Drew McIntyre is the man to defeat GUNTHER for the Intercontinental Championship

Drew McIntyre made his WWE return at Money in the Bank, establishing himself as the next big challenger for GUNTHER. 

Drew McIntyre’s status with the WWE has been a topic of discussion since WrestleMania. The Money in the Bank PPV seemingly answered those questions, as McIntyre made a surprise appearance to face off with GUNTHER. As the latter enjoys one of the most important Intercontinental Championship runs of this generation, many wondered who the man will be to defeat him. Without a shadow of a doubt, McIntyre will be that man.

Multiple professional wrestling media outlets reported the news in recent months that McIntyre and the WWE had not come to terms on a new deal. Back in May, Fightful Select reported that the former champion’s deal was set to end in 2024, and that “he’s leaning towards not staying with WWE.” This wouldn’t be the first time McIntyre would have stepped away from the WWE, as doing so back in 2014 helped him become a much more developed star. But if the PLE from London, England means anything, it looks like McIntyre is back in the fold.

GUNTHER versus McIntyre continues their story from WrestleMania 39. He and Sheamus took on the champion in a triple threat and neither man was able to topple the monster. While many fans wanted to see Sheamus pick up the victory, as the IC belt is the only one, he hasn’t held throughout his career – it’s understandable why McIntyre may be the guy tabbed with doing so and getting this big moment.

As COVID-19 first closed its iron grip around the world, WWE was revving up for a big Drew McIntyre push. He’d just won the Royal Rumble and would defeat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. He would hold the WWE Championship two times from 2020 to 2021, totaling 311 days, but the impact of his reign was always lacking. This was partly due to the fact that wrestling was hindered by its inability to travel and no fan presence at shows. McIntyre had finally reached the apex that everyone wanted to see, but the world was forced to watch from home. And since then, WWE has hesitated to heat him up enough to give him the run at the top so many have called for.

This is why being the man to defeat GUNTHER makes sense. He is a big enough name to get that win and make it a believable victory. While there are others that fans would be interested to see in this role, McIntyre is a big enough superstar to carry this moment. It’s not the main title run that fans thought McIntyre would get heading into the end of 2019 and early 2020, but it’s a moment that still matters in today’s WWE that has cast GUNTHER as a dominating force. Plus, this creates room for interesting opportunities with McIntyre in the future.

Drew McIntyre walked through the entranceway at Money in the Bank to a rousing response from fans. He and GUNTHER aren’t finished and this time around, McIntyre’s the man to take that belt off the Ring General’s waist.