Drew McIntyre is one of the top names on the WWE roster. His name was in a bit of controversy coming out of the Royal Rumble, but that’s just another moment pointing to the passion that has made McIntyre resonate with fans. With WrestleMania 41 on the horizon, there are questions about where he fits on the card. Several of the top names are tied up in angles, and it would be tough to see McIntyre left off the show. Looking at who is available, here are three names that McIntyre could lock up with at WrestleMania 41.
Damian Priest
Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre have important history together. McIntyre reached the mountain top at WrestleMania 40. He toppled Seth Rollins, taking the WWE World Heavyweight Champion from the former Shield member. But before he could properly celebrate, Priest cashed in the Money in the Bank title and took that championship from McIntyre’s hands. Yes, one could blame CM Punk for attacking McIntyre first, but it was Priest who walked out of the show with the title in tow.
Priest stepped in McIntyre’s way once again during the Royal Rumble, as he was the man to eliminate McIntyre from the match. In 2024 Priest took the title and in 2025 he took McIntyre’s chance at a title shot. Well, it is time for payback and there’s no better stage than WrestleMania.
LA Knight
Remember the aforementioned controversy surrounding McIntyre coming out of the Royal Rumble? Well, the man that was at the center of it was revealed to be LA Knight. While that issue has been smoothed over, that didn’t stop WWE from playing off that moment on the following episode of SmackDown.
McIntyre and Knight are two men who are on the cusp of being main eventers, but just behind some of the other names on the roster. Pitting them against each other will keep them in a hot feud, while keeping them just outside the title picture. Is this a little bit of a holding patten? Yes, but it’s a necessary one as the titles are set to be wrapped up in feuds that will not involve either man heading to WrestleMania 41. The winner would come out of the show being one of the top challengers in line.
Ricky Starks
If WWE really wanted to create a memorable moment, the company would scoop up one of the hottest free agents on the market in Ricky Starks. He, along with Miro, were shockingly released on February 10, and according to reports Starks is “free and clear” to perform wherever he’d like to next. The perfect place for Starks would be WWE.
A few years back WWE re-introduced Cody Rhodes in such a fashion. Seth Rollins wanted a match at WrestleMania and Rhodes would be his surprise opponent. Imagine if the stage was set for McIntyre to have a match against an unknown opponent, only to be met with Starks coming down the ramp. That would be a massive introduction for the performer and one that would kick-start his run with the company. It’s a long shot, but one that would kick off a wealth of momentum for the new talent.