'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Drew McIntyre has been nothing short of impressive during his rise to the top in WWE. McIntyre was carefully pushed and protected in the second-half of 2019, and WWE managed to build him up without making it clear how badly they wanted to push him (which is the opposite of what happened with Roman Reigns in 2014-15).
A Royal Rumble victory in 2020 and a WrestleMania 36 headliner against Brock Lesnar saw Drew McIntyre ascend to the top of the throne and become WWE Champion - fulfilling the prophecy that Vince McMahon had made a decade prior.
Drew McIntyre has led Monday Night RAW during the most unique period in the company's history - the COVID-19 era. Despite the declining RAW ratings, it's hard to blame McIntyre. Very few have done what he could have, and he proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is worthy of the spot he earned.
Just to make it clear, this list doesn't automatically assume that the names suggested would be a better fit as the face of RAW than Drew McIntyre. It simply suggests names that could possibly replace him under various circumstances.
Also, the implication isn't that the Superstar would replace Drew McIntyre right away. It can be a long-term replacement as well.
#5. Keith Lee - A Drew McIntyre rival that could go on to bigger things
Keith Lee has had a meteoric rise since his WWE main roster debut in August 2020. He has crossed paths with Drew McIntyre on numerous occasions and even cemented his spot as the #1 contender to the WWE title in late 2020/early 2021.
Ultimately, he fell short to Drew McIntyre in a solid match on RAW Legends Night, and that was only the start of the road for him. It seems clear that WWE is positioning Keith Lee as a future main event Superstar. He was never in a position to beat McIntyre for the WWE Championship so early into his main roster run.
Keith Lee will likely take another couple of years at least before WWE deems him ready to be a main event superstar. When that day comes, Keith Lee could replace Drew McIntyre as the face of Monday Night RAW.
#4. Kevin Owens - An unlikely replacement for Drew McIntyre?
Kevin Owens made his WWE main roster debut over a week after his 31st birthday - three years before Drew McIntyre re-debuted on RAW. It's hard to think that six years have gone by, but he has established himself as a valuable Superstar in the company. He has been a World Championship challenger on numerous occasions.
While he has just one Universal Championship to his name, he could be a replacement for Drew McIntyre on RAW if anything goes wrong. Admittedly, Kevin Owens is the weakest entry on this list to replace Drew McIntyre, but he is a legitimate main event-level Superstar.
Kevin Owens can fill any spot when he is called to, and many believe that he should have had more success in WWE - especially in the last few years. Ultimately, he seems to have a role, but a match against Drew McIntyre would be an interesting one - especially if it leads to a changing of the guard. Kevin Owens is turning 37 years old, and he could have a few more years on the top of the card.
#3. Braun Strowman - A former ally of Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman were allies for a very brief period in 2018. It was during The Shield's reunion phases where Braun Strowman aligned with Drew McIntyre and his then-tag team partner Dolph Ziggler.
That alliance didn't last for long, as RAW needed a babyface once Roman Reigns was out of action due to leukemia. The alliance led to Braun Strowman's brief heel run ending after Drew McIntyre accidentally hit him with a Claymore Kick.
There are few superstars who WWE has dropped with more than Braun Strowman, and even his 2020 Universal Championship run was purely circumstantial, as Roman Reigns pulled out from WrestleMania 36.
At 37 years of age, Braun Strowman still has a lot of mileage left in WWE. He could always become the face of RAW once crowds return, but only if he is booked well. His booking between 2017 and 2018 was proof that he was on track to becoming the hottest superstar in the company.
He has the presence to be the face of RAW, even if it's not a long-term solution.
#2. Dominik Mysterio - The next generation post-Drew McIntyre?
It's hard to say how the trajectory of Dominik Mysterio's career will go, just like it was for Drew McIntyre years ago. If WWE is smart about it, they'll make sure that he forges his own legacy rather than using his father Rey Mysterio to promote him.
It's unlikely that Dominik will go through the route of never turning heel in WWE like his father. There's a lot of potential, and he has shown in his first six months that he has what it takes to hang with top Superstars in WWE.
His SummerSlam match against Seth Rollins last year was enough proof, and WWE may have big plans for him. Since he is only turning 24 this year, there's a long time for him to reach the top. WWE will most likely take their time to build him up rather than pushing him to the main event level so early.
That's the right course of action, and if so, he could be a long-term replacement for Drew McIntyre on RAW. If Drew McIntyre does enjoy a long run as the face of Monday Night RAW, then Dominik Mysterio can be gradually pushed more organically.
#1. Big E - WWE's next big breakout star after Drew McIntyre?
Even when Drew McIntyre wasn't in WWE, there had been rumors before about how WWE was planning to push Big E as a singles star. But The New Day took off so much that it made no sense to split them up. It worked out better that way since they had a historic 6-year run as a trio before the WWE Draft split them up.
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods were drafted to RAW, while Big E was kept on SmackDown. That was a clear indicator that WWE wanted to push Big E as a singles superstar.
Drew McIntyre is on RAW, while Big E is on SmackDown, and the latter might just have his ascent on the blue brand. It's likely that WWE will keep The New Day apart, and Big E vs. Drew McIntyre would be a high-profile match a few years down the line.
Big E would be a suitable replacement for Drew McIntyre as the face of RAW, but not just yet. He is far from ready for the spot that Drew McIntyre has, but that doesn't mean that he won't be in the future.
