Drew McIntyre is finally speaking out about being swapped out of John Cena’s retirement tour — and he’s not dwelling on what could have been.
After Cena revealed on No-Contest Wrestling with O’Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Henderson that McIntyre was originally scheduled to face him at WWE Crown Jewel 2025 before plans pivoted to AJ Styles, Drew has now responded publicly.
Speaking to SHAK Wrestling on February 23, 2026, McIntyre was asked directly what went through his mind when he found out he was no longer facing Cena on that stage.
“I can’t change the creative direction. I’ve talked about wanting a match with Cena — wanting that moment on the microphone with him — just to prove what I’m capable of. I want to compete with the best, and he is, or was, the best on the microphone.”
McIntyre made it clear he understood why WWE shifted course. Cena had previously admitted that fan reaction and internal data points influenced the decision to pivot away from Drew and go with Styles instead.
“I heard the quote. I heard what John said. If people weren’t feeling what was going on, they decided to pivot. He outright asked, ‘Do you want AJ?’ And that match was incredible.”
While some might expect frustration over missing a marquee match during Cena’s farewell run, McIntyre took a different tone. He acknowledged the “what if” factor — but quickly shut it down.
“I could sit there and say, ‘Damn, what if? What if he had tweeted my name?’ But the reality is he’s retired, and I’m world champion. So I think it worked out just fine for Drew McIntyre.”
He also suggested he was aware enough of the situation behind the scenes — but stayed focused on his own path. In the end, Drew sees the bigger picture.
“Did I know that was the original plan? I know enough. I keep my head down and I keep working no matter what happens. I can’t grab his phone and tell him to tweet my name. Who knows how butterfly effects work? But look where we’re sitting now. I think it panned out okay. Things happen the way they’re supposed to happen.”
Cena ultimately faced AJ Styles at Crown Jewel before later losing his official retirement match to GUNTHER in December 2025. But as far as McIntyre is concerned, missing that moment didn’t derail his momentum — especially with championship gold around his waist.
Do you think WWE made the right call pivoting to AJ Styles instead of Drew McIntyre for John Cena’s Crown Jewel match? Drop your thoughts below and let us know.
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