5 Possible directions for Drew McIntyre following the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble

After being taken out at the WWE Day 1 premium live event by Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss, Drew McIntyre returned for the Men's Royal Rumble match. Drew entered the match as entrant #21 and lasted until the very end when he was eliminated by winner Brock Lesnar.

Back on January 1, Drew McIntyre defeated Madcap Moss in a one-on-one match. However, later that night McIntyre was attacked by Corbin and Moss backstage with a chair and light rig, which ultimately ruled him out of action.

The reason for the attack was revealed to be something that could have been potentially serious. The Scottish Warrior required a scan of his neck to determine whether he required surgery or not to fix the issue. This was caused prior to his match with Madcap Moss and had been a problem for a number of weeks.

Once it was revealed that McIntyre did not require surgery, he was immediately written back into action and entered into the Men's Royal Rumble match.

However, an outstanding feud still remains on SmackDown. The former WWE Champion was feuding with Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss, who were responsible for taking him out of action in the storyline. He eliminated them both from the Royal Rumble, but you'd expect seeking revenge to be McIntyre's first port of call when he heads back to the blue brand.

That being said, let's take a look at five possible directions for Drew McIntyre following the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble, in no particular order.

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#5 Drew McIntyre will look to seek revenge on Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss on WWE SmackDown

The first thing Drew McIntyre will have in mind upon arriving on SmackDown this week will be to hunt down Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss.

The show could start in explosive fashion with McIntyre seeking out Moss and Corbin backstage. In the past, the pair have tried to hide before, but this time there is nowhere to run from The Scottish Warrior.

The former WWE Champion could give them an all-mighty beating which could then spew out into the arena and into the ring to show that he means business. McIntyre could then repeat the same move both Moss and Corbin performed on him at Day 1 with a steel chair to get one back, particularly on Corbin.

It could then eventually lead to a showdown match, potentially at the next premium live event, Elimination Chamber.

#4 Drew McIntyre vs. Happy Corbin & Madcap Moss could take place at WWE Elimination Chamber

Drew McIntyre will know if he faces either Corbin or Moss at WWE Elimination Chamber, the one he is not competing against will try and get involved. McIntyre might just say to scrap that and take on both superstars at the same time.

Of course, the odds will be against the Scottish-born superstar, but he's not one to back down from battle. McIntyre can either defy the odds and pick up the win, or succumb to a defeat in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Either way, it wouldn't feel like the rivalry was over, especially with WrestleMania in sight. It could only lead to one match for Drew to finally feel like he has overcome the joking duo.

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#3 Drew McIntyre vs. Happy Corbin at WrestleMania in a gimmick match

This match seems like the likeliest outcome to end their feud once and for all. Maybe with Madcap Moss taken out of the picture leading up to it, Drew McIntyre can finally get his hands on Happy Corbin one-on-one.

The match will certainly have some form of gimmick to make the beating as brutal as possible for Corbin. A Street Fight could probably be the one, as it would allow for weapons and also a brawl all around ringside.

There could even be some stipulation on the line to raise the stakes. Potentially Happy Corbin could put his wealth on the line that he won in Las Vegas last summer to really add some intrigue and the WWE Universe wanting to see him lose.

There are plenty of different options the company could go with if they were to book it for WrestleMania.

#2 Drew McIntyre could be selected by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon to face Austin Theory at WrestleMania

For the last few months, Austin Theory has been trying to prove himself to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. Their on-screen storyline began during the Survivor Series when McMahon's golden egg was stolen by Theory. The Chairman eventually told him he admired his guts but he still had a lot to learn.

Since then, Austin has been on a crusade to prove his worth, and it seemed likely that he would face Shane McMahon at WrestleMania.

Shane returned at the Royal Rumble and would have slotted perfectly into the story to represent his father, in teaching Austin a lesson in the ring. However, Shane has been "let go" by the company.

Drew McIntyre could now slot into the spot to face Austin Theory on the biggest stage. After all, Vince has admiration for Drew, so what better person to choose than The Scottish Warrior.

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#1 Drew McIntyre could challenge for the WWE Intercontinental Championship or US Championship at WrestleMania

It seems unlikely at this stage that McIntyre will be inserted into the world title picture, unless something dramatically changes. However, there are still a number of championships that the superstar could challenge for.

Drew could aim to win one of the secondary titles. He could attempt to win the Intercontinental Championship for the first time since 2009, colliding with Shinsuke Nakamura, if he is still the champion.

McIntyre could also look to challenge the United States Champion, Damian Priest, to capture his first-ever U.S. Title. It is WrestleMania season so the doors are open for superstars to go between brands.

There are a number of possibilities open for Drew McIntyre to lead into WrestleMania. It appears WWE may have held off putting him in a more prominent role awaiting the outcome of his neck scans. Now that he's back they can firmly sure up his plans.

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Let us know in the comments below how you book Drew McIntyre over the next few weeks leading into WrestleMania?