WWE: Update on Drew McIntyre's Status After His Money in the Bank 2023 Return

 

Drew McIntyre made his return to WWE programming at Money in the Bank 2023 on Saturday, marking his first appearance in front of a live crowd since WrestleMania 39 in April. The wrestler resurfaced and confronted Intercontinental Champion Gunther. Reports and rumors had circulated in the months following WrestleMania, suggesting that McIntyre had not yet signed a new contract with WWE and had concerns about his booking. Paul "Triple H" Levesque playfully addressed these speculations during the Money in the Bank post-show press conference. Sean Ross Sapp from Fightful Select provided an update on the situation on Monday.

According to Sapp, McIntyre's current contract is still set to expire in early 2024, and he has not yet put pen to paper on a new agreement. McIntyre's recent absence from WWE programming was due to accumulating injuries. While Fightful did not report any specific creative issues between McIntyre and WWE, it has been confirmed that McIntyre places importance on having good creative direction. Levesque expressed his hope during the press conference that the two-time former WWE Champion will remain with the company for the remainder of his in-ring career.

WWE's Plans for Drew McIntyre at SummerSlam 2023

McIntyre's most recent match before taking a break was a triple threat encounter involving Gunther and Sheamus, vying for the coveted Intercontinental Championship. Interestingly, "The Scottish Warrior" had not held this title since 2010, adding an intriguing element to the matchup. Notably, reputable wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer revealed on Monday that a highly anticipated clash between Gunther and McIntyre is scheduled for the upcoming SummerSlam event.

Although McIntyre undoubtedly presents a formidable challenge to the reigning champion, known as "The Ring General," Gunther finds himself only a little over two months away from surpassing the all-time record for the longest Intercontinental Championship reign.

WWE Money in the Bank 2023 Results

• Damian Priest def. Ricochet, Shinsuke Nakamura, LA Knight, Santos Escobar, Butch and Logan Paul (Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match)

• WWE Women's Tag Team Championship: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez def. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler 

• Intercontinental Championship: Gunther def. Matt Riddle

• Cody Rhodes def. Dominik Mysterio

• Iyo Sky def. Becky Lynch, Zelina Vega, Zoey Stark, Bayley and Trish Stratus (Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match)

• World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins def. Finn Balor