Drew McIntyre world champion is a story that has seen both incredible triumph and heartbreaking near-misses, with McIntyre striving to secure his most important victory in front of a capacity crowd. Throughout his WWE tenure, McIntyre became a workhorse champion and overcame significant odds, yet several moments saw the company opt not to make him the top titleholder despite immense fan support and emotional stakes.
Despite eventually capturing the coveted world championship in Berlin in 2026, Drew McIntyre’s journey was punctuated by four crucial opportunities where WWE could have—many feel should have—crowned him, but did not. Each missed moment deepened his connection with fans and made the payoff far more turbulent and intense. Here are the four most striking times WWE failed to give Drew McIntyre his world champion coronation when it would have mattered most.
Clash at the Castle 2022: The Hometown Heartbreak Against Roman Reigns
The atmosphere in Cardiff, Wales for Clash at the Castle 2022 was electric, with Drew McIntyre battling Roman Reigns in what essentially felt like a homecoming for the Scotsman. The crowd—packed to capacity—was eager, sensing the vulnerability in Roman Reigns’ dominant reign as the Tribal Chief. For McIntyre, this moment seemed perfectly staged for a crowning achievement in front of his own people.
However, after delivering a decisive Claymore Kick, McIntyre’s victory was stolen away as Solo Sikoa—making his debut—intervened by extracting the referee from the ring. This interference not only shattered McIntyre’s championship aspirations, but it also deflated the audience, leaving them with an awkward post-match scene involving Tyson Fury. The evening ended on a downbeat note for the crowd, who had been ready to celebrate a homegrown hero finally reaching the top of the mountain.
Glasgow in 2024: Interference Overshadows Redemption Against Damian Priest
Fast forward two years and McIntyre found himself with a new shot at redemption, this time in his actual home city of Glasgow. Still reeling from the swift loss at WrestleMania XL, McIntyre’s pursuit of the title was the central story going into the match against Damian Priest. The Scottish crowd was at a fever pitch, their support unwavering for their native son.
Everything appeared aligned for McIntyre until the sudden arrival of CM Punk, disguised as a referee. Punk’s interference—further stoking the flames of the Punk-McIntyre feud—came at a significant cost. By refusing to make the count, Punk ensured Damian Priest retained the championship, snatching away what should have been a triumphant moment for McIntyre and his fans in Glasgow. While this deepened the rivalry between Punk and McIntyre, the decision left the audience feeling once again deprived of a world champion moment for the workhorse star they so fervently backed.
Wrestlepalooza 2025: McIntyre’s Physical Battle With Cody Rhodes
September 2025 saw the resurrection of the Wrestlepalooza moniker for a major WWE event in Indianapolis. Drew McIntyre, by then firmly established as a leading heel, squared off against Cody Rhodes for the world championship. The bout was fiercely contested, showcasing McIntyre’s relentless intensity and the toll his pursuit was taking on his body.
In a crucial sequence, McIntyre’s leg gave out mid-Claymore after he had previously crashed through the announcers’ table, offering Rhodes the chance to strike with a Cross Rhodes for the win. Those watching saw this as a missed opportunity for WWE to bring unpredictability to the championship scene in the TKO Era and reward McIntyre for his sustained momentum. The defeat bolstered Rhodes but left many fans and analysts with the sense that the timing for a title change was perfect yet overlooked.
Saturday Night’s Main Event (November 2025): Controversy in the Final Act Against Cody Rhodes
Only two months before his ultimate triumph, McIntyre clashed with Cody Rhodes in a high-stakes match at Saturday Night’s Main Event XLI. With the championship on the line and no disqualifications or count-outs, the match saw both competitors push the limits—McIntyre attempting to lure Rhodes into disqualification and both men unleashing their cunning and physicality in equal measure.
The contest reached its chaotic peak when a referee bump led to both using the title belt as a weapon. In the end, Rhodes landed a DDT onto the championship belt and finished McIntyre with his signature maneuver, securing another dramatic victory. This result sparked intense debate, as many saw it as prolonging McIntyre’s saga unnecessarily. While the story would find a satisfying payoff later, the November clash felt like a painfully drawn-out chapter in McIntyre’s long road to becoming world champion.
Drew McIntyre’s world champion narrative is marked by perseverance and near-miss moments that galvanized his supporters and intensified his character’s emotional journey. The decisions to delay his coronation at these high-profile events not only shaped his rivalry with names like Cody Rhodes, Damian Priest, and CM Punk, but also underscored the unpredictable and sometimes frustrating nature of WWE storytelling. Eventually, McIntyre achieved his long-awaited success, but these missed opportunities ensured the story would resonate with a turbulent, emotional impact for all involved.
