Drew McIntyre Reflects on Recent Undisputed WWE Title Reign: What It Did for Him, Cody Rhodes & SmackDown

Drew McIntyre’s reign as Undisputed WWE Champion may have lasted just 56 days with just one title defense, but the Scottish Warrior is satisfied with it. McIntyre recently appeared on Chris Van Vliet’s INSIGHT podcast, where he opened up about his most recent reign as WWE World Champion.

McIntyre captured the Undisputed WWE Title from Cody Rhodes in a Three Stages of Hell match in Berlin on the January 9, 2026, episode of SmackDown. He had just one televised title defense, against Sami Zayn at the Royal Rumble, before The American Nightmare regained the title on the March 6 episode of SmackDown.

Drew McIntyre was asked what his latest title reign meant to him. He said it was “awesome,” as it gave the Road to WrestleMania a much-needed shakeup, a bit of “legitimacy,” helped Cody regain some of his edge, and made SmackDown more interesting. Below are the highlights:

Drew McIntyre on What His Latest Reign as Undisputed WWE Champ Meant to Him

“Awesome. Nobody saw it coming, for one. I think everybody assumed that the Cody Express would keep moving on forward. He’s been in that position for a long time. After he finished the story, he was on fire. I’m not saying he wasn’t doing a great job. He’s a great champion; he’s a great performer, but it was a lot of the same. I think there needed to be a shake-up, and there was a shake-up that no one saw coming when I won in Berlin. I could hear the crowd; I could hear the response; I could see the response, and it put Cody in a position where he had to chase. Gave Cody a bit of that edge back, which he, in my opinion, desperately needed.”

On What His Reign Did for Him and Smackdown

“For me, it gave me some of that legitimacy. ‘Oh yeah, Drew can win the big one,’ and not going to be so sympathetic that we need to start cheering for this guy if you feel so bad for him. Where I could be more of a, like I mentioned, if I got the title and people challenge me to fight, what would I gain? No, I’m Gollum from Lord of the Rings. This is my precious. I’m not letting this go, no matter what. So it did a lot of things, but I know it made SmackDown way more compelling at the time, especially so many people hate me for some reason. So now you’ve got the champion right in the middle with the target on him. And as Cody mentioned, you know, it’s not just we want the title. It’s because you’re an ar*ehole; they’re all coming for you, which made SmackDown more interesting for me personally.”

Drew McIntyre Reflects on His First Title Defense in Glasgow

“I win it in Berlin, and the next night was Glasgow, so I got to walk out in Glasgow with the title for the first time as champion, with live fans, with a whole family in attendance. I tell Scotland, ‘I promised you would bring you the championship, and I brought you the championship, and the only ever, not just Scotland person to do it, but British person to do it.’”

McIntyre is currently on a collision course with Jacob Fatu. The bitter rivals will lock horns in an Unsanctioned Match at WrestleMania 42.