Drew McIntyre’s Undisputed WWE title win didn’t come with weeks of buildup behind the scenes—he found out the same day it happened.
After defeating Cody Rhodes on the January 9, 2026 episode of SmackDown in a brutal three-stages-of-hell match—thanks to interference from Jacob Fatu—McIntyre has now revealed just how late the decision came together. Speaking on the BobbyCast podcast on April 18, 2026, McIntyre broke down the moment he got the call, confirming it all came down just hours before the show went live.
“It was very exciting to be told that I was getting it. That day at 5 PM, I found out before the show—I got the official word that it was happening, because I had a lot of conversations.”
He explained that during WrestleMania season, decisions like that aren’t made lightly and require approval from multiple levels within WWE. Despite the late notice, McIntyre didn’t feel any pressure heading into the match itself, especially given who he was sharing the ring with.
“WrestleMania season—if something like that happens, it’s a huge deal. It has to go through the top channels and everyone getting on the same page of the story moving forward. When I got told, I was like, ‘Okay, that’s fine.’ We had a 45-minute match—Cody Rhodes is so good. I knew what I was doing. I wasn’t worried about the match whatsoever.”
Looking back, McIntyre believes the decision did exactly what it needed to do—shift the narrative and create momentum. But for him personally, the biggest moment came after the show, when he returned home with the title.
“It got people talking, it put characters in an interesting position. And for me personally—the next day I was in Scotland and got to walk out in Glasgow as WWE Champion.”
McIntyre would eventually drop the title back to Rhodes, but the ripple effects of that moment are still playing out—especially since he will now face Jacob Fatu in an Unsanctioned match at WrestleMania 42.
So, Drew McIntyre didn’t have weeks to prepare for his championship win. He got the call just hours before stepping into the ring—and still delivered a career-defining moment that changed the entire landscape heading into WrestleMania season.
Do you think WWE made the right call pulling the trigger on Drew McIntyre’s title win at the last minute, or should something that big have been planned out further in advance? Drop your thoughts below
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