WWE May Have Subtly Spoiled 8-Time Champion’s Return On SmackDown
A top WWE star could make his return on SmackDown tonight.
Drew McIntyre has not been seen on the sports entertainment juggernaut’s programming since his loss against Jacob Fatu at WrestleMania 42.
It was reported that McIntyre was taking time off to complete his scenes for the Highlander movie, which features Henry Cavill in the lead role of Connor MacLeod. For those unaware, McIntyre will star as Angus MacLeod, the brother of Cavill’s character.
Amid The Scottish Warrior’s WWE absence, eagle-eyed fans noticed that he is being advertised for the May 29 edition of SmackDown at Olimpic Arena in Barcelona, Spain. However, Drew McIntyre’s return could be before that.
The go-home episode of SmackDown (May 22) before Saturday Night’s Main Event XLIV is set to take place at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. Interestingly, WWE.com has advertised McIntyre for the show.
Drew McIntyre is currently advertised for tonight’s WWE SmackDown.
He has been absent from WWE TV since WrestleMania 42.
(Source: WWE) pic.twitter.com/kJmpnpmknr
— Cultaholic Wrestling (@Cultaholic) May 22, 2026
That being said, fans shouldn’t get their hopes up too high about a Drew McIntyre return on tonight’s SmackDown, or a Randy Orton return, for that matter, as he also features in the promotional material. It could be just a case of WWE not updating the official website.
The lineup for 5/22 SmackDown is as follows:
- Rhea Ripley to kick off the show
- Cody Rhodes and Gunther to appear
- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Talla Tonga
- Carmelo Hayes has a message for Trick Williams and Lil Yachty
- Tiffany Stratton Open Challenge for the Women’s United States Championship
WWE star Drew McIntyre makes a confession
During a recent interview on Bobby Bones Presents: The BobbyCast, Drew McIntyre admitted he has changed up his training routine due to the lesser frequency of matches in WWE. He compared it to that of a boxer or a UFC fighter.
These days, I probably wrestle one match every couple of months. They finally eliminated most of the non-televised shows. One, the talent were just getting hurt all the time and going out quicker, and two, from a profit standpoint, it just didn’t make sense. It never made sense to me, profit-wise. So now, the money’s in the TV deals and all the other massive deals that the billion dollar man Nick Khan is constantly making so because I’m wrestling once every two months, every three months, I do feel like I’ve been in a car crash after the matches and I train for each match now, like, I assume a boxer would train for a fight, UFC fighter would train for a fight, I train for each pro wrestling match.
It will be interesting to see how Triple H brings back The Scottish Warrior, especially as Saturday Night’s Main Event XLIV and Clash In Italy are just around the corner. Who could he target next? Only time will tell.