5 Drew McIntyre Feud Ideas With WWE Return Imminent, Including Trick Williams

Drew McIntyre has been away from WWE since losing to Jacob Fatu in an Unsanctioned Match at WrestleMania 42 in April. He has spent the months since then working on film and television projects, including the Highlander reboot, The Last Druid, and he stars in the WWE micro-drama Agent of Shadows, which premieres October 23.

WrestleVotes on Fightful Select reported that WWE is discussing ideas for McIntyre to come back on RAW, and that a plan to bring him back in late August was dropped. McIntyre has also said he is staying ready, telling Fox News that he is “always ready to go” and “in the best shape of my life,” but he added, “Right now, I’m focused on Hollywood Drew.”

McIntyre held the Undisputed WWE Championship earlier this year, winning it from Cody Rhodes on SmackDown in January before losing it back to Rhodes in March. Whenever he does return, several opponents would make sense for him on Mondays or Fridays.

Johnny Gargano

McIntyre and Johnny Gargano have never had a singles program in WWE, but they have real history from Evolve. McIntyre, then known as Drew Galloway, beat Gargano in a title-for-title match in 2015. The two later won the first Evolve Tag Team Championship together before Galloway turned on him and won their feud in 2016.

DIY broke up after Tommaso Ciampa left WWE for AEW in January. Since then, Gargano came up short against CM Punk in a title match in September and lost a Money in the Bank qualifier won by Kevin Owens that also included Rhodes. His current path is tied to Sami Zayn, who he says promised him a title shot in exchange for his help, and that uneasy partnership may not last.

A program with McIntyre that leans on their independent history would give Gargano a fresh story and give McIntyre a strong in-ring opponent to work with in his first program back.

Trick Williams

Trick Williams has never had a singles match with McIntyre, which makes this one fresh. Williams is the United States Champion in his second reign, after beating Zayn for the title at WrestleMania 42, losing it to Baron Corbin at SummerSlam and winning it back from Corbin at Sunday Night’s Main Event on September 6. He also came up short in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match.

McIntyre could be the veteran who tests whether Williams is ready for the main event. A win over a former world champion would do a lot for Williams, and McIntyre would get a title program right away if he lands on SmackDown.

Kevin Owens

McIntyre and Owens have shared the ring a few times, including as teammates in WarGames in 2022, but they have never had a long singles program. Owens has been in the Undisputed WWE Championship picture on SmackDown since returning from neck surgery at SummerSlam, coming up short against Punk and then Zayn, and he lost the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match.

Both men are strong talkers who like to push the line, which would likely produce strong promo exchanges. Owens has also spent much of his career in feuds built on personal issues, and McIntyre’s style of trash talk would give their rivalry plenty of fuel.

Gunther

McIntyre and Gunther already have one of the better rivalries of the last few years. Gunther pinned McIntyre in a triple threat with Sheamus at WrestleMania 39 to retain the Intercontinental Championship, then beat him one-on-one at SummerSlam 2023 after McIntyre returned from three months off.

The setting would be bigger this time. Gunther ended John Cena‘s career by submission in December 2025 and has spent 2026 in the main event scene, but he has come up short in his title matches this year. McIntyre is still looking for a singles win over Gunther, and a rematch with both men chasing a world title would have higher stakes than their first run.

Randy Orton

McIntyre and Randy Orton traded the WWE Championship in 2020. McIntyre beat Orton at SummerSlam and Clash of Champions, Orton won the title at Hell in a Cell, and McIntyre took it back on Raw a few weeks later. They crossed paths again in 2025, when Orton beat McIntyre at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Orton is currently feuding with Rhodes on SmackDown after losing to him at WrestleMania 42. Rhodes is also the man who took the Undisputed WWE Championship back from McIntyre in March, which gives McIntyre and Orton something in common. A shared grudge against Rhodes could start as an uneasy alliance before the two veterans turn on each other.