Drew McIntyre has addressed the canceled match he was originally set to have with John Cena.
Speaking to Shakiel Mahjouri of Shak Wrestling, McIntyre shared his honest thoughts about not getting the high-profile match against Cena.
“I can’t change the creative direction. I talked about getting that match with Cena and get in a situation on the microphone with Cena, just to prove what I’m capable of because I want to compete with the best and he is, or was, the best on the microphone.”
McIntyre admitted he heard Cena’s comments about the situation and understands that WWE chose a different direction.
“I heard what John said. Whatever people weren’t feeling what was going on, they decided to pivot. He outright asked, ‘Do you want AJ? The match was incredible.”
The match in question ended up being Cena vs. AJ Styles at WWE Crown Jewel. The two veterans delivered a standout performance, paying tribute to several rivals during the bout. McIntyre admitted he could think about what might have been, but he remains focused on the bigger picture.
“I can sit here and go, ‘Damn, what if? What if he tweeted my name?’ The reality is, he’s retired and I’m world champion, so I think it worked out just fine for Drew McIntyre.”
When asked if he knew about the original plan, he replied, “I know enough. I keep my head down, and I keep working, no matter what happens. I can’t take his phone and say, ‘Just tweet my name?” [H/T: Fightful]
Interestingly, Drew McIntyre and John Cena have never faced each other in a singles match. It would have been exciting to see Cena go face-to-face with McIntyre, both in the ring and on the microphone during promos.
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