Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion to make his final SmackDown appearance this week? Exploring the possibility

A former WWE World Heavyweight Champion is heading to Saturday Night’s Main Event. Interestingly, his appearance on the upcoming episode of SmackDown could potentially be his last. Here’s why Drew McIntyre may no longer want to be on the blue brand and might ask General Manager Nick Aldis to move him to RAW.

The Scottish Warrior will face Damian Priest in a Steel Cage match on May 24, 2025, at SNME. The Archer of Infamy has said that this will be their final confrontation, and he wants to escape the Drew McIntyre vortex. However, the Scotsman has highlighted that it is actually Priest who has been following him and haunting his career.

This includes The Punisher cashing in his Money in the Bank contract on McIntyre at WrestleMania XL to dethrone him about five minutes after he won the World Heavyweight Championship. Damian Priest also eliminated him from the 2025 Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber, keeping him away from the world title.

Lastly, at this year’s WWE Backlash, the former Judgment Day member denied Drew McIntyre the US Championship win by pulling the referee out of the ring while the Scotsman was pinning LA Knight after a Claymore. Now, The Scottish Warrior has posted a video on X, stating that he would defeat Priest, and The Street King could return to living on the streets.

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Drew McIntyre further said that The Archer of Infamy always needs to latch onto someone like him, The Judgment Day, Bad Bunny, and Rhea Ripley, to remain relevant. He also argued that Damian Priest should have already left him alone after losing in a Street Fight at WrestleMania 41.

However, he sabotaged McIntyre again at Backlash and almost cost him his career by slamming his head onto the concrete from a 15-foot drop. Given these statements, there is a strong possibility that The Scottish Psychopath could request Nick Aldis to transfer him back to WWE RAW after SNME, as his rivalry with Priest may not end with them being on the same brands.

This would automatically make his next SmackDown appearance his last. While this is a strong possibility, all of this remains speculation for now.

Drew McIntyre needs to be pushed back to the top of the WWE card

Drew McIntyre had one of the most successful runs in the past 12 months. He challenged Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship after winning the 2024 Elimination Chamber. He lost the title after winning it due to CM Punk’s interference, which allowed Damian Priest to cash in. However, WWE’s former Chosen One then went on to win the 2024 Money in the Bank ladder match.

Drew nearly cashed in the MITB contract and won the World Heavyweight Championship on the same night. However, The Second City Saint ruined his chances once again by becoming the standby referee in the match and lowblowing the Scotsman, allowing Priest to retain. He then entered a spectacular three-match feud with The Straight Edge Superstar, where he lost 2-1 but delivered great fights.

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Despite this, McIntyre’s top card status was sidelined to make room for Jey Uso. Moreover, The Scottish Warrior was transferred to SmackDown in January 2025, where he became the number one contender for the United States Championship at WWE Backlash. However, the match was converted into a Fatal Four-Way contest, adding LA Knight and Damian Priest to the mix, despite neither man earning a title shot like Drew McIntyre.

Lastly, The Archer of Infamy sabotaged him in St. Louis, preventing the Scotsman from becoming the US Champ. This also denied him the chance to become a WWE Grand Slam Champion, while reviving his feud with Priest, which has already seen a decisive conclusion at WWE’s biggest Premium Live Event, WrestleMania 41.

Given his top-tier performances on the mic and in the ring, Drew needs to be moved back to the top of the card soon. One way to do this would be to align him with Seth Rollins, as The Visionary, who has Bron Breakker on his side, is one man short against the alliance of CM Punk, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn.

The Scotsman can easily join forces with The Architect since the latter is trying to keep Roman Reigns and The Second City Saint away from the top spot in WWE. This is a cause even Drew McIntyre supports. It would be interesting to see what lies ahead for The Scottish Warrior in the future.

About the author

Ankit Singh is a WWE Features writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. His educational background in psychology helps him gain insight into several storyline twists in pro wrestling. Ankit has been a fan of the industry since childhood; the on-screen action gives him an adrenaline rush and led him to pursue a career in content writing. He has nearly three years of experience in the industry, working for organizations like Essentially Sports and NB Media as a news writer, editor, and scriptwriter.

Ankit started following pro wrestling in high school. At the time, Edge (aka Cope) was making waves as part of his World Heavyweight Title feud with Alberto Del Rio. He grew up watching modern-day greats such as Sheamus, Randy Orton, and John Cena. The Shield was the top faction in WWE in 2012-13, and its breakup storyline made Ankit a lifelong fan of the sport. Orton and Seth Rollins are Ankit’s favorite wrestlers in the men’s division. He admires The Viper’s character work, in-ring skills, and longevity. Meanwhile, he looks up to The Visionary because the latter is a complete wrestler, in his opinion. Ankit likes Liv Morgan’s heel gimmick and promo skills in the women's division. He was also fond of AJ Lee’s presentation and microphone skills in the PG Era.

Besides pro wrestling, Ankit likes to watch anime, play video games, and discover new music.

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Edited by Neda Ali