Highlights
- Drew McIntyre's heel turn sparked by title losses fueled his pursuit of the World Heavyweight Championship.
- McIntyre's new attitude earned him a title shot, overcoming distractions and failure to secure a shot at WrestleMania.
- Seth Rollins facing double duty at WrestleMania adds tension to his clash with a determined and vindictive Drew McIntyre.
For the first time since its creation last year, the brand new World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line at a WrestleMania event when the inaugural champion Seth Rollins defends his gold against challenger and Elimination Chamber winner Drew McIntyre. This is a matchup that fans have seen a few times over the last year, but WWE have piled a lot into this story to still make it seem fresh, exciting, and unpredictable. There is a lot to know about the Road to WrestleMania 40 for this rivalry, dating back to last year and beyond in some aspects.
Drew McIntyre’s Unsuccessful Title Pursuits Led To A Heel Turn
Drew McIntyre Was Defeated By Seth Rollins
World Heavyweight Championship Match Results | Event | Match Length |
|---|---|---|
Seth Rollins defeated Drew McIntyre | Crown Jewel 2023 | 18:24 |
Seth Rollins defeated Drew McIntyre | RAW 01/01/2024 | 18:05 |
After Seth Rollins became the first World Heavyweight Champion last year, he made it his goal to be a fighting champion, defending his gold against all comers such as Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Shinsuke Nakamura, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn and more. One of those who stepped up more than once was Drew McIntyre. Their first encounter came at Crown Jewel 2023. In the weeks leading up to this, McIntyre had shown more frustration, refusing to side with babyfaces on the roster due to the fact that they’d wronged him in the past. He used all this to fuel his pursuit of the World Heavyweight Title.
8 Things That Have No Chance Of Happening At WrestleMania 40
Some major stars will not appear at WWE WrestleMania 40 and some dream matches won't happen. Don't expect to see these things happening at the event.McIntyre would lose to Rollins clean at Crown Jewel, which only set him down a much darker path, with him even joining the Judgment Day’s WarGames team to take on Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Randy Orton, and Sami Zayn. McIntyre went on to continue feuding with several of these names, including continuing to target Rollins. He would challenge again for the World Heavyweight Championship at the start of 2024, but ringside shenanigans led to him losing. McIntyre wasn’t giving up his goal of finally winning a world title in front of an audience though (something he was prevented from due to the pandemic) and set his sights on the Royal Rumble. However, he once again failed, with his hopes of a title win with a live crowd looking lost.
Drew McIntyre’s New Attitude Led To Him Earning A World Heavyweight Title Shot
McIntyre Earned Another Match Against Rollins By Winning Elimination Chamber
- CM Punk’s injury led to WWE changing plans
- Drew McIntyre’s mean streak has seen him look dominant and confident
- Drew McIntyre won an Elimination Chamber match
The injury of CM Punk at the hands of Drew McIntyre opened the door for a now fully heel Scotsman to build momentum and try to get another title shot. McIntyre’s descent into being a bad guy was in full swing, with him being so much more dominant and violent, taking out the likes of Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, and adding salt to the wound as he attacked CM Punk too. McIntyre went on to qualify for the Elimination Chamber, winning the match, and becoming the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.
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WrestleMania has had brothers wrestle each other before, but Jey Uso vs Jimmy Uso leaves a lot to be desired.Despite the fact that McIntyre has lost twice before to Rollins, this new and improved version of a darker and more focused McIntyre has created Rollins’ biggest challenge yet. McIntyre has eliminated distractions he previously had and now made winning gold his one and only goal. His continued pursuit of Rollins has been unwavering for months, wih him attack at any given opportunity, creating more hatred and heat between the two sides. Wars on the mic and physical battles have continued to add animosity on a weekly basis.
Seth Rollins Has Been Distracted By The Bloodline Storyline
Seth Rollins Will Be Pulling Double Duty At WrestleMania
- McIntyre has advised Rollins to focus on him
- Rollins has had Cody Rhodes’ back in his feud with The Rock & Roman Reigns
- The odds are stacked against Rollins at WrestleMania
A huge factor in the WrestleMania 40 match between these two is the fact that Seth Rollins will be wrestling on both nights. Following the events of the WrestleMania 40 Kickoff event in Las Vegas, Rollins sided with Cody Rhodes as The Rock and Roman Reigns joined forces and tried to take over the WrestleMania main event. Rollins’ previous issues with The Bloodline led to him wanting to take them down and aid Rhodes in his battles. This has been something that has received the scorn of McIntyre.
10 Wrestlers In Danger Of Missing WrestleMania 40
WrestleMania 40 is fast approaching, and these WWE wrestlers might not have a role at the big event.In promos, McIntyre has begged Rollins to remove himself from battles with The Bloodline because it will be a big distraction. It has taken a hit on McIntyre’s ego, as Rollins has treated him as a secondary focus. This has led to McIntyre becoming more irritated, sharing his own experiences on how The Bloodline distracted him from what was most important - winning a world title. Rollins has remained bold in his desire to fight two battles at WrestleMania, with him seeing the bigger picture of protecting WWE from The Rock and Roman Reigns. McIntyre recently gave in to the reality of Rollins wrestling twice and stated that no matter what, he would ensure that Rollins still gets into the ring on Night Two to defend the World Heavyweight Championship.
