Drew McIntyre praises recent WWE rival but shares frustrations - "I didn't want to be doing anything but fighting for the title"

Former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre spent quite a lot of 2024 and 2025 feuding with Damian Priest, and while he respects the Archer of Infamy, he believes he wasted time not going for the gold.

Drew McIntyre has had a handful of championship opportunities this year. Unfortunately for the Scottish Warrior, his attempts at glory at the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber were ruined by Damian Priest. McIntyre and Priest have been butting heads on and off since Priest cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Drew at WrestleMania 40 Night 2.

While McIntyre finally put Priest in the rearview mirror earlier this year, as well as Randy Orton, he's now got his sights on the WWE Championship. At Wrestlepalooza: Indianapolis, he'll face Cody Rhodes for the prize, and McIntyre believes this should've been his focus all along. Speaking to Peter Rosenberg on Cheap Heat, McIntyre praised Damian Priest, while venting some frustrations.

"(Damian) Priest is someone that belongs in WWE, belongs on our roster. Big, physical, stands out wherever he goes, loves this industry but unfortunately during that time, I didn’t want to be doing anything but fighting for the title. When I say I feel like, it’s not feelings, it’s evidence but people don’t like to look at evidence. If you look at every moment over the past few years, everything I said is true and you see I can complain and whine and I’m disillusioned but I’m not. I got screwed," said McIntyre. [H/T Fightful]

Did WWE make a big mistake signing these wrestlers? Check Here!

Drew McIntyre's journey to finally end at WWE Wrestlepalooza: Indianapolis?

Ever since Damian Priest cashed in on him, Drew McIntyre has been inches away from championship gold. The Scottish Warrior has challenged for both the Men's WWE Championship and Men's World Championship, but continues to come up short.

All this frustration led to McIntyre injuring Cody Rhodes on the August 8th edition of SmackDown, setting up his title bout at Wrestlepalooza: Indianapolis. The two will meet on SmackDown for the contract signing before clashing in the main event tomorrow night. No more distractions. No other Superstars to interfere. Will Drew McIntyre finally claim what he feels is his?

About the author

Greg is a pro wrestling writer at Sportskeeda. He has been an avid wrestling fan since he was able to do elbow drops off bunkbeds at the age of three. He's gone through the highs and lows of the Attitude Era, Ruthless Aggression, and PG eras and lived to tell the tale, with his favorite wrestler of all time being Diamond Dallas Page. His other favorite star is the late great Bray Wyatt.

Greg has contributed to sites like Bleacher Report before joining Sportskeeda in 2017 as a content writer and editor. If you've ever checked out the various wrestling shows through our live coverage, chances are you've read Greg's work. Apart from the world within the squared circle, he also keeps track of other sports such as American football, baseball, golf, boxing, and MMA.

His goal with his writing is to be able to mentally take readers right into the action through his words. Greg strives to ensure his readers get nothing but the best and most accurate information by always checking and using only the best and most reliable sources.

Know More

First-hand reports of Vince McMahon's birthday party HERE.

Edited by Jacob Terrell