Is keeping Drew McIntyre in the world title hunt a mistake?

For fans wondering what Drew McIntyre’s next move would be following his loss to Bobby Lashley at Hell in a Cell, this past Monday’s episode of Raw provided an answer. Thanks to his victory over AJ Styles and Riddle (who filled in for Randy Orton), “The Scottish Warrior” will join Ricochet, John Morrison, Riddle, and Big E in the men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

In a sense, it’s understandable why WWE placed McIntyre in this eight-man chase for the coveted Money in the Bank briefcase and the guaranteed world championship match contract domiciled inside. Coming out of Hell in a Cell, the former WWE Champion had no obvious program to pivot to, and with most of the top(ish) names on the Raw roster already in the ladder match, WWE probably figured that adding him to a high-profile, multi-person match on the company’s first pay-per-view since WrestleMania 37 with real fans in attendance would suffice as a reprieve from chasing Lashley.

However, McIntyre’s inclusion raises the question: is even this too much for fans who want to see him away from the title picture?

Drew McIntyre’s character could use a break from heavily pursuing a world title.

You would have to go back to November 2019 to find the last storyline McIntyre took part in that didn’t involve the WWE or Universal Championship; he was part of the Raw Men’s Survivor Series Team that took on SmackDown and NXT. Two years as either the top contender or the title holder is a long time to occupy those roles in this modern era of wrestling, especially when working for a promotion with the hectic schedule that WWE has.

To be clear, McIntyre excelled in both roles and was a bright spot for the company during their time in the Performance Center and the ThunderDome throughout 2020 and 2021, but after a while, even the best performances can become tiresome if people see it over and over again.

Fans thought the conclusion of Hell in a Cell — McIntyre’s loss meant he could no longer challenge for the title as long as Lashley is WWE Champion — would lead to an fascinating new direction for McIntyre. Instead, WWE crammed the same dialogue he has recited for the last several months into his backpack and sent him down the same repetitive path, cheapening the HiaC stipulation that they made such a big deal out of (especially if he wins the ladder match, and let’s not pretend that isn’t a possibility).

That said, WWE can still salvage an interesting story out of this. A scenario where McIntyre comes close to winning only to come up short in the end — thus truly feezing him out of any more title opportunities — would give them the chance to deconstruct who McIntyre is when there is no tangible goal to pursue in the short-term. If someone screws him out of the briefcase, it could even spark a feud that could last a couple of months while other babyfaces get their cracks at Lashley.

It’s a gamble, but it’s much better than trekking the same path and hoping no one else gets exhausted along the way.