Cody Rhodes secured a spot in the Elimination Chamber after a chaotic victory over Jacob Fatu and Sami Zayn on Friday night’s “WWE SmackDown.” The win came despite interference from Undisputed WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, who attempted to aid Zayn.
The match saw Fatu initially isolate Zayn, removing him from the ring to focus on Rhodes. Rhodes demonstrated strength, delivering powerslams to both opponents and attempting a pinfall following a Disaster Kick on Zayn. Fatu then tried to capitalize with a running moonsault on Zayn, but the momentum shifted repeatedly throughout the contest.
Zayn briefly gained an advantage, hitting an exploder and preparing a Helluva Kick on Rhodes, only to be intercepted by a superkick from Fatu. A series of counters followed, with Zayn thwarting a Cross Rhodes attempt and Rhodes countering a Blue Thunder Bomb. Zayn eventually landed the Blue Thunder Bomb, but Fatu narrowly avoided a Helluva Kick and ascended the top rope, only to be met with a rollup from Zayn, resulting in a near fall.
The interference of McIntyre dramatically altered the match’s trajectory. He entered the ring and struck Fatu with a head kick, then delivered a powerbomb through the commentary desk. Returning to the ring, McIntyre positioned Zayn on top of Rhodes for a pin attempt, but the referee was out of position, invalidating the count. Zayn responded with a Helluva Kick on McIntyre, turning directly into a Cross Rhodes from Rhodes, who then secured the pinfall victory.
Rhodes will now join Randy Orton and LA Knight in the Elimination Chamber match, scheduled to take place later this month, according to WWE’s official website. The company is currently streaming content online, including all Premium Live Events and shows, with Raw available to watch live, as reported by WWE.com.
