Drew McIntyre Admits “Smoke To The Fire” Over WWE Rumours
Drew McIntyre has addressed the rumours surrounding his recent WWE absence.
Drew McIntyre recently returned to WWE in a surprise appearance at Money In The Bank in London, England after spending months on the sidelines. McIntyre was a part of the incredible Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania 39 alongside Sheamus and GUNTHER but following his loss, the Scottish star disappeared.
Reports suggested that while McIntyre was healing up from nagging injuries, he was also in some dispute with the company over his creative direction as well as money as the two sides looked to negotiate a new deal. The re-appearance of McIntyre in WWE seemed to put those stories to rest but it is still unknown if he’s signed a new contract that will extend his stay past the beginning of 2024.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Drew McIntyre discussed his absence and admitted it was nice to spend some time outside the WWE bubble and says there may have been some truth to suggestions he was in dispute with the company:
“It was cool, getting the break. There were a lot of rumors and headlines on the internet when I was out, probably like 50 different things. It was amazing all the stories about me out there. When you’re not, you’re not on tv, people talk, and you know, there might have been some smoke to some fire with a few of them, but it was nice.
“People were talking about me when I wasn’t there, but I did have to get some things fixed physically. Unlike injuries, I’ve had in the past. There was no rehab involved, so I was actually able to enjoy my time at home, work on some outside projects, spend time with the Mrs and the cat, and take a step outside of the bubble and kind of get perspective again.
“So you’re inside the bubble. We’re 52 weeks per year. You go, go, go. Sometimes you can lose that perspective. And the last time I really had a hard look at myself outside the bubble was in 2014 when I got fired by WWE. So this time, I didn’t have to get fired, thank goodness I had some time off, and I was able to sit down, reassess things, think about what I want to achieve within the industry and as a person, and return with that mindset and come right into a huge match and I’m very excited.”
What’s next for Drew McIntyre in WWE?
At Money In The Bank, Drew McIntyre took out Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER after he successfully defended his title against Matt Riddle.
As a result, McIntyre will have his one-on-one chance to become Intercontinental Champion for the second time in his career when he takes on GUNTHER at SummerSlam.