Drew McIntyre exited the 2025 Royal Rumble prior to the event’s conclusion following his elimination by Damian Priest. The incident occurred before the match reached its final stages, with LA Knight’s inadvertent involvement contributing to McIntyre’s elimination.
According to PWInsider Elite, McIntyre expressed vocal frustration upon returning to the backstage area. Multiple sources indicate the former WWE Champion was heard expressing displeasure about someone “who had to get their moves in.” The situation culminated with McIntyre departing the venue before the event concluded.
Those familiar with the situation report that several planned spots for the match underwent alterations, leading to McIntyre’s reaction. The Scottish Warrior notably missed this week’s RAW following the incident.
Something went wrong with Drew McIntyre's elimination from the Men's Royal Rumble match.
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) February 2, 2025
When Drew got to the back, he was "screaming and cursing” that “someone had to get their moves in” at the expense of a number of stories in the match.
He then loudly stormed out of the… pic.twitter.com/D9ZfhSQNoI
Future Creative Direction
According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE had planned to position McIntyre in a program with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes on SmackDown prior to these developments.
The report discusses potential creative plans for McIntyre, though the situation remains fluid following the Royal Rumble incident.