After a two-month hiatus, Drew McIntyre made his return to WWE programming during the July 1 taping of Friday Night SmackDown in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The show’s opening segment featured an in-ring promo with the 2025 King of the Ring, Cody Rhodes. He was soon joined by Randy Orton, who expressed his respect for Rhodes and encouraged him to defeat John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam.
McIntyre’s music interrupted the exchange. He entered the ring and began mocking the mutual respect between the two, attempting to create dissension. The confrontation reached a physical end when Orton delivered an RKO to McIntyre, leaving him down on the mat.
The altercation immediately set up future conflict. Following the segment, a backstage scene showed McIntyre meeting with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis to secure a one-on-one match against Orton.
That match has been officially scheduled for the upcoming Saturday Night’s Main Event, which is set to take place on Saturday, July 12, in Atlanta.
McIntyre’s return follows a significant injury sustained during a gruesome Hell in a Cell match against Damian Priest at a prior Saturday Night’s Main Event. His presence backstage before the taping, where he was reportedly “not being hidden,” had signaled that his return was imminent. While his previous storyline involved the United States Championship, his actions on SmackDown suggest a renewed focus on the main event picture.
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