Huge Last-Minute Change Made To Planned Main Event Of WWE SmackDown: Jacob Fatu Attacked, Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre Goes Off The Rails
A brutal backstage ambush derailed WWE’s carefully scripted Friday night spectacle, thrusting Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes into an impromptu brawl with Drew McIntyre that stole the show and left fans buzzing about escalating Bloodline chaos.
San Jose, CA – In a jaw-dropping twist that redefined WWE SmackDown’s main event landscape, the October 17, 2025, episode from the SAP Center exploded into unpredictability when Jacob Fatu was viciously attacked backstage, forcing a high-stakes title showdown between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre. This WWE SmackDown main event change, amid whispers of Bloodline infighting and title defenses, capped a night packed with returns, championship upheavals, and faction warfare that has American wrestling enthusiasts glued to their screens ahead of Crown Jewel.
The evening kicked off with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis hyping a No. 1 contender’s match for Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship: Fatu versus the Scottish Psychopath McIntyre. But as Fatu’s entrance music blared, he never emerged. Backstage footage revealed a gruesome scene—Fatu sprawled amid debris, bloodied, battered, and reportedly missing teeth—prompting immediate medical attention from WWE staff. McIntyre stormed the ring, demanding the win by forfeit and hurling accusations at the absent Fatu, while Aldis grilled him on the assault. Enter Rhodes, the reigning champ, who—in a fit of fury still clad in his suit—leapt the barricade, sparking a wild melee that spilled into the crowd.
What followed was pure pandemonium: an unsanctioned Undisputed WWE Championship match where Rhodes and McIntyre traded bombs like Future Shock DDTs and Cody Cutters before the ref even rang the bell. The action careened ringside, culminating in Rhodes smashing McIntyre with the championship belt at the announce table, drawing a disqualification. No title change on a DQ, so Rhodes retained, but the post-match carnage saw the American Nightmare diving off the turnbuckle onto his foe amid a swarm of security. This WWE SmackDown main event change not only preserved Rhodes’ reign but amplified their WrestleMania-level feud, with McIntyre snarling about “finishing the story” on his terms.
The night’s undercard delivered fireworks of its own, blending fresh faces with long-awaited comebacks. In a seismic shift, former Monday Night Raw standout Ilja Dragunov—the Mad Dragon—returned after 13 months sidelined by injury to answer Sami Zayn’s open challenge for the United States Championship. Dragunov steamrolled Zayn with an H-Bomb for the pinfall victory, claiming his first WWE gold on the blue brand and igniting a multi-man melee involving Solo Sikoa’s MFT faction and a surprise Wyatt Sicks intervention. Elsewhere, champions Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair submitted Sol Ruca and Zaria to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles in a technical clinic, while the Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) outmaneuvered Los Garza with their signature Skull and Bones combo.
Backstage vignettes deepened the intrigue: Rey Fenix fell victim to another MFT ambush, Aleister Black teased his resurgence post-Damian Priest conquest, and commentary buzzed about Michael Cole’s last-minute replacement on the desk—a shake-up insiders chalk up to creative tweaks for fresher dynamics. The episode’s C- grade from critics praised the raw intensity but noted a dip from last week’s highs, yet the Fatu mystery—who orchestrated the hit?—looms large, fueling speculation of internal Bloodline betrayal or McIntyre’s shadowy hand.
Fan reactions lit up X like a pyrotechnics display, with #SmackDownMainEventChange trending nationwide. “That Fatu beatdown was BRUTAL—Rhodes/McIntyre needs to headline NOW!” one viral post from a California live attendee racked up 20K likes, while another quipped, “Dragunov’s return just saved the US Title division from mediocrity.” Wrestling pundits echoed the hype: Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer called the impromptu match “a masterclass in controlled chaos,” rating it four stars for elevating stakes without resolution. On the flip side, some diehards griped about over-reliance on Bloodline plots, but the consensus? This WWE SmackDown main event change injected urgency into the title picture.
For U.S. fans—from East Coast house shows to Midwest tailgates—this episode hits home as WWE’s blue brand juggernaut rolls toward Saudi showdowns. Economically, it boosts ticket sales amid a booming $1 billion domestic market, with storylines like Rhodes’ defense mirroring underdog tales in NFL primetime. Lifestyle-wise, it’s binge fuel for cord-cutters streaming on Peacock, blending athletic spectacle with soap-opera drama that rivals your favorite fantasy football league intrigue. Technologically, AR-enhanced entrances teased at SAP Center hint at WWE’s metaverse push, while sports crossovers—like McIntyre’s nod to Scottish Premier League grit—bridge wrestling with broader athletic fandoms.
As the dust settles, Rhodes eyes Saturday Night’s Main Event horizon, vowing payback, while McIntyre lurks as the ultimate disruptor. The Fatu enigma and Dragunov’s gold rush set the stage for explosive fallout—who pulls the strings in this web of violence?
By Sam Michael
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