Drew McIntyre is stepping up as the locker room leader to defend the honor of the SmackDown brand. Following the chaotic events of the Royal Rumble, the ensuing Monday Night Raw featured a massive segment where Rumble winner Roman Reigns officially selected WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk as his WrestleMania opponent.
“A Braveheart Speech” for the Blue Brand
During their heated promo exchange, both Reigns and Punk took notable shots at McIntyre, the Undisputed WWE Championship, and the SmackDown brand itself, deliberately downplaying their overall significance. McIntyre, a former multi-time world champion, did not take the slight lightly. He issued a fiery response on the following episode of SmackDown, delivering what he described as a “Braveheart speech” to rally his fellow roster members to prove the doubters wrong.
Speaking extensively on Busted Open Radio, McIntyre provided deeper insight into his visceral reaction. “That’s the part [speaking about the title] that more got my attention. I don’t care, say whatever you want about me. I can protect myself and look after myself verbally,” McIntyre explained. He noted that the true offense was minimizing the Undisputed Title and the SmackDown show entirely. “I went out, did a Braveheart speech on Friday because I was legitimately upset. As far as I’m concerned, it’s done… Hopefully, the SmackDown roster saw that and said, ‘Every time I’m in that ring, I’m going to bring it 150% and show you all that I belong on this show.’”
McIntyre also drew comparisons to The Undertaker’s legendary locker room leadership, recalling how the “Deadman” would furiously demand excellence if Raw ever beat SmackDown on a live event tour. “If you’re bringing the show down, I’ll suddenly appear in front of you like magic and I’ll kick your ass out the door,” McIntyre warned his peers. McIntyre’s focus now shifts to the Elimination Chamber, where he will learn his WrestleMania opponent from a field that currently includes Je’Von Evans, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and LA Knight.