Drew McIntyre escalated the tension in his feud with Cody Rhodes by making the conflict much more personal, even referencing Rhodes’ late father, Dusty Rhodes, during their confrontations. This turn took place towards the end of their rivalry, intensifying the stakes. McIntyre, who won the Undisputed WWE Championship from Rhodes, is now focusing on his upcoming Royal Rumble match against Sami Zayn. During an appearance on TMZ Inside the Ropes, McIntyre addressed whether his approach towards Rhodes had crossed any boundaries and indicated that his provocations are likely to become even more severe.
McIntyre Defends His Hard-Hitting Verbal Attacks on Rhodes
When asked if he had taken things too far in his verbal exchanges with Rhodes, McIntyre dismissed the idea. He said,
“No. I honestly don’t believe there’s such a thing as too far these days. You know, I’m willing to take it as well as willing to give it out. And a lot of people might take some of the stuff I say, get offended, and maybe run and cry to management. Cody’s not one of those people. I’ll give him credit where credit is due. You know, he’ll take punches literally in the ring. He does some crazy stuff. He jumped off a balcony top of me, puts his body in the line all the time, but he’s also got pretty thick skin. And he’ll take a verbal lash, and then he won’t give it right back.”
McIntyre went further to emphasize that he intends to push up the intensity from here:
“So no, as far as I’m concerned, there is no limit. And yeah, I’m going to keep pushing the boundaries. So you think I’ve been bad before I won the title? Just wait. Just wait. People are going to try and cancel me for some of the stuff I probably say. I don’t care. I’m the champ. You can’t cancel the champ.”
McIntyre Reflects on His Unique Championship Accomplishments
Aside from his rivalry with Rhodes, McIntyre also spoke about his rare achievements across multiple wrestling promotions. Known for holding the WWE, TNA, and NXT championships, he took pride in being the only wrestler to have accomplished this feat. On social media, he has been reminded of several records he holds, some of which he admits he may have forgotten.
Highlighting his most significant personal milestone, he stated:
“My biggest one is I’m the first and only ever Scottish and British WWE champion of all time. People like the British Bulldog, William Regal, Wade Barrett, and some of the greats from Britain and the UK in general have never won the world title. I’ve been lucky to win it four times. I know that’s the biggest one to me. And you know, winning all those championships you just mentioned is very, very surreal.”
The Impact of McIntyre’s Growing Intensity and Next Steps
Drew McIntyre’s increasing willingness to engage on a deeply personal level with Cody Rhodes signals a shift toward more intense and provocative storytelling as he defends his championship. His refusal to back down from controversial remarks, combined with his physical toughness, creates anticipation for their ongoing rivalry’s development. Looking ahead, McIntyre will bring this heightened intensity to the Royal Rumble, setting a charged tone as he prepares to face Sami Zayn.
As McIntyre continues to break new ground with his championship records and in-ring persona, fans and critics alike will be watching closely to see how his straightforward, sometimes confrontational style influences WWE’s narrative and audience engagement moving forward.
