Drew McIntyre Recalls Reaction To Not Facing John Cena At WWE Crown Jewel

Drew McIntyre nearly faced John Cena at WWE Crown Jewel last year, and he recently spoke about not getting the bout. Cena faced AJ Styles at the Australia show as part of his retirement tour, but he recently noted that the original plan was to have him face McIntyre. Cena said that they pivoted based on the fans wanting a “feel-good moment.”

McIntyre spoke about not getting that shot in his interview with SHAK Wrestling. He noted that he can’t change the direction and explained why he’s okay with not getting the match. You can see the highlights below:

On His Reaction To Not Gettting the Crown Jewel Match:

“I mean, I can’t change the the creative direction. I talked about getting a match with Cena, getting a situation on the microphone with Cena just to prove what I’m capable of. Because I want to compete with the best, and he is or was the best on the microphone. And I heard the quote, I heard what John said. Whatever people weren’t feeling what was going on, they decided to pivot. He outright asked, ‘Do you want AJ?’

“And the match was incredible. So I could sit there and go, ‘Damn, what if?’ Or, ‘What if he tweeted my name?’ But the reality is he’s retired, I’m world champion. So I think it worked out just fine for Drew McIntyre.”

On If He Knew That Was the Original Plan:

“I know enough. And I keep my head down and I keep working no matter what happens. And I can’t take his phone and say, ‘Just tweet my name.’ Things happen the way they’re supposed to happen.

“Many times, like I’ve mentioned already, I’ve been frustrated about things. I’ve been like, ‘I know this was the right thing to do.’ But at the same time, you get somebody like Triple H leading the charge that’s been there and done that a million times, and genuinely does think about the big picture. And I’m sitting here now, champion.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit SHAK Wrestling with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.