Two former world champions were recently traded to Smackdown from Raw as WWE intended to book them in a match at Wrestlemania 41. Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest are the two names speculated to lock horns at the biggest event of the year. In changed circumstances, this match could be scrapped from the card due to fan backlash.
According to earlier reports from Daily Mail UK, McIntyre was being slotted into a WrestleMania 41 feud with Damian Priest with insiders calling this a “nothing match.” Given his strong momentum, the current Raw Superstar was reluctant to be a part of the match as he believes he deserves a marquee feud, not something that many feel to be an afterthought.
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Seeds for this match were planted during the Men’s Royal Rumble, where Priest eliminated McIntyre. This would be a rematch between the two from last year and fans might not be that much invested into it. This led Chris Featherstone to report that WWE is re-evaluating their plans for this particular match at Wrestlemania 41 after seeing the social media reaction to this feud,
“Sources within WWE have informed me that the online backlash of Drew McIntyre’s potential WrestleMania opponent has opened up internal discussions to re-evaluate current plans.”
The Rumble elimination of McIntyre by Priest could have created some sort of waves for this possible Wrestlemania 41 match but due to LA Knight’s frantic movement during that spot, things went out without much shenanigans. They also had intense in-ring exchange on Smackdown but Fightful Select reports that there are no lingering issues between them, and they can still work together without concerns.
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Time will tell whether McIntyre will be put against Priest at Wrestlemania 41. Previously, Priest cashed-in the Money in the Bank contract on McIntyre at WrestleMania XL and won the World Heavyweight Championship. Later at Clash at the Castle 2024, Priest defeated McIntyre, after interference from CM Punk, to retain the World Title.
WWE Wrestlemania 41 PLE Match Card
Wrestlemania 41 WWE premium live event will emanate from the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20. The official, as well as the rumored matches for the card of the PLE, go as follows,
– Triple Threat Match: Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins (TBA)
– Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. John Cena (TBA)
– WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Gunther (c) vs. Jey Uso
– WWE Women’s World Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. IYO SKY (TBA)
– WWE Women’s Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (TBA)
– Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest (TBA)
– Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn (TBA)