Triple H Says Drew McIntyre Was Out With An Injury, Any ‘Issue’ Was ‘News To Him’

Triple H discusses Drew McIntyre’s return.

Drew McIntyre returned at WWE Money in the Bank, confronting Gunther after his successful Intercontinental Title defense over Matt Riddle.

McIntyre had not been seen since WrestleMania 39 when he lost to Gunther in a triple threat match that also featured Sheamus.

Speaking at the Money in the Bank post-show press conference, Triple H addressed McIntyre’s absence.

“It’s also a funny thing, the amount of speculation that happens around things. I read stuff all the time that’s printed and put out there. ‘Sources say.’ 75% of it is completely off base. If Drew had an issue, it’s news to me. He was out with an injury and getting stuff fixed. While he was out, he had something else to get fixed so we did it, and here he is. He’s an amazing performer. He is one of the highlight superstars in this era. Thrilled to have him back and hopefully, he’s here for the rest of his career,” he said.

Fightful Select published the following report regarding McIntyre on May 6:

Drew McIntyre has the wrestling world in a stir, and we’ve learned a lot more about his status with WWE.

McIntyre’s WWE deal is up in early 2024, well before WrestleMania, and we’re told that he operated on the possibility that it could end up being his last WrestleMania. While it’s been reported that he’s leaning towards not staying with WWE, we’re told that it’s more accurate to say that he doesn’t know. If things aren’t working for both sides by the time his deal is up, McIntyre is willing to explore options elsewhere, and leave the door open to return to WWE in the future.

McIntyre has been working banged up and injured and had a few injuries that needed taken care up, but we’re told he was adamant he wanted to get through WrestleMania to work with Sheamus and put over Gunther. However, there was said to have been frustration and several situations of not being on the same page with WWE. McIntyre, who is usually told about Draft plans ahead of time, was one of several left out of the loop until he was announced as a Raw talent on television. There have been several perceived miscommunications between Drew and the company over the past couple of years.

Drew McIntyre is said to be very hands-on with his creative when applicable, and while there have been pitches for him to eventually return as a heel, those involved expect him to at least push back and make sure that it creatively makes sense. He’s been adamant about not making dramatic changes unless it creatively makes sense.

In regards to his contract status, many WWE talent aren’t sure exactly how the new WWE deal with Endeavor will affect them. However, WWE has had a different approach to renewals in the last couple of years.

Fans can check out Fightful’s coverage of WWE Money in the Bank by clicking here. Check out the post-show podcast for a full review of all the action by clicking here.