WWE has set a high-stakes four-way match for Saturday Night’s Main Event on January 24, with the winner earning a shot at Drew McIntyre’s Undisputed WWE Championship. Randy Orton, Trick Williams, Damian Priest, and Sami Zayn are confirmed for the bout, positioning four very different contenders on a collision course for a single title opportunity.
On the night the match was announced, Orton secured his place in the field with a win earlier in the show, underscoring how coveted this opening is as the championship landscape tightens. Williams, Priest, and Zayn round out a lineup that blends main-event experience, rising momentum, and contrasting styles—an intentional mix that should test each competitor’s adaptability and ring IQ.
This contender’s match matters because it shapes McIntyre’s immediate future as champion and sets the tone for WWE’s early-year calendar. Multi-man eliminators often reveal who can win when the rules of one-on-one chess give way to four-way chaos. The victor here isn’t simply next in line; he’s someone who can navigate layered threats, survive momentum swings, and capitalize at the exact right moment. For McIntyre—whose reign has been defined by punishing offense and an unforgiving pace—the identity of his challenger will dictate the complexion of his next defense.
Randy Orton enters with the deepest big-match resume. A multi-time world champion, Orton has turned patience and precision into a game plan that scales under pressure. He’s lived through every permutation of multi-man strategy—baiting aggressors, disappearing at the right moments, and striking when the ring breaks down. There’s also the history factor: Orton and McIntyre have crossed paths at championship level before, making an Orton victory here an instant narrative pivot back to a rivalry built on familiarity, counters, and high stakes. The RKO remains the great equalizer in sudden-death settings, particularly when attention is split.
Damian Priest brings size, reach, and a heavy striking game that could fundamentally alter the match’s rhythm. Four-way bouts often reward explosive offense and ring control, and Priest can provide both. His power denies opponents time and space, while his agility allows him to reset exchanges before others can settle into combinations. A Priest win would set up a physically imposing test for McIntyre—two big-framed, high-impact athletes whose collisions could tilt a title match into a rugged slugfest. It’s a potential challenger that would meet the champion on his preferred terms: force versus force.
Sami Zayn changes the conversation by refusing to play predictable. In multi-man environments, Zayn’s blend of endurance, timing, and situational awareness often proves decisive. He’s adept at extending sequences until an opponent overcommits, then stealing the momentum with precise offense and quick covers. A Zayn victory would frame McIntyre’s next defense as a contrast in styles—the champion’s deliberate physicality against a challenger who thrives in scramble scenarios and emotionally charged rallies. It also taps into the audience connection Zayn carries into every building, a factor that has a way of raising the urgency of title bouts.
Then there’s Trick Williams, whose presence underscores how fluid WWE’s pipeline has become. Williams’ rise from NXT into high-profile spots speaks to his momentum and the company’s willingness to accelerate opportunities for breakout names. Multi-man matches tend to reward athleticism and speed, and Williams has both, along with a knack for turning explosive moments into match-swinging sequences. If he leaves Saturday Night’s Main Event as the number one contender, it signals a rapid elevation—one that would give McIntyre a fresh challenger and shine a light on the next generation’s ability to crash the championship picture.
The four-way format also injects strategic uncertainty. No champion’s advantage exists here—this is purely about first fall wins—and someone can secure a title shot without having to outlast the field for a full match length. Expect shifting alliances, opportunistic near falls, and frequent resets as each wrestler tries to keep two opponents neutralized while pressing the third. Ring positioning becomes critical: who controls center ring, who crowds the ropes to break pins, and who can time an entrance off the apron to interrupt a cover at two-and-nine-tenths. The winner will likely be the one who best balances risk with restraint.
For McIntyre, this is a no-lose scenario in terms of narrative direction, but a high-risk one mechanically. An Orton rematch brings the weight of history. A Zayn challenge delivers stylistic contrast and emotional stakes. A Priest title bid promises a heavyweight collision fitting of a marquee event. A Williams breakthrough presents the champion with a comparatively unknown equation and a challenger with nothing to lose. Each potential matchup reframes the title scene in a different way, ensuring that the belt’s next chapter won’t be a copy-and-paste from the last.
Saturday Night’s Main Event has increasingly become a platform for consequential bouts—matches that may not carry a premium live event label but absolutely influence who gets those spots. Placing a number one contender’s four-way on that stage serves two purposes: it injects immediacy into the title picture and gives WWE flexibility as major dates approach. With the calendar tightening, a clear challenger emerging from a chaotic, high-profile environment gives the company a headline-ready pivot no matter which direction the result points.
What to watch on January 24: Orton’s patience versus Priest’s tempo control; Zayn’s scramble game against Williams’ burst offense; and the moment where the match tilts from multi-man bedlam into a two-man sprint to the finish. Whoever solves that final transition fastest will likely be the one standing across from Drew McIntyre with the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line.
