SmackDown Star Vows To Win WWE Title For First Time In 4 Years

One SmackDown star is looking to the future as they focus their attention on the WWE Championship once again.

John Cena captured the WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 and has vowed to retire with the belt and live up to his claim of being the “last real champion” in the company.

But Cena has no shortage of stars looking to stop that from happening. Cody Rhodes will get his chance at SummerSlam, but no matter who wins that bout, Drew McIntyre will be waiting.

Drew McIntyre Wants The WWE Championship

Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Drew McIntyre explained that after a successful 2024 that saw him drag CM Punk through an epic feud, he’s ready to get his hands back on the WWE Championship:

I mean, the public certainly enjoyed it [CM Punk feud] more than probably anything I’ve ever done. Punk’s quote is interesting. He [said he] elevates everybody, even though he was on his arse injured for half of the feud. Drew McIntyre elevated that feud. Drew McIntyre elevated Punk and put me in the position that he’s not been in since the last time he was in WWE. He was just playing CM Punk, and he finally became CM Punk with me.

I gave — actually I didn’t give as good as I got; I gave better than I got by freaking far. That’s why I won every award that was given out in 2024.

And now that I’ve been out for 5 weeks, 6 weeks, I’ve taken a step back. I’ve been looking at the landscape. I’ve seen what’s been happening recently, and I’ve come back with a new mindset. I’m back to get what’s mine. It’s time for Drew McIntyre to be WWE Champion again. Get what I deserve. Get what I’ve earned.

Drew McIntyre held the World Heavyweight Championship for a matter of minutes at WrestleMania 40. But the last time the Scottish star held the WWE Championship was back in early 2021, where he surprisingly lost the gold to The Miz, who cashed in Money In The Bank on McIntyre after McIntyre had survived an Elimination Chamber bout.