Drew McIntyre Blasts "Miserable" WWE 2K26 Star CM Punk
It’s been a long road for Drew McIntyre, grinding the UK independent wrestling scene, making it into WWE as the “Chosen One”, then being fired in 2014, before being rehired in 2017. Now, he sits firmly on top of the proverbial mountain and just so happens to be the first UK-born WWE Champion in history.
Drew first won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40 before Damian Priest cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, meaning that Drew’s title reign only lasted minutes, not to mention being screwed out of his big win, courtesy of his nemesis, CM Punk.
Thankfully for Drew, he was able to finally reclaim his WWE Championship with no post-match shenanigans, defeating Cody Rhodes in a ‘Three Stages of Hell’ match on 9 January 2026 on SmackDown in Berlin, Germany.
How Does It Feel to Be the WWE Champion Once More?
“It took a minute to sink in, but I felt vindicated,” says a relieved Drew. “I think a lot of people had given up, because I've been screwed so many times. So many times I’ve made it to the big match, and then something happens. I get screwed over every time. I think it got to the point that many thought history would repeat itself at the ‘Three Stages of Hell’ match.
“People thought that Cody was going to win that match, and then he’d go into WrestleMania as WWE Champion once more. But WWE needed me to win this match, SmackDown needed it, and I genuinely believe that Cody needs it too. Now he’s got an edge about him, chasing me all over the place. But through all of that doubt, I kept the faith the whole time.”
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Being Amongst the Greatest the UK Has Ever Produced
Anyone from any of the four nations of the United Kingdom knows that we don't often cheer on our neighbours, perhaps as much as we should. However, that’s never really been an issue with how Drew McIntyre is so often warmly received.
“It’s unbelievable, coming out of all our WWE live events across the UK and over Europe, it’s wild to hear the level of reaction that I get, compared to the rest of the world. At Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales, in 2022, I was against Roman Reigns, who was peak as Tribal Chief. Despite being a “bad guy”, he was still being cheered by fans everywhere.
“It had crossed my mind that he’d get cheered more in Cardiff, but it felt like I got 100% of the support from fans, and Roman was getting all the negativity. It was really cool to be the UK’s number one guy representing all the Isles. It means a lot to me.”
Is It Time for Drew McIntyre to Be the WWE 2K Cover Star?
CM Punk is the main cover star of WWE 2K26, something that certainly didn't sit well with Seth Rollins.
“I’m not going to argue like CM Punk and Seth Rollins; they bicker over everything. It’s always ‘mine, mine, mine’ with those two. I want this, I want that. Those two are never truly happy. I genuinely believe that CM Punk will never be happy for his entire life. He’s a miserable human being,” Drew exclaims.
“I’ve learned that whatever happens in life, just try to make the most out of it and be happy. But I genuinely believe that Drew McIntyre should be on the cover of the game. When people see me, they say, ‘Who’s that?’, especially mothers. I’m every mother's favourite wrestler.” It will be interesting to see if Drew McIntyre is the WWE 2K27 cover star. Only time will tell.
Roman Reigns on Choosing CM Punk as His WrestleMania Opponent
Roman Reigns won the men’s Royal Rumble in January 2026, meaning that he could choose the opponent of his picking at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas this April. His choice, current World Heavyweight Champion and WWE 2K26 cover star, CM Punk.
“We know the truth as to why Roman made the choice that he did. You know me, I don’t lie, and I don’t put a spin on things. The truth is, it’s a very big match for the two. If you look at me and CM Punk side-by-side, and you see a 6ft 5”, 280-pound Scotsman, who are you gonna pick? The choice is obvious. Is Roman gonna pick the junky-looking guy, Fragile Phil [CM Punk’s real name is Phil Brooks] or me, in my prime? If I were him, I’d go for Fragile Phil. So he made the choice that was best for him.
Cody Rhodes’s Obsession with Drew McIntyre
Leading up to the Three Stages of Hell match at the aforementioned episode of SmackDown, Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes were locked in an intense rivalry and following the changing of the WWE Championship, that rivalry is far from over. Cody Rhodes has been seemingly obsessed with Drew McIntyre, hell-bent on revenge and gaining back the Championship.
That rivalry looks to intensify, following Drew McIntyre claymoring Cody in the face at the Elimination Chamber in February 2026, the last PLE before WrestleMania 42, costing the “American Nightmare” his title shot, which instead went to the legendary Randy Orton. Cody is the big babyface of WWE, but has Drew unlocked a new side of the popular Superstar or was that side hidden away after all this time?
“I’m bringing out the true Cody Rhodes,” Drew replies. “He is phenomenal in the ring. He's phenomenal at what he does. He's phenomenal at representing the company, but I think he tries too hard, you know, he was playing a character at times. Instead of being himself, he defines himself by this championship, lives and dies by being the champion, and that's not a healthy way to be.
“I used to think the way he thinks. That's why I know what he's thinking at all times, because I've evolved since I was champion. I did all the stuff he was doing, the smiling, the glad-handing. Nonstop, I'll do every little thing the company and everybody asks me instead of doing what feels right for myself, and just knowing who you are, and he's starting to unravel in front of the world.
“He's got an edge now, which is exciting to see this side of Cody Rhodes, but the real side of Cody's coming out. And the truth is, if he can't be happy without the championship, he was never happy with the championship. He always needs more. But he’s never gonna get the championship back, which means he's never gonna be happy no matter what he has in life. That's a quote from Cool Runnings, by the way,” smiles Drew.
Sadly for Drew, on 6 February 2026, he lost his WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes on SmackDown, meaning that it's Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42.
What if Drew McIntyre had a WWE 2K Showcase?
One of the popular modes in the WWE 2K series is the Showcase campaign, a mode that dedicates its campaign to a singular Superstar or era, packed with some of the best matches in history and matches that never came to be. If Drew were to be the cover star of WWE 2K27, what matches would he choose?
“I was a big Bret Hart guy growing up, but I also loved Shawn Michaels; nobody could touch him at WrestleMania. So I’d have to go with dream matches against those two at their peak. To me, not even Shawn on his first run is peak HBK. I think when he returned in 2002, he became such an incredible storyteller,” says Drew.
“As for my favourite ever match, let’s go with when I won the Royal Rumble in 2020. That was such a significant moment in my career, where I eliminated Brock Lesnar. It was even at a time when Edge made his WWE return after nine years away.
“With Edge returning, I remember thinking ‘Oh no, the crowd are going to boo me, it’s gonna be like when they booed Batista in 2014 or Roman Reigns in 2015, when they won the Royal Rumble. But when I eliminated Brock, the 40,000 crowd in Texas reacted the same way as when I won the Rumble. It was amazing. Then I’d have to throw the recent Three Stages of Hell win, which signalled a big turning point in my recent run.”
Finding Joy in Life, in and Outside of Professional Wrestling
“Professionally, it was such a joy being the champion and walking into Scotland the day after I reclaimed the WWE Championship this year. You couldn't have written it any better. To win at SmackDown in Berlin, and then to make my first defence in Glasgow, bringing it back home to my family and friends. Personally, the simplest joy in life is spending time at home with my wife and kids.
WWE 2K26 is out now on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 for those who own the King of Kings Edition, Attitude Era Edition and the Monday Night Wars Edition. It's then available this Friday for the standard edition (CM Punk cover).
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