Drew McIntyre Nearly Pulled From Last Week’s WWE SmackDown

– According to a report by PWInsider, Drew McIntyre was very ill last week, and he was not cleared to be in the ring until he arrived to the arena last Friday for WWE SmackDown, nearly causing a big creative change for the show. McIntyre competed in the Fatal 5-Way No. 1 Contenders Match for the Intercontinental Title.

McIntyre was ultimately okayed for in-ring action after arriving to the arena and being examined by the medical staff. Had he not been cleared, WWE was reportedly prepared to substitute him in the matchup. It’s unknown who would’ve replaced McIntyre in the Fatal 5-Way.

Additionally, PWInsider notes that McIntyre has earned a lot of respect behind-the-scenes for how hard he works, even when he’s not feeling well or banged up over the course of the last year and is seen as a locker room leader. McIntyre continued working the live events over the weekend following SmackDown.

As noted, due to Drew McIntyre and Sheamus both getting pins in the Fatal 5-Way match last week, they will now face each other one-on-one this Friday on SmackDown. The winner will go on to challenge Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 39.