Drew McIntyre’s journey on Sunday night at WrestleMania was a rollercoaster of emotions, starting in one place and ending in another entirely.
McIntyre kicked off day two of WWE’s signature event by defeating Seth Rollins to win the World Heavyweight Championship in front of over 72,000 fans. For McIntyre, it was the completion of his story as his previous world title wins in WWE happened during the pandemic, with no one in attendance to celebrate his achievement. But after briefly soaking in the adulation with family and fans, the Scottish Warrior began berating CM Punk, who was on commentary for the World title match.
McIntyre forgot who Punk is, a man who doesn’t take lip from his peers. Despite being injured, the Chicago martyr used his arm brace to batter McIntyre like a relentless storm, unleashing fury with every strike, leaving no mercy in his wake. That beatdown gave Judgment Day’s Damian Priest the opening he needed to successfully cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase and win McIntyre’s recently acquired prize.
Surprisingly, McIntyre’s loss was the first of two world title collapses on Sunday, thanks to a peculiar fixation with a third party. Later that night, Roman Reigns, with chair in hand, opted to strike his former betrayer Seth Rollins as The Visionary had done to Reigns almost ten years ago. That lapse in judgment allowed his challenger Cody Rhodes to capitalize on his mistake and end Reigns’ 1,316-day sovereignty as WWE’s Undisputed Universal Champion.
Ultimately, obsession dominated WrestleMania’s final night. McIntyre’s four-year quest for redemption failed because of his preoccupation with Punk. Similarly, Reigns’ inability to move past Rollins’ betrayal a decade ago caused him to lose focus and seek revenge, resulting in him losing his championship. McIntyre and Reigns’ misguided focus resulted in their downfall, costing them everything they had worked tirelessly to achieve.
While those mistakes hurt their television characters and left their dedicated supporters to pick up the pieces for their fallen icons, they also set the stage for compelling storytelling.
For McIntyre and Reigns to return to their previous status, each must undergo a transformative journey that includes self-reflection, growth, and learning from past mistakes. Somehow, they must realize the destructive nature of their obsession and the toll it has taken on themselves and possibly others. Through such a process, audiences could see each man gain a new perspective and perhaps a shift in character that allows them to become reborn, emerging stronger, wiser, and more resilient.
Or it could send them down a more destructive path that ends in a fiery disaster for anyone who opposes them while jeopardizing their welfare.
During his 2023 rivalry with Rollins, McIntyre was challenged to reflect on his role in his hardships. Will McIntyre now prioritize reclaiming the World Championship from Damian Priest? Or will his fixation on Punk worsen, possibly leading to his departure from WWE?
Behind the scenes, there are lingering questions about McIntyre’s future with the company. Another wrestling promotion has expressed intentions to aggressively recruit top talent in 2024, which could include McIntyre. If he decides to explore other opportunities, it will be intriguing to see how his tenure with WWE concludes, likely with his adversaries prevailing.
Regarding Reigns, the sky’s the limit for where his saga might take him. Following WrestleMania, Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque was optimistic about The Tribal Chief’s next tale in WWE.
“To do what he did tonight with Cody Rhodes, it’s not completing the story. It’s just getting to the end of this chapter. Because he’s gonna go on a whole new story now that is going to blow people’s minds, I think,” said Levesque.
Speculation over what that may look like is growing after Reigns and his special counsel, WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman, seemingly walked away from The Rock, Reigns’ cousin and member of the board of directors for TKO, the parent company of WWE. Might the pieces be in place for a second Bloodline Civil War? Will Reigns reconcile his past relationships with benevolence and forgiveness? Or will heads roll with Seth Rollins’ dome first on the chopping block?
As new stories unfold post-WrestleMania, fans can anticipate either a saving grace or the final collapse of two well-regarded rogues, adding to the excitement of WWE’s transition into a new era.
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