Summary

Drew McIntyre has opened up about the meaning behind his Undisputed WWE Title reign, saying it gave him credibility he had been missing and made SmackDown a more compelling product during the stretch leading into WrestleMania 42.

McIntyre defeated Cody Rhodes on the January 9 episode of SmackDown to capture the title in Berlin. The reign lasted just under two months before Cody won it back on the March 6 SmackDown. Speaking to Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Drew reflected on what the run accomplished for him, for Cody, and for the show itself.

Quote from Drew McIntyre

"Awesome. Nobody saw it coming, for one. I think everybody assumed that the Cody Express would keep moving on forward. He's been in that position for a long time. After he finished the story, he was on fire. I'm not saying he wasn't doing a great job. He's a great champion, he's a great performer, but it was a lot of the same. I think there needed to be a shake-up, and there was a shake-up that no one saw coming when I won in Berlin. I could hear the crowd, I could hear the response, I could see the response, and it put Cody in a position where he had to chase. Gave Cody a bit of that edge back, which he, in my opinion, desperately needed. For me, it gave me some of that legitimacy. 'Oh yeah, Drew can win the big one,' and not going to be so sympathetic that we need to start cheering for this guy if you feel so bad for him. Where I could be more of a, like I mentioned, if I got the title and people challenge me to fight, what would I gain? No, I'm Gollum from Lord of the Rings. This is my precious. I'm not letting this go, no matter what."

McIntyre also described how the title changed the atmosphere on SmackDown:

"So it did a lot of things, but I know it made SmackDown way more compelling at the time, especially so many people hate me for some reason. So now you've got the champion right in the middle with the target on him. As Cody mentioned, you know, it's not just we want the title. It's because you're an arsehole, they're all coming for you, which made SmackDown more interesting for me personally. I win it in Berlin, and the next night was Glasgow, so I got to walk out in Glasgow with the title for the first time as champion, with live fans, with a whole family in attendance. I tell Scotland, I promised you would bring you the championship, and I brought you the championship, and the only ever, not just Scotland person to do it, but British person to do it."

McIntyre's Reign and What It Did for the Title Picture

Drew's framing here is interesting. His argument isn't just personal pride in the win. It's that Cody's long run as champion had settled into a rhythm, and disrupting that rhythm served both men. The chase that followed gave Rhodes a motivation he had arguably lacked since completing the long-running storyline with Roman Reigns. For McIntyre, it was proof of concept, settling the question of whether he could close as champion when it actually counted.

The Glasgow moment he describes adds a human layer to it. Carrying the title into his home country the night after winning it, with family in the building, is the kind of thing that rarely gets acknowledged in the clinical back-and-forth of title reigns. He noted he is the only British person to hold the Undisputed WWE Championship, a distinction that will follow him regardless of how many more reigns follow or don't.

What Comes Next for McIntyre at WrestleMania 42

Drew won't be in the title match at WrestleMania 42. Cody Rhodes defends the Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton. McIntyre heads into the event against Jacob Fatu in an unsanctioned match, a bout that carries its own stakes in terms of physicality and intensity.

Whether the title picture opens up again for Drew after WrestleMania remains to be seen, but his reflection on this reign suggests he views it as unfinished business rather than a chapter closed. He made the point himself: he went Gollum with it. It was his, and then it wasn't.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.