Former WWE Champion's Contract Expiring BEFORE WrestleMania 40
Efforts to re-sign the top WWE star have been a topic of great interest.
If fans were hoping to hear that WWE had locked Drew McIntyre up for the long term, they're going to have to wait longer.
The Scottish Warrior's contract status has been a topic of conversation throughout this year, as it expires in the first part of 2024. And although some might have thought that McIntyre's recent push and slow-burn heel turn was a sign he had re-signed with the company, it seems that's not the case.
Fightful Select reports they've been told that McIntyre has not signed a new WWE contract, despite online rumors to the contrary. Both Drew and WWE have told others that the two sides have not come to terms. Fightful indicated that McIntyre has less than five months on his current WWE deal, which would expire before WrestleMania 40.
McIntyre is the first in a series of wrestler contracts coming up next year -- Becky Lynch is another -- that will test how the company will handle re-signings under the TKO banner. Endeavor previously has showed that it will let UFC talent walk rather than paying a handsome sum. If that continues with WWE, fans could see several popular wrestlers not be retained, focusing on new talent.
A former two-time WWE Champion, McIntyre returned to WWE in 2017 via NXT, three years after being released from the company. He rose in prominence and stature until he defeated Brock Lesnar for the world title at the crowd-less WrestleMania 36, a fact has been rolled into his current storyline arc.
Currently, McIntyre is in a sort of tweener status, allowing previous transgressions by the Bloodline -- and notably Jey Uso -- to justify his less-than-pure-babyface behavior. The result is a complex character who can rationalize his actions, making the journey toward villainy more interesting.
McIntyre is set to face Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship this weekend at Crown Jewel.