The WWE has had a lot happening since WrestleMania 39's end. The company was sold to Endeavor, for one, and while there are plenty of fans wondering what notewothy changes will come under new management, one of the biggest questions is less of a big-picture issue, even if it involves the future of the company's top stars. Drew McIntyre just made a cryptic move on social media that not only put more light on his all-around radio silence in the past two weeks, but it also cast a bit of doubt on his return.
Drew McIntyre was part of the universally acclaimed Intercontinental Championship match with Sheamus and Gunther, but mysteriously hasn't made any WWE appearances since. The potential for BTS problems gained more headway when What Culture reported on McIntyre having taken part in local promotions for the latest SmackDown in Lincoln, Nebraska, while also noting he was not present for the telecast. That same night, viewers noticed that McIntyre had blacked out his Twitter profile image, while also removing all mentions of the WWE from his bio. Not the kind of thing one does to get fans amped up about an imminent appearance, I'd think.
Check out the latest tweet the wrestler sent out from his account, which dates all teh way back to after his match at WrestleMania 39:
Weirdly enough, Drew McIntyre's Instagram profile remains unchanged as far as imagery goes, though it's worth noting that the wrestler also hasn't shared any public posts on the platform in two weeks, going back to Night 1 of WrestleMania 39. What exactly is going on with McIntyre and the WWE that he's both been quiet and seems to actively be distancing himself? Especially after he had such an awesome match at Mania!
While nothing is officially confirmed, a report from PWTorch alleged that Drew McIntyre is unhappy with his current creative direction, and it's also being reported that he's not pumped about money offers regarding his upcoming contract renewal (via Ringside News). McIntyre's contract is said to be expiring within nine months, though the exact timing is unknown.
The WWE let Drew McIntyre go back in 2014 after seven years with the company, and brought him back in 2017 after the wrestler continued to make headlines in the indie world. McIntyre's return drastically elevated his stock within the WWE, where he's been an upper-midcard and main-event talent since he was called back up to the main roster.
When it comes to Drew McIntyre's status in the wrestling world, one would imagine the WWE would be willing to pay the Scottish superstar something around what he's asking to retain his talents. McIntyre could walk into AEW or any other rival organization and almost immediately be considered one of the top draws, whatever that might be worth in either organzation. The crowd response at WrestleMania 39 and his main event match at Clash at the Castle shows that McIntyre would draw tons of eyes if he left for a competitor. So does the WWE want to risk losing him?
It's a question that, quite frankly, has gotten more complicated in recent years. While this might have seemed like a worry-free power grab years ago, the WWE has parted ways with a number of superstars where it seemed like the company would move mountains to make them stay. Despite that, guys like Daniel Bryan have moved to AEW, and others like Bray Wyatt spent a long time out of wrestling until eventually returning. All of this is to say that I wouldn't be certain that Drew McIntyre will renew his contract with the WWE, especially if there are other companies willing to give him a better offer.
Monday Night Raw airs on USA on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and wrestling fans can catch SmackDown on Fox on Fridays at the same time. There are a lot of exciting upcoming WWE events on the horizon, so here's hoping the WWE and Drew McIntyre figure something out and get him back on TV soon.
