During SmackDown, Drew McIntyre addressed his decision to leave RAW for the blue brand. The Scottish wrestler opened up about his recent frustrations, pointing to RAW’s backstage environment as the source of his discontent.
McIntyre detailed a conversation with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis that led to his brand switch. During his in-ring promo, McIntyre explained his perspective on the situation.
Why are you so angry all the time? And I realized I am a product of my environment; RAW is a toxic workplace. Everybody tries to stab you in the back, a bunch of egos. If you’re a good person trying to do the right thing and telling the truth, you’re apparently the bad guy. And that bald idiot Adam Pearce has no idea what he’s doing. So now I can see clearly that I needed a solution. That’s when my phone rang – Nick Aldis. I’ve known Nick since we were teenagers. He told me, ‘Drew, I want you on SmackDown. And I promise, no more bs. You can finally be unleashed. Drew will be allowed to be Drew 100%.’
.@DMcIntyreWWE said: I'm too handsome for this 🤭#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/uZweDRissj
— WWE (@WWE) February 8, 2025
Following his explanation, McIntyre proved his value to SmackDown by qualifying for the Elimination Chamber. He secured his spot by winning a triple threat match against LA Knight and Jimmy Uso at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.
McIntyre Joins John Cena and CM Punk for Elimination Chamber
The victory adds McIntyre to the growing list of competitors for the Elimination Chamber match scheduled for March 1 at Rogers Centre in Toronto. He joins John Cena and CM Punk as confirmed participants for the premium live event.
The match came together after a heated exchange between McIntyre and Jimmy Uso, with LA Knight entering the fray to address reports of McIntyre’s Royal Rumble backstage incident. The culmination saw McIntyre deliver a Claymore Kick to LA Knight as the latter attempted his BFT finisher, securing the win and his Chamber spot.