Former WWE Champion "extremely ill" ahead of WrestleMania 39, almost missed SmackDown

The oldest championship belt in WWE history
The WWE Championship is one of the oldest titles still active in wrestling

The Road to WWE WrestleMania 39 has had several potholes, with many reports suggesting Bray Wyatt's status for the show as unclear, owing to "physical issues." A recent report has disclosed that Drew McIntyre was also "extremely ill" ahead of Friday Night SmackDown last week.

Despite this, The Scottish Warrior competed in the WWE Intercontinental Championship number-one contender's Fatal-5 Way match. McIntyre was cleared to wrestle only after he arrived at the arena and was examined by the medical team.

According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, Drew McIntyre nearly missed the show, which would have forced the company to change creative plans. Johnson also wrote:

“McIntyre, who worked all the live events post-Smackdown, has received a lot of respect for how hard he has worked for the company, even when under the weather or working banged up over the last year. He’s very much a locker room leader in that regard.”

Drew is heading towards a collision course against his "Banger Bros" tag partner Sheamus this Friday on the blue brand. The Celtic Warrior even made a bold statement regarding the title match at the Show of Shows.


Will the WWE Intercontinental Championship be contested in a Triple Threat match at WrestleMania 39?

Drew McIntyre and Sheamus simultaneously pinned LA Knight and Xavier Woods, respectively, which led to confusion as to who will face Gunther at WrestleMania 39.

With The Ring General complaining that he only signed up for one challenger on The Grandest Stage, WWE announced Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus to determine the sole number-one contender.

This could mean that the company goes with a one-on-one match, either with a fresh challenger in McIntyre, or the five-star epic Clash at the Castle rematch. A wrestling veteran has pointed out why it should be a singles bout, but fans seem genuinely excited for a potential triple threat match.

How the company would book a three-way deal for WrestleMania 39 remains to be seen. However, it's worth noting that earlier reports have suggested Gunther facing Drew McIntyre and Sheamus was the plan.

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