Overall, it was a great main event between two of the top guys around right now."
[8.0] "This match was very good and it was structured nicely. Super happy Drew finally had his moment in front of fans and even more so overseas. But there's a weird feeling I have where this match just didn't feel like a three stages of hell match. The first two falls especially the first one legit lasted like 3 minutes and then the second maybe like 6 minutes so by the time we get to the third fall we're like no more then 10 minutes into this match and then I just feel like the cage itself wasn't really put over as the third and final stage being ultimate hell in this match. I enjoyed the feud and the match itself no shitting on it just a weird feeling I had. Also the finish was cool fatu returns and goes after Drew but then shockingly he went after Cody and ultimately costed him the world title. The finish was interesting to me because I personally would have liked Drew to win it legit and not really tainted and now I wonder do we get a three way eventually or does fatu feud with one before the other. Great match great outcome. (****1/4)"
[9.0] "Yes, that was awesome. That's the way how we made main event. Drew palyed with Cody so long and Rhodes from the first secunds attacked McIntyre in a non-stop action fight, but he grab the first fall. In the middle part Cody beat his opponent behind the crowd and pin after Cross Rhodes on commentary table. The last part of this match was brutal and tensioned, almost every move can ended entire match. But Jacob Fatu reterned and helped McIntyre won WWE championship. Not satisfyed by this ending, but I'm very happy for Drew, he deserved it."
[8.0] "This was a really fun match. Both competitors are fantastic and the crowd was eating everything up. It was a bit funny to start with a pure wrestling match however the other two stipulations really brought things up. Simply it was really fun to watch these two beat the shit out of each in the crowd and then in a cage. I was NOT a fan of another fucking run in. This didn't need it, enough with interruptions and let your babyfaces lose honestly. I'll also be honest and say it was the right call to have Drew win. Fun match, I never tune into weekly WWE but I'm glad I did for this"
[6.0] "Das war ja schon ein ziemlich cooles Match, das es ohne dem absurd lächerlichen Finish wohl sogar zu einer Empfehlung von mir gebracht hätte. Leider mit einigem Stalling, das mir persönlich gar nicht gefällt und auch die Matchstruktur sehr zäh gemacht hat"
[9.0] "An outstanding match between two top-tier performers, and a main event that truly felt worthy of its stipulation. The Three Stages of Hell format was used intelligently, allowing both Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre to showcase different facets of their styles: technical wrestling, physical brutality, and emotional intensity. The pacing was strong throughout, the escalation made sense, and the crowd investment only grew as the match progressed. It also genuinely felt like the right moment for a title change. Drew McIntyre has been operating at an elite level for a long time, and this victory feels earned -- overdue, even. His presence, credibility, and consistency make him a completely legitimate champion, and this match did a great job reinforcing that. The only real flaw is the finish. The intervention of Jacob Fatu took away from what should have been a clean, definitive coronation for Drew. After such a hard-fought, epic battle, he deserved to win on his own terms without any outside involvement. That decision slightly undermines the emotional payoff, which is frustrating given how excellent the rest of the match was. Still, despite that disappointing ending, this remains a fantastic match and one of the strongest TV main events in recent memory."
[6.0] "The first fall with Drew attempting to get Cody DQ'd only to just low blow him to take it was good stuff. The second fall was one of the more lifeless crowd brawls I've seen even with Cody's splash from the rafters (I also just laughed at the bit where he shoved a banana into Drew's mouth). The early parts of the cage match were quite good with the near-escapes that turned into some really solid overhead suplexes, but then they just started going to the well of finisher kickouts until it was time for Fatu's awful run-in that ruined the finish of the match. Can't really fault the work Cody & Drew put in even if it was just going to be a "pretty good" world title match, but that final ~5 minutes drags it down to "alright". ***"
[5.0] "Langweiliges Match zwischen zwei mittelmäßigen Wrestlern. Dazu kommt das schreckliche Finish. Warum müssen große Mainstream Matches immer durch Eingriffe oder ähnliches ruiniert werden? Wäre es so dramatisch einfach mal cleane Wrestling Matches zu zeigen?"
[6.0] "I used to pray for times like this. Drew getting his world title win finally. However the matches themselves were barely above average. Bit of a waste of the three stages of hell match type, a regular match should not be in there, and it ended with a low blow. The falls count anywhere saved it if we're looking at in/out-ring consistency with good spots, because that cage match was ass. YOU SHOULD HAVE TO CLIMB THE CAGE TO WIN Only rated this high because of the result and there were several great spots in an otherwise bang average match. BUT, that ending. Jesus. Almost ruined it for me because I was reminded that Jacob Fatu exists."
[5.0] "Nothing about this is egregiously terrible regarding the work, but so much of it just feels totally lifeless to me and probably just because of how much they've run this program to death. I actually liked some of their prior matches more than most, but I will definitely be the low man on this one. The first two falls don't really see anything interesting, and they're worked like filler - so why not just book a steel cage match instead? Once they get in the cage, the action does pick up and there's some good stuff like the cutter off the cage and some good brawling. It never really goes anywhere from a drama perspective, and that finish is just a wet fart and doesn't make Drew look good at all. Interference in general isn't inherently bad, but the way it's done in the current WWE main event style and how often it's done just makes it pretty uninteresting to me. Punk and Breakker managed to have a really good TV main despite the shenanigans earlier in the week, but this one not as much."
[3.0] "The first fall was horrendous and demonstrates a common issue with multi-fall matches. There is absolutely zero part of me that believes Drew would pin Cody in five minutes if this was a single fall match; there is absolutely no reason other than storytelling narrative that this should be different in this instance, making it difficult to remain immersed. The second fall, far better. A trio of great table spots, nice use of the Falls Count Anywhere stipulation (although this could have been more creative), and an explosive finish. The Steel Cage in WWE is a bit of a joke; WHY can you just walk out the door? It completely defeats the purpose if you can say "please open the door" and walk out at any moment. Why is Cody climbing the cage after the cutter when he can just walk out the door? It's insultingly stupid. Cody hitting two Cross Rhodes to no impact was awful; the idea that three is match-ending versus anyone, but two can be shrugged-off is absurd. The finish: the less said the better. Genuinely pathetic third fall. What a complete waste of a great feud this match was. Rhodes vs. McIntyre, after the great build, Three Stages of Hell, should be a PPV main-event and MOTY contender. This was completely forgettable, lacking in emotion and violence, and was full of stipulation-destroying tropes."
[9.0] "Great smackdown main event. The first fall was kind of nothing but the falls count anywhere was a lot of fun with crazy spots and the cage match was great. The Jacob fatu ending didn't do much for me personally but this match does get points for a great shock title change"
[7.0] "People had a good laugh at Jesse Ventura's rant about Jesse Ventura's rant eight months ago about the "escape the cage" win condition of WWE's Steel Cage matches... but the Body ain't wrong, the way WWE do it is dumb as hell. When you've got a feud that's been going on this long, as is the case for Cody and Drew (they've been at it since SummerSlam! ), you need to have the feud end definitively. Drew scrambling out the door to win the title due to Jacob Fatu interference ain't it, chief. It just devalues everything around the match: the participants, the title, the feud, the show, everything. Because up until the finish, this was pretty good. Not either man's best, but a decent 8.5, maybe 9/10 TV main event. I know Roman/Cody at Mania doesn't necessarily need the title, but honestly, it'd be a better Mania title match than Drew vs. Anyone Else at this point. Another example of how WWE booking just gets frustrating in how it's too cute by half; it's not bad, but it's needlessly convoluted and the simpler path would be even better."
[10.0] "Great main-event, one of the best SmackDown matches of the last year with really good spots and great crescendo. Ending could have not been the best but the result was on point. *****"
[10.0] "My favorite WWE match since Cena vs AJ. Cody had the run of a lifetime as a babyface, but this match will change things for him. McIntyre was the perfect heel, falling out of the cage and slithering to the back without ever holding up the title. Beyond the incredible selling, high spots, danger, and stakes, these were just two guys who loved pro-wrestling."
[9.0] "This was some fun stuff. Drew McIntyre final chance to get the WWE Title, and he did it with the mind-tricks and help from someone who wasn't even trying to help him, in Jacob Fatu. The Tree Stages of Hell stipulation was used properly, I thought, and I liked the fact that Drew McIntyre was finding anything and everything to win the title. Cody Rhodes needed to lose. He had the title for the past two years majority of the time; it's time for something new, and with this, Jacob Fatu stuff. We can see a darker shift in Cody Rhodes' character. I'm happy for Drew McIntyre and hoping this reign goes well for Drew McIntyre. The Road to WrestleMania is starting with some craziness."
[8.0] "Its nice to see WWE actually have some unpredictability on their weekly shows and actually go through with a title change outside one of their big shows. To be honest Drew should of won the title months ago and had him and Cody do what Rock and Mankind did in early 99 and have the title go back and forth with each other for a few months in a series of banger matches. But its better late then never I suppose. This isn't a patch on Austin/HHH's three stages of hell from 01 but then again modern day WWE is nothing like 2001 WWF. There is no way they would let their biggest stars have a barbaric bloodbath with barb wire and sledgehammers but this is alot of fun. The first stage is a pretty run of the mill singles match, nothing to report. Thankfully they pick it up massively in the second stage with a very fun falls count anywhere walk and brawl. The third fall is about as good as a WWE steel cage match is going to be these days. Unfortunately the ending stunk and is the usual WWE bullshit masked man. You know when someone over uses tropes. Like how Stephen King loves to use bullies and evil parents and M Night always has a twist in his stuff. WWE is the masked man who inferences in endings. It needs to stop as it has long become lazy. But I am happy that they gave Drew another run with the belt. I wrote him off months ago that he would never get another one but I am glad they decided to actually do something unpredictable for a change. As much as I like Cody his second title reign was a bust. Hopefully this marks the start of some fun unpredictable TV from WWE."
[8.0] "A long match to close out this SmackDown. This match can be divided into three parts. The first, a fairly short singles match, but you could feel that both wrestlers wanted the win. Drew tried to get hit with a chair, which didn't work, and then, while the referee was removing the padding he had ripped off, he delivered a winning low blow. In the second part, I remember the two wrestlers fighting in the crowd, which was cool. Cody took a picture with a fan's phone. Some tables were broken. The third part was the cage match, quite violent, where we couldn't avoid the usual absurd spot. Cody could have won, but he chose to jump on Drew, which makes no sense. We saw Jacob return, and we still don't know who attacked him. The ending is intentionally ambiguous to make us want to watch the next SmackDown."
[8.0] "This match was going great up until the finish. The first fall a solid hard hitting affair. Picked up for the second fall. The third fall was another good match with building tension until the completely ridiculous finish"
[8.0] "[3.75*] Despite the indeed ridiculous, awful and non-creative finish, I thought this match really rocked. I loved the pacing there, the Three Stages of Hell stip was super well executed, starting off with a quick normal match, then an intense but also not very long Falls Count Anywhere that ended in a super cool Cross-Rhodes on the announcers table, and it finished off with the big Steel Cage, which was a proper match on its on. It had nice shades of Bret vs Owen SvS with all the escape attempts, but it eventually translated into an epic, with tons of nearfalls and sick reversals, specially THAT one into a another Cross-Rhodes. The finish was so bad and it diminished Drew's win, making it feel like a fluke, but it probably suits his loser character, idk. I'd have done it differently or, at least, with Orton instead of Fatu."
[6.0] "Drew holt sich den ersten Fall nach einem Low Blow. Danach gehts nicht nur in die Crowd, sondern auch kurz in den Backstage. Cody holt dann wenig überraschend den zweiten Fall. Mir gefiel aber die Anspielung mit dem Kommentatorenpult. Das Steel Cage Match war dann eher langatmig und unspektakulär. Das Drew gewinnt, freut mich sehr. Sein Sieg leidet für mich aber unter der Escapeoption. Jacob Fatu greift ein und dadurch kann er fliehen. Kann man machen, ist für mich aber eher so lala. Liefert Möglichkeiten für weitere Storys, ein klarer Sieg von Drew hätte mir aber besser gefallen. Insgesamt also recht unspektakulär, aber trotzdem okay."
[10.0] "A very good match by this 2nd team. Cody's table-diving spot from the audience was truly sick. Drew almost slipped off the table during the Cross Rhodes. And the most important thing: boring Cody is no longer the champion. I don't know if I'm happier for Cody's loss or Drew's victory. Plus, they could have gotten maybe 5 or 7 more minutes."
[6.0] "If you're basing your rating solely on the work from these two, then anything north of 7 is entirely justified. However, the finish was so utterly nonsensical and stupid, even by this promotion's low standards, that you've really got to level it out."
[6.0] "War okay, aber auch nur das bare minimum, was man bei der WWE so braucht. Andere Promotions, von den Großen bis zu den Kleinen in den Indies, haben in normalen Street Fights mehr Hell, als hier gezeigt wurde. Hatte ehrlich etwas mehr erwartet, mindestens so etwas auf Drew vs Punk Niveau. Das Ende freut mich für Drew, hoffentlich muss er den Gürtel nicht gleich wieder an Jacob abgeben."
[9.0] "Honestly, an epic match that went the way I wanted it to go. Drew deserves this win, and he's truly earned that title. All three stages told a fantastic story, and they upped the stakes each time. We all know that it's going to go 1:1, but this match made me believe that either guy could win in that second stage. Then the moments and the back-and-forths in the steel cage were just incredible. I hope Drew gets cheered as he did in Berlin throughout the rest of the tour, and makes WWE panic when they realise that Europe and the UK love Drew more than they like Cody. The only reason it's a 9 and not a 10 is that I think Drew should've won clean. I love Jacob, and I'm happy for him to be there, but his angle should've been post-match, not the reason Drew won."
[6.0] "Not for me. I love the stipulation and this obviously wasn't gonna be Stone Cold vs Triple H but I hoped that WWE would take the restrictor plates off a little bit. First of all I liked the intensity especially as I find it's usually something main event Cody Rhodes lacks a lot of the time and I thought the final stage was pretty well executed from a standpoint of having believable near falls. Unfortunately this fell into so many traps of the stipulation and WWE itself. Obvious booking of having them go all three rounds aside the first stage was over so quickly. Had this been any other match there was no way Cody wasn't kicking out after a low blow and a Claymore. The second stage is where I thought it'd get more interesting but it was probably the lull of the match. Really boring walk and brawl with a whatever table spots and an admittedly clean Cross Rhodes on the announce table. Again this was over way too quick. The final stage made the most of it's time. Finally the wrestlers remember that finishers don't really finish matches these days and they have a methodical back and forth with some plausible near escapes and pinfalls. I personally don't like the escape the cage rule and I really don't think it works for either mans character ont this particular story. The ending I could've done without. Drew McIntyre is stopped from escaping by a returning Jacob Fatu who not only attacks Drew but Cody as well. I liked this initially as this feels like a good way to represent Fatu. Heel or face , this guy shouldn't get along with anybody like a Stone Cold like figure. However I quickly realized what the plan was and McIntyre escapes while Fatu is attacking Cody and wins his 4th world title. Seconds into Fatu's return and he looks stupid. Great."
[6.0] "This might be the most frustrating match of 2026 so far because it was well wrestled for it entirety but god it was a fucking slog to get through and the finish and some of the booking in this actually made me belly laugh it was so shit. First the first stage was literally pointless as Drew said he chose it so he could beat Cody straight up to show he is better but cheats and wins it after a low blow in under 5 minutes great start (not). We then got a very standard walk and crowd brawl for the falls count anywhere stage until Cody hit a crazy splash through a table for a near fall (he always looks so stiff on big dives it is quite funny) they then brawl back to ringside before a cross Rhodes through the desk to level us up. I will say the steel cage section was the best of the match with some really cool spots like the cutter of the cage and some nice brawling added to buy the fact Cody was busted open by accident (but we will take it). We then get to what i am saying will still be a top 3 dumbest finish by the end of the year with Drew finally winning the gold still looking like a fucking nerd due to imagine my shock another masked man interference (Triple H special) wasted a Fatu return to then have him stop Drew before Cody don't want to win that way who himself gets battered whilst Drew slithers out the Cage looking like a bitch. What a slog that was looking near a ***3/4 if they had a good finish but fuck me that was ass i am such a Big Drew fan, fuck sake it is the only reason i wasted 3 hours on the shit show to see him finally win the belt again but i just thought god that looks shit and he probably drops it back before Maina anyway. Just shit look at Drew he needs to be a heel who just murders people on sight to win not winning 2-1 with both his stage wins being from utter BS what a drab match. (***)"
[8.0] "That was a really enjoyable match, Three Stages of Hell is an unusual stipulation, it's been a long time since a match like that hosted a WWE Title match, so you couldn't quite know what to expect, but it was fun, and well structured. The first stage was a normal match, and McIntyre won after cheating, he exposed the turnbuckle and hit Cody with the Claymore... that was a 'simple' finish, specially considering how many finishers Cody usually kicks out, but the problem is definitely the excess of kickouts in this case. The transition to the Falls Count Anywhere was very smooth, and I've really enjoyed the stuff outside of the ring, they went to the back, very Rock vs Mankind-esque, and demolished each other through the halls. That frog splash by Cody was hilarious, the way he fell, good moment. Cody won the second stage after a finisher on the table, and tied the match. The Steel Cage part was also pretty solid, they used the cage as a weapon, tried to escape from every side, and it had a relatively good amount of violence. Cody bled but it was weird, he was bleeding from the back of his head, maybe his head broke open after a bad landing, if so, it will definitely need some stitches. The ending was highly controversial, many people I know disliked it, but I was actually cool with it, it was fun, Jacob Fatu returned to attack Drew, and everyone thought he was losing once agan, but Fatu started to strike Cody, because he's savage, and Drew managed to escape from the door. It was cool because for once, the underwhelming finish didn't happen. Such a good moment for Drew, he deserved this win after so many frustrations - {***3/4}"
[7.0] "Good Three Stages of Hell for the WWE title. Very rare to see this match type, but with the rivalry between Cody and Drew it was properly built up. The straight wrestling part was pretty short and ended with Drew cheating to win with a low blow and Claymore. Yes it's a bit silly to see the champion being pinned so quickly but that's a trope of these matches. Onto the Falls Count Anywhere. Cody and Drew have a crowd brawl that wasn't anything special at first but Cody's splash off the railing provided some excitement. Good finish to this one with Cody hitting a Cross Rhodes through the announcer's desk to even the score. The cage match was good, though I'm not a fan of the escape the cage rule because it does seem to defeat the purpose. It led to a lot of spots where they chase each other up the cage and someone goes crashing down. Cody's cutter off the top of the cage was cool. I thought this was going well until the finish. Drew tries to go out the door but a returning Jacob Fatu attacks him. Cody tries to stop him, which I don't know why Cody doesn't just walk out and worry about that later, and Fatu attacks him. With Cody being beaten up, Drew escapes and wins to become the new WWE champion. The title change makes sense and it honestly needed to happen, but I wish Drew got a more decisive win by himself and this didn't have to end with interference. Cody could have taken a loss without being protected like this. While I think each other stages could have been better, as a whole this was good. 7/10"
"I'm just here for Drew winning the title honestly. The ending was kind of weird IMO - the interference does open up a bunch of different scenarios, but I kind of wanted Drew to win it, dirty or not, by himself - but all in all, I'm honestly relieved the Scottish warrior got his title!"
[8.0] "[4.25*] Really cool match! WWE booked this match very well. All the moves were executed really well, with Cody hitting an ugly but still effective Splash. Drew McIntyre playing the powerhouse and maintaining his usual pace was great. The fact that there was a Low Blow to decide the first fall, and that the third fall was also decided "by luck, " makes me like this match even more. The Super Cody Cutter and the Cross Rhodes on The Table were awesome"
[8.0] "Well, that completely and unexpectedly overturns the status quo. The first fall is rather unspectacular, but the two really turn up the heat in the second and third rounds. The splash through the table is powerful, and there's so much racket and bumping in the cage that Berlin is shaking. And that's just a SmackDown! episode. I don't really like the portrayal of Jacob Fatu at the end, especially since this match doesn't need any overbooking at all. It's not clear why he attacks Cody, thereby enabling his rather obvious enemy to win the title. Nevertheless, it's a real treat that the fans in Germany deserve."
"[7.0] A pretty good "three stages of hell match" that's also indicative of some of the WWE's WORST booking tendencies. The "straight" wrestling portion was pretty much the expected slow burn, with the "no DQ" second act being your usual grab-bag of high spots and plunder-brawling. Things really kicked into high gear with the third and decisive cage match stage, but the bout kind of fizzled out following all the finisher spam kickouts and the cheap, copout interference from Jacob Fatu to determine the victor. It's interesting to see the German fans turning on Cody, and you can't help but think they'll run this one back for the Rumble. Oh, and a total aside: was it just me, or was the commentary for this match REALLY weird and cringey, especially the part where Tessitore dropped a line about things coming out of wrestlers' "backsides? ""
[5.0] "** 1/2. Its rare that I check out a WWE match, but I was intrigued by the rare WWE Title change. This was a reminder of why I pay scant attention to this promotion. It included many of WWE's favorite tropes. Trope #1: Wrestlers in a 2/3 falls match must lose outlandishly quickly. Ending the first fall of this match after five minutes was silly, especially considering the level Cody is presented at. Trope #2: A cage match must include interference. Now, WWE is far from the only party guilty of this sin. But you can set your watch to a wrestler crawling toward the cage door getting attacked by an outsider just as he's about to make his escape. On the subject of the cage door, WWE's insistence on cage matches ending by escape continues to be a lousy way of preventing wrestlers from taking pins. This match was billed as "Three Stages of Hell" and it was far from hellacious. Trope #3: A Triple H favorite--a returning wrestler must appear in a black ski mask, even if they reveal their identity seconds later like Jacob Fatu did. Overall, this was a slow, plodding match that was a victim of the small sandbox WWE allows it wrestlers to play in. I will give them credit for a surprising result/title change, though, that has added some intrigue to the title picture."
[8.0] "Drew did it, Drew is finally word champion, our prayers have been answered. The standard singles match was horrible and boring. The falls count anywhere match was great fun, and the steel cage was actually good and had some good pro-wrestling in it. Kinda wish the falls count anywhere stage lasted longer, I feel the steel cage stage lasted a little too long. When Jacob came out, I was so worried that Drew was gonna get screwed over and Cody was gonna retain, but Jacob not only attacked Drew, but Cody as well and that help Drew escape and finally win the title. Easily the best match Cody and Drew has had together in this feud and easily had the right and only outcome."
[7.0] "Not the classic I was led to believe but still a good match. Having interference in matches like this defeats the entire fuckin purpose. That said it was a good match and I'm glad Drew is champion again. Hopefully Cody goes away for a while. His white meat babyface aw shucks gee whiz shit is old."
[7.0] "So overall the match was pretty good it has great action but sadly it's a shame for the finish, still happy for Drew he deserves it, would have been a 10 without the useless interference."
[8.0] "Everything was great except for the finish. Let me explain or at least try to. I'm fine with Drew winning dirty, but I didn't like that he won because of Fatu, who came in attacking everyone. I would've preferred if he had taken Drew's side and helped him win that way. Like this, I just don't like it. Drew basically stole the win, and now what credibility does he have? None. But above all Cody can't lose clean? Why? Fans have been annoyed for a long time now that Cody has become Super Cody. Enough, honestly enough I'm happy for Drew, but like I said before, I don't know how long he'll hold the title given the way he won it. I don't think WWE intends to push him as a top heel the way he deserves. The match was good, like I said it just lacked a bit of emotion and violence. They could and should have done more given the feud they had, but oh well, it was still good. I repeat, I hope they give Drew a solid reign, but I'm afraid that won't be the case."
[9.0] "This was laid out as an old-school war with modern excess layered on top of it, and for the most part, it worked extremely well. The three-stage structure gave the match a sense of escalation that justified its length and excess, while also allowing both men to shine in different environments without it feeling repetitive. The opening fall leaned heavily into traditional WWE main-event wrestling, but with real urgency. Rhodes came out aggressive and fiery, wrestling like someone desperate to keep his grip on the title, while McIntyre played the opportunistic veteran heel to perfection. The low blow and Claymore finish felt earned rather than cheap, especially with the ref distraction being rooted in in-ring chaos rather than cartoonish interference. Drew winning the first fall immediately framed him as a genuine threat rather than a challenger destined to fail again. The Falls Count Anywhere portion was pure spectacle, but not mindless chaos. It leaned hard into character; Rhodes' crowd-pleasing recklessness versus McIntyre's mean-spirited brutality. The humour never fully undercut the violence, and the big table spots felt earned through escalation rather than obligation. Cody's win here felt heroic without being invincible, especially with how close Drew came to taking it multiple times. This was the most indulgent section of the match, but also the most entertaining if you're willing to embrace the madness. The cage fall was where the match truly justified itself. Both men slowed things down, sold exhaustion, and made every near-fall feel catastrophic. Rhodes bleeding added a visceral edge, and McIntyre's growing frustration contrasted nicely with Cody's desperation. The crowd bit hard on multiple false finishes, particularly the Cross Rhodes sequences and the Claymore near-fall, which says a lot given how overused both moves can feel elsewhere. The escape stipulation still isn't great in theory, but in practice it worked here. Drew winning not because he outwrestled Cody, but because chaos finally tipped in his favour, felt appropriate for the story being told. Jacob Fatu's involvement, while not a surprise to anyone who follows wrestling news, added a major narrative wrinkle and protected Rhodes in defeat while firmly re-establishing McIntyre as a top-level threat. Most importantly, the title change mattered. Drew needed this win badly, and WWE actually pulled the trigger rather than kicking the can down the road again. The match felt consequential, exhausting, and earned; three things modern WWE epics sometimes miss. This wasn't perfect, and the excess will turn some people off, but as a complete package, it was a compelling, high-stakes main event that delivered on its promise. ****1/4"
[10.0] "The main event was fantastic. Both of them put on a great show for the crowd. I did miss some blood in this match, since the feud is supposedly extremely big and important, but even without that factor the match was still very good. The ending was solid for me - I don't see what problem people who are commenting here have with it. Most of all, I'm happy for Drew - he deserves it!"
[7.0] "It was an enjoyable main event, but still felt underwhelming given the stipulation and the build. Given that Drew went into the match having slandered Cody's beloved father and his family, you'd think the match would have felt more intense and violent; something more akin to Drew's exceptional HIAC bout with CM Punk from 2024 that blew off their heated rivalry. Instead, we got a match that felt lacking in hatred and violence even though the build absolutely called for those things to be present and Three Stages of Hell stipulation gave them the opportunity to make it so. Speaking of which, the first two stages were extremely pedestrian. Starting off with a standard match was probably a mistake given that it prevented the two from getting violent quickly; however, I thought that WWE would at least book Cody to get himself disqualified by beating the absolute shit out of Drew before scoring an easy second fall. Unfortunately, that is not what happened despite the commentators and Drew himself teasing it. Instead, we got Drew using dirty tactics to distract the ref, hit a low blow and score a quick 1-2-3 with the Claymore. The second fall was not much better. Falls Count Anywhere usually allows for some creative brawling; instead, Cody and Drew did the usual brawling around the stands that every WWE stipulation match seems to include these days before returning to the ringside area. Cody scored the decision with a Cross Rhodes through the announcer's table. Again, it was fine, but it didn't feel any different than the usual WWE stipulation fare rather than the heated bloodbath the build set it up to be. The final stage, inside of the steel cage, was the best part of the match. Now, did it suffer from the usual problems that bane WWE cage matches? Of course. You still had the usual slow climbing sections, and the attempts to clamber out of the door. Nevertheless, I thought Cody and Drew did a good job of building tension and drama with the nearfalls. The Cody Cutter off of the cage wall was a spectacular spot, and the nearfall off of it and the Claymore were well executed. The crowd really started to get into the match at this point, after being somewhat subdued for the first two stages. That helped to add tension. Still, I can't help but feel that the build and stipulation jusfied a much bloodier brawl than the epic, near falls main event that we actually got. The finish was, as some have pointed out, extremely dumb. While I am glad to see Drew win the world title after years of coming up short in important matches, it still doesn't excuse making both Cody and Fatu look like utter clodpoles. It was especially egregious in Cody's case because why on earth would he care about Fatu beating Drew down and costing the latter the match? In kayfabe, Cody hates Drew's guts. He should be delighted that his hated rival was screwed once again, and entirely as a consequence of his own evil acts given he was responsible for putting Fatu on the shelf (again, in Kayfabe). Instead, Cody rushed in to try and beg Fatu off, only to cost himself the match. Tell me again why I am supposed to care and sympathize with Cody's plight? He brought it upon himself once again by acting like a complete moron. I thought we had already established that Cody had learnt his lesson with his loss to Cena at Mania and is now willing to do what must be done even if it is at times ruthless? Ugh. Bad stuff all around. Still, I thought the match was overall a good and entertaining main event. It would have been much better had it actually met the heated build however. The lack of blood in WWE usually doesn't bother me, but its absence could be felt here. It was sorely needed to communicate how much these two supposedly loathed one another. ***1/2"
[6.0] "Very weird and stupid finish that ruined a perfectly fine match. Having Drew win clean would have been 10 times better for his character but now he looks like an idiot who needs interferences to win a championship"
[6.0] "First two falls were very much fine, but then the last fall in the cage is pretty meh. The "I'm just gonna walk out of the cage to win" stip is still stupid as ever and another interference finish in a WWE main event is just ridiculous, I can't think of a last time a WWE championship match didn't have some BS interference."
[6.0] "Viel zu lange. Es hat sich angefühlt wie 40 Minuten. Das Ende war kreativ mit der Attacke von Jacob gegen Cody und Drew, der davon profitiert. Aber gerade die Falls Count Anywhere Stipulation fühlte sich zu schnell an, während die Anfangsphase zu lange war."
[6.0] "First fall was fine and match seemed to go down a logic path. Only really knock is Cody sniffing the air entrance as Drew taunts with the watch made him look uncaring. Especially after the the cold photo that was used as the bait the previous week. Second fall was a little boring for my liking and the Cody leap spot he jumped like a 60 year old wrestler with no knees anymore. As the second fall finished things pick up with how well the transition is done while the cage is lowered. Third fall is going pretty well. Once Cody goes in his Three amigo finisher I think to myself poor drew going to lose again. Then the counter happens, Cody hits his head, Drew gets the Claymore. After all that Cody kicks out. This was the moment the match lost me, that was such a well set up finish and made Drew look great. Then the next 5 minutes happens slowly getting worse and worse with boring and slow climbing spots. Capped off with a double ball buster in what should be one of the most intense moments in the match. Then the finish happens and Drew limps to victory because Fatu is too stupid to beat his ass. I honestly do not get the booking of this match so I hope there is good follow up next week. Right now Cody looks dumb for grabbing Fatu and then getting his ass beat and costing himself the match. Fatu looks dumb because he literally gave Drew the title. Lastly Drew just comes across as finally a bit of luck turning his way and not a deserving champ. If Cody and Drew were not decent wrestlers this could have been a really bad match"
[6.0] "Everything was great and genuinely enjoyable, easily worthy of something around a 9/10. Unfortunately, the finish completely took me out of it. Once the show was over, everyone came out looking foolish because of it. Still happy to see Drew win the title again."
[6.0] "It's a Cody Rhodes grudge match, so naturally it's a plodding vanilla brawl based heavily around 'holy shit' set pieces and finisher spam. To be fair, they had started to win me over towards the end of the third stage, but cage match run-ins have sucked since the days of Dusty and this one was particularly crap ***"
[9.0] "For what its worth, this is their best match together out of all of the ones they've had. First match went a little fast for my liking, but I'm glad Drew got the pin at least as opposed to a DQ victory. Falls Count was good too, lot of physicality, although Cody does the weirdest frog splash I've seen, and the Cage match was as brutal as you could expect from a WWE steel cage match. And then we get the funniest finish I've seen in a minute. Apparently this is what they pitched for their Wrestlepalooza match, but they just swapped Randy with Jacob. Now screwing Cody out of the title is perfectly fine and probably how he should be losing... but why did Jacob attack him? They were pretty amicable in their last interaction, and its not like Cody attacked him either. So until we get an explanation, it just makes him look incredibly stupid, especially considering he literally helped Drew win, and then had the stupidest look on his face. But look, Drew won and that's all people are going to really talk about and I'm glad he'll get to walk into Scotland with the title tomorrow."
"I wasn't the biggest fan of this match & I don't think they did this stipulation any justice. It did get a little finisher spammy towards the end which it's wrestling in 2026 you get used to it but the finish was so corny having Drew win the title that way. I thought the raw men event was much better"
[9.0] "I am completely shocked that they actually pulled the trigger and changed title holders on SmackDown. I really didn't see Cody losing here but I'm glad Drew got the win. The first fall is too quick for me being only about 3-4 minutes, but they were killing it at a fast pace. The second fall was pretty entertaining with them fighting all over the arena with great spots. The last fall in the cage was also great. I really like the finish with Fatu interfering and Drew sneaking out. This inserts Fatu into the main event scene and sets up for a number of different storylines going forward."
[4.0] "As the match was going on, I was enjoying it, as it seemed to be building to a big, clean finish, where Drew was going to go over. Well, Drew went over, but in possibly the dorkiest fashion I have in a while. I dont know if this is because of backstage politics or what, but Drew got the first fall after a low blow, lost the second fall to a Cross Rhodes on the commentary table, and then crawled out after a random Jacob Fatu return where he started fighting Cody because Cody was pulling him off of the guy who entered his bus and threatened the safety of his wife and children? This build was slowly showing Cody's gutsier side, showing us that he wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty if it meant retaining the title. So why all of a sudden is he now pulling Jacob off of Drew? Even regardless of that, why couldn't Drew go over clean with this new madman type of gimmick? Every PLE nowadays feels like it's catered to Twitter clips or IG reels so that the "moment can go viral" instead of just delivering a great, sensible match with a non-cowardly ending. It's getting old really fast. Despite this, the work in the match was good, and both Drew and Cody worked well together. They have good chemistry, just wish the match layout was better. LMAO we just had a masked man interfere in the other day with Austin Theory like what? Update the playbook HHH. For the last fall, it did feel like they were going on a bit too long with all the kickouts. It was getting unethical LOL. 2.75/5"
[7.0] "I'm in shock tbh. Was not expecting Drew to actually win. Little confused on the Fatu run in being the deciding factor as their is no clarity in the situation so they'll have to follow it up with some good writing to make it make sense. Match was pretty good Cody splashing off the railing, crossroads onto announce table & cutter off top of the cage (even if it was botched a bit with Drew not giving it the sell & landing that spot deserves) were all highlights. Not sure if I'm fully in love with the match or just in love with the result."
[6.0] "9.17 - ? Come on guys it's not some 5 star classic! I mean it's cool that Drew McIntyre won but the match was ridiculous. Drew pinned Cody in the first fall after 3 minutes? This is your champion? Drew wins by Jacob Fatu interference. Yeah another masked man angle. It wasn't bad in the ring but that's the only good thing about it."
[10.0] "Absolute cinema, thank you Triple H, this was about time. Drew is my goat. Oh man im so excited to see him bully other wrestlers in the backstage segments"
[5.0] "First two falls were demonstrative of exactly the kind of big time wrestling that only WWE is capable of. Just when it looks like we're heading towards a great match, the cage descends and I am reminded of the worst stipulation in wrestling: escape the cage. Drew has multiple opportunities to escape the cage through the door, and aside from one instance near the beginning of the fall, simply chooses not to until the very end. Of course as is the case with the majority of WWE title main events, Drew can only win with the help of a returning Jacob Fatu, who looks incredibly stupid for shifting his attack towards Cody."
[10.0] "A great match to end SmackDown in Berlin. Aside from Jacob Fatu's interference at the end of the Steel Cage Match in this Three Stages of Heel match, the match as a whole was good. Good choice of stipulation by Drew McIntyre."
[10.0] "A great match that was truly great from start to finish, regardless of the outcome (which was also great). The match was filled with amazing spots like splashes and cutters from the top of the cage, some shocking moments, and the ending had me on edge. Great job!"
[8.0] "WWE hat es sich tatsächlich getraut. In der WWE Geschichte erstmal in Deutschland den wichtigsten Titel wechseln zu lassen. Ich fand Fall 1 schwach weil Drew auch schnell das 01: machte. Besser wurde es im Falls Count Anywhere Match wo Cody den Ausgleich schaffe. Das Highlight gab es dann im Steel Cage das wurde immer besser. Beide sind gezeichnet nach dem Match gewesen. Cody blutende am Kopf das wird man sicher angeschaut dann haben. Durch Fall 3 gebe ich insgesamt (***3/4),"
[6.0] "A really dumb finish to a match that was fine but not really worthy of the stipulation. The hooded interference finish is already a WWE classic trope but it was even dumber this time around. Drew winning the title makes things more interesting but the way he won it already makes me feel that he won't have it by WrestleMania time"
[10.0] "Now that is how you shock the audience and lead us into Wrestlemania season. That was an awesome three stages of hell match. Cody is one hell of a worker. Drew is arguably the best heel in the company. Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett brought their A game for this main event. Great commentary. The banana bit in the falls count was hilarious. The spots in this match were spectacular. The frog splash. The Cody cutter from the cage. Now the ending. This is how you build stories. A returning Jacob Fatu costs Cody accidentally. Drew prayed for this and it happened. Thank you 2026."
[9.0] "Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre in so einem Match nie SmackDown ist natürlich ein absolutes Highlight. Der erste Fall hat mir jedoch gar nicht gefallen. Cody in 3 Minuten so verlieren zu lassen sah unschön aus, wenn man bedenkt das es sonst mehrere finisher braucht. Der zweite Fall war wesentlich besser. Toller brawl mit 3 größeren Highlights. Vor allem das Ende und der Sprung von den Fans fand ich stark. Ich bin eigentlich kein Fan der WWE Steelcage Matches, weil ich das Tür öffnen einfach nur dumm finde. Das war jedoch ein unglaublich starkes Käfig Match. Die near falls waren der Hammer und ich hasse normalerweise eingreifen in großen Titelmatches, aber hier war es perfekt umgesetzt. Einzig das nach zwei Crossroads Drew so getan halt als wäre nichts gewesen war ein kleiner Punkt Abzug. Sehr spannendes und tolles Match, schön das WWE endlich mal einen was bei einer weekly Show bietet und das noch in Deutschland (**** 1/2)."
[10.0] "Drew/Cody. What can I say? The match is crazy. The singles match, despite its length, was very cool. The in-ring action was very clean with an excellent finish where Drew used tactics to win the first match. The FCA is very impressive as well. A brawl in the crowd, Cody throwing himself from a height of 4 metres. The finish is excellent with the Cross Rhodes on the table. I loved the steel cage. Tension, in-ring action, violence, everything is there to remind us that Cody and Drew are excellent wrestlers. The suspense was at its peak. Jacob Fatu's arrival surprised me. I thought Cody was going to win, but in the end he didn't. DREW DID IT. Finally, Drew gets what he deserves: THE WWE TITLE. The ending is excellent. Drew taking advantage of Fatu attacking Cody to win the match is perfect for what's to come. If Cody is behind Fatu's attack, the moral of the story will be that Cody lost because of Cody. I'm really looking forward to what's next."
[10.0] "Beautiful fight, all the action was very cool, the first singles fight was even cool, although the most boring, falls count anywhere, very good, and the Steel Cage match was also very good, 10/10 DREW IS OUR CHAMPION"
