Drew McIntyre has raised the stakes ahead of his championship match in Berlin on SmackDown against Cody Rhodes.
The former world champion posted a message and video on X, explaining just how important this
Friday is as he goes for the Undisputed WWE Championship inside a Three Stages of Hell match.
“Friday feels like the biggest match of my career? All the talk. All the mind games. Everything over the last 2 years means nothing if I leave Germany without the belt,” McIntyre wrote.
It’s been a rough stretch for McIntyre, whose world title woes run deeper than the past two years. Since losing the WWE Championship to The Miz in 2021, he’s 2-10 in world title matches, not including live events. Against Rhodes during WWE’s recent holiday tour, he’s 0-7.
Ironically, the promo McIntyre recorded for the video was filmed just before one of his recent matches against the champion. In it, he spoke about change, not just for the company and the fans, but for Rhodes, who stands to emerge stronger through a loss.
“If you can climb out of that dark hole when I beat you and take everything from you, you’re gonna return a better Cody Rhodes than ever before,” McIntyre said.
He also took credit for breaking Rhodes mentally, a shift that appears to have affected the champion. Rhodes has grown noticeably more aggressive during their feud, attacking McIntyre at his home and confronting his boss and friend, General Manager Nick Aldis.
McIntyre finished by emphasizing that he must win the title, saying, “If I am defeated on Friday, then I don’t know who the hell I am.”
