5 best directions for Drew McIntyre on WWE SmackDown

The road to the top has not been an easy one for former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. The Scottish superstar has glob-trotted all over the world to hone his craft and prove his doubters wrong.

Originally dubbed "The Chosen One" by Vince McMahon himself, McIntyre has enjoyed life at the very top, but he has also spent time in the wrestling basement as well. For example, his time as lead air guitarist for The 3 Man Band was nothing to write home about. With that said, this is a WWE superstar who refuses to accept mediocrity.

After being released by WWE in 2014, McIntyre never missed a beat. He would use this setback as a setup for something greater. He went on a global reckoning tour of domination, beginning with ICW. The Scottish-based promotion is like a home base for McIntyre and the fans welcomed him back with open arms.

ICW wasn't the only stop for Drew McIntyre. He would find success with other promotions such as Evolve, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and of course IMPACT Wrestling. All of these stops would be the catalyst for McIntyre's surprising return to WWE's NXT brand in 2017.

Since returning to WWE, McIntyre has been on quite the roll. After destroying everyone and everything in NXT, McIntyre was back on the main roster. But on this occasion, there was no time for air guitars and goofy gimmicks. This time it was all business. Now with the latest draft sending him back to Smackdown, he will be looking for a new foe to slay.

So who will it be? Will McIntyre seek another title shot? Let's dive into the five best potential opponents for the former WWE Champion.

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#5 Former WWE United States Champion Cesaro

Cesaro has a lot of similarities with Drew McIntyre. These stars have both had times during their WWE careers where they were massively underutilized. Both Cesaro and McIntyre have also enjoyed a good amount of success on the independent scene as well.

Running this program would be beneficial for both Superstars. Cesaro could use a catalyst to elevate him to the upper card and Drew McIntyre could potentially provide that for him.

#4 Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal

There is a lot of history between Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre. The two WWE Superstars first started getting to know one another back during their collective time together in the 3 Man Band. As the duo traveled the roads together they probably swapped stories, shared dreams and ideas.

While it's probably safe to assume that they both had ambitions for title reigns, there were not many folks who bought much stock into that same dream. Fast forward a few years and no one is doubting the former air-guitarists anymore.

Both McIntyre and Mahal have shared some much-needed time at the top of the WWE roster as champions. When Mahal won the WWE championship, it was a breath of fresh air, so to speak. We had finally witnessed a jolt to the same old system which usually saw very predictable title reigns.

Jinder Mahal vs. Drew McIntyre is an attractive option, in this writer's opinion. They both know each other well and have a tremendous amount of chemistry and respect for one another. If given a respectable amount of time, this could be a home run for the WWE Smackdown brand.

Both Superstars would benefit from a well thought-out feud with one another. As mentioned earlier, they know each other better than any other combination of performers on the roster. It may not be what some fans think they want at first, but when things kick off, everyone will realize how great this can be.

#3 Three-time WWE Champion Sheamus

Drew McIntyre and Sheamus are certainly no strangers. The two WWE superstars have spent a lot of time across from one another in the squared circle. However, sometimes bringing back the old is not a bad idea. Sheamus has had a lot of success during his WWE career, but some fans feel like the Celtic Warrior has not received as much respect from the wrestling world as he might deserve.

Sheamus has had more than his fair share of injuries throughout his career. Most recently, he underwent surgery on his nose to repair the damage he suffered during a match against Humberto Carillo on RAW. During the match, the Irish star was on the receiving end of an inadvertent blow from Carillo. This resulted in Sheamus needing surgery on his nose.

As previously mentioned, Sheamus has a lot of history with Drew McIntyre. The two WWE superstars have always worked well with one another, and they could work together once again in a feud that could give Smackdown some exciting action to look forward to every week.

#2 Two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura

The professional wrestling world was stunned in January of 2016 when Japanese mega-star Shinsuke Nakamura confirmed that he was taking his talents to the States and signing with WWE. For years, Nakamura was one of the most adored and revered wrestlers in all of Japanese pro wrestling. Many would consider him one of the greatest and certainly most decorated stars in the entire region.

Shinsuke excelled in New Japan Pro Wrestling, winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship 3 times, as well as capturing the IWGP Intercontinental Championship 5 times. Nakamura also claimed just about every other championship NJPW had to offer.

Since arriving in America, Shinsuke Nakamura has not let the WWE Universe down. His unique "strong style" approach has given new life to the company in a way that fans had not been used to enjoying. Now that he has been officially drafted into the Smackdown brand, Nakamura is looking for a new dance partner.

With that said, I believe a well-thought-out and delivered feud with Drew McIntyre could be just what the fans need.

#1. Two-time WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns

And then there was one... number one. The Tribal Chief, reigning and defending WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.

First of all, we are all well aware that Roman Reigns already has his hands full with The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar. With that said, it is probably safe to say that once the feud between Lesnar and Reigns is done, The Beast will likely take another hiatus. Considering Reigns retains his WWE Universal Championship, Drew McIntyre could step right up to the plate to be next in line for the elusive blue strap.

For the past year, Reigns has been the ultimate standard for professional wrestling. Everything about him has improved tremendously, which has made him arguably the number one attraction in the entire world. Combining what Reigns had one as an individual with Paul Heyman's brilliance has resulted in something special.

Regardless of whether you love Roman Reigns, or you love-to-hate the man, you cannot deny the fact that he has been absolute money during his reign as WWE Universal Champion.