Drew McIntyre has spent nearly a decade proving that he belongs in WWE’s main event scene. He has the size, the microphone skills, and an in-ring style that feels made for the biggest stage in professional wrestling. Fans respect his journey too. After being released by WWE in 2014, he rebuilt his career on the independent scene, returned in 2017, and worked his way back to the top of the company within just a few years.
The problem has never been Drew’s talent or ability. The real question is why WWE keeps ending his championship reigns so quickly. Every time he wins a major title, the moment never seems to last. Weeks of momentum disappear in a single night, and his reign is over before it truly gets going. It happened again this year, and the pattern has repeated often enough that it’s worth looking back at the entire story from the beginning.
1. The Empty-Arena Title Run
McIntyre got his first real shot at the top when he defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36. On paper, it was the biggest victory of his career. But the reality was very different. The match took place during the COVID-19 pandemic inside an empty Performance Center, with no fans, no deafening cheers, and none of the atmosphere that usually makes a WrestleMania title win feel unforgettable.
He carried the championship throughout WWE’s empty-arena era, defending it against top stars like Seth Rollins and Randy Orton. While the matches were strong, one crucial element was missing—a live audience. Without fans reacting to every moment, the reign never felt as special as it should have. By the time WWE welcomed crowds back, the company’s focus had already shifted to other storylines, and McIntyre’s first championship run never received the celebration or lasting recognition it truly deserved.
2. Boxed Out After Losing to Lashley
The rivalry with Bobby Lashley in 2021 was the point where this pattern really became impossible to ignore. Drew McIntyre losing the WWE Championship wasn’t the problem. Lashley was one of the most dominant stars on the roster at the time, and crowning him as champion made complete sense. The issue was everything that happened after the title change. Instead of letting Drew take a step back, rebuild his momentum, and slowly fight his way back into the championship picture, WWE kept throwing him into rematch after rematch against Lashley.
Every loss chipped away at the momentum he had built over the previous year. Then came the final blow—a stipulation that prevented McIntyre from challenging for the WWE Championship again as long as Lashley remained champion. That single decision didn’t just end the rivalry; it shut the door on Drew’s entire title chase. Rather than moving him into a fresh storyline with a clear direction, WWE left one of its biggest stars without a meaningful path back to the main event, making his momentum fade faster than anyone expected.
3. The Missed Moment in Scotland’s Backyard.
Clash at the Castle 2022 had all the ingredients to become the defining moment of Drew McIntyre’s career. WWE brought the event to the UK, and from the moment he walked through the curtain, it was clear the crowd was completely behind him. In the main event, McIntyre challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship, and everything about the atmosphere felt like the perfect setup for a hometown title victory. Instead, WWE chose a different path. Solo Sikoa interfered late in the match, allowing Reigns to retain the championship. Just like that, a rare opportunity slipped away. The UK crowd was ready to explode for a title change, but the moment never came.
There was logic behind the decision. Roman Reigns’ historic championship reign was still a key part of WWE’s long-term plans, and the company wasn’t ready to end it. Even so, that choice came at McIntyre’s expense. Opportunities like this don’t come around often—a sold-out hometown crowd, a major stadium show, and a world title match all aligning at the same time. It could have been the defining victory of McIntyre’s career, but instead, it became another heartbreaking near miss.
4. A Championship That Lasted Minutes
WrestleMania 40 delivered perhaps the shortest—and most frustrating—example of this pattern. Drew McIntyre defeated Seth Rollins clean to win the World Heavyweight Championship, and for a brief moment, it looked like WWE was finally ready to give him the meaningful title reign fans had been waiting for. That moment didn’t last. As McIntyre celebrated his victory, CM Punk got involved and disrupted the celebration. Seconds later, Damian Priest cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. With McIntyre already vulnerable, Priest capitalized on the opportunity and walked away with the championship.
The entire reign lasted only a matter of minutes. Months of storytelling and anticipation disappeared almost as quickly as they had paid off. Before McIntyre could even leave the ringside area as champion, his title run was already over—another example of WWE cutting short what could have been a defining championship reign.
5. Set Up to Put Others Over
Looking at the past few years as a whole, a clear pattern begins to emerge. Drew McIntyre is almost always cast as the credible threat in WWE’s biggest matches. He builds the drama, raises the stakes, and convinces fans that this might finally be his moment. But when it matters most, he falls just short, allowing someone else’s victory to carry the spotlight.
That formula works well for the wrestler on the winning side, but repeating it over and over comes at a cost. Each near miss chips away at McIntyre’s credibility as a championship contender. Fans gradually stop expecting him to win the next big match, not because they doubt his talent, but because history has taught them that WWE usually has someone else leaving with the title.
6. The 2026 Version of the Same Story
This year followed the same pattern, but with even more chaos. In January, Drew McIntyre defeated Cody Rhodes in a brutal Three Stages of Hell Match to win the WWE Championship. Jacob Fatu played a big role in that victory by interfering in the match. It looked like McIntyre was finally getting another meaningful title reign, but it didn’t last long. Just a few weeks later, Fatu helped Cody win the championship back, ending Drew’s reign before it could really get going.
The rivalry between McIntyre and Fatu only became more intense after that. They fought in parking lots, crashed cars into each other, battled on top of scaffolding, and caused chaos on SmackDown more than once. The feud became so violent that WWE finally made it official with an Unsanctioned Match at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas. There were no disqualifications, no count-outs, and WWE accepted that anything could happen.
On Night One of WrestleMania 42, Jacob Fatu won the match after hitting a devastating Mighty Moonsault through a table. From WWE’s point of view, the result made sense. Fatu was being pushed as one of the company’s biggest rising stars, and a WrestleMania win over an established name like McIntyre made him look even stronger. For McIntyre, though, it was another familiar ending. He won the WWE Championship in January, but by WrestleMania season he was no longer champion and had another major loss on his record. Once again, WWE gave him a huge moment, only for it to end before fans could really enjoy his title reign.
7. Where Things Stand Now
Drew McIntyre has not appeared on WWE television since his loss at WrestleMania 42. His absence has continued well beyond the SummerSlam season, but the reason isn’t an injury. Instead, he has been busy with Hollywood projects. Reports say McIntyre is filming the Highlander remake alongside Henry Cavill. Once that wraps up, he is expected to begin work on another action film, The Last Druid, starring Russell Crowe. WWE reportedly approved his time away, and recent backstage reports suggest he is not expected to return at SummerSlam. At the moment, there are also no creative plans in place for his comeback.
It marks an interesting point in McIntyre’s career. Even though he is still one of SmackDown’s biggest stars, he now has a serious second career outside WWE. That makes his future much harder to predict. Whenever he does return, the timing of his next major push could depend not only on WWE’s plans, but also on his growing schedule in Hollywood.
The Bigger Picture
None of this changes what Drew McIntyre brings to WWE. He is still one of the company’s best performers. His in-ring work remains strong, his promos are just as convincing, and fans continue to connect with him. The problem has never been his talent. The problem is what happens after he reaches the top. Almost every time WWE puts a championship around his waist, something cuts the reign short. Sometimes it’s circumstances outside anyone’s control, like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other times it’s a storyline built around interference or a decision to give a rising star a career-changing victory. Whatever the reason, McIntyre’s title runs rarely get the time they need to become truly memorable. That leaves one big question hanging over his career. When Drew McIntyre returns to WWE, will he finally get the long, uninterrupted championship reign that many fans believe he has earned? Or will the same cycle begin all over again, with another huge moment that fades away almost as quickly as it arrives?
Gaurav Sharma
Founder & Lead Writer, Wrestling Nightmare
I’ve been hooked on wrestling since childhood—from the Attitude Era to today’s Bloodline saga, plus AEW and TNA. My favorite match of all time is The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam 2002), and I’ll always stand by Bray Wyatt’s untapped potential.
At Wrestling Nightmare, I break down news, analyze matches, and drop verified recaps. Got a correction or wanna debate? Hit me up at contact@wrestlingnightmare.com
