Drew McIntyre, the current Undisputed WWE Champion, remains one of the top stars in professional wrestling. After WrestleMania 42, which takes place in Las Vegas, McIntyre is expected to take some time off from wrestling to focus on filming a new movie, marking a significant shift in his WWE schedule.
Reports from BodySlam+ reveal that McIntyre is set to play Angus MacLeod in the upcoming film Highlander, joining an impressive cast that includes Dave Bautista, Henry Cavill, and Russell Crowe. Angus MacLeod is the brother of Cavill’s character, Connor MacLeod, the title role of the remake. This will be McIntyre’s second acting role following his appearance as a villain in Bautista’s The Killer’s Game, which was released in September 2024.
Title Defense Set for SmackDown This Week
At the Elimination Chamber event in Chicago, McIntyre stirred controversy by interfering and preventing Cody Rhodes from earning another chance at the Undisputed WWE Championship. This interference allowed Randy Orton to secure the No.1 contender spot for WrestleMania 42. However, Nick Aldis, the SmackDown general manager, expressed frustration with McIntyre’s repeated tactics, citing his interference not only against Rhodes but also Jacob Fatu, who was denied an Elimination Chamber qualifying match.
During the Elimination Chamber: Chicago postshow, Aldis announced that McIntyre will have to defend his title against Cody Rhodes on the upcoming Friday SmackDown episode. This decision nearly led to a physical confrontation between McIntyre, sometimes called The Scottish Psychopath, and Aldis, prevented only by security.
Speculation Around McIntyre’s WWE Title Status
Rumors are swirling that McIntyre could lose the Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes during SmackDown’s title defense. Self Made Pro has suggested this outcome, while PW Insider Elite also confirms that Rhodes versus Randy Orton is the planned WrestleMania 42 main event for the title.
Initial speculation involved a possible multi-man championship match including Rhodes, Orton, Jacob Fatu, Aleister Black, and Sami Zayn, but McIntyre has denied those reports. Speaking to Complex Graps, he said,
“The way I see it is, why did we have Elimination Chamber if it’s not a one-on-one match?”
and continued,
“Right now it’s myself and Randy Orton. I got to go in there Friday and get through Cody.”
Drew McIntyre.
The Rhodes vs. Orton pairing for WrestleMania has reportedly been in discussion since January, with some sources like BodySlam+ noting the final decision was only recently confirmed.
Possible WrestleMania 42 Matchup for McIntyre
If McIntyre loses his championship on SmackDown, his WrestleMania 42 opponent is likely to be Jacob Fatu, known as The Samoan Werewolf. The two wrestlers had a rivalry that was interrupted last year when Fatu required dental surgery, which sidelined him and led to a mysterious backstage attack storyline that removed him from TV without revealing the assailant.
With McIntyre potentially challenging Fatu at the marquee event in Las Vegas, speculations rise that he himself may be behind the attack, adding a layer of intrigue to the WrestleMania buildup.
