Drew McIntyre Reacts to AJ Styles Replacing Him Against John Cena

Drew McIntyre really wanted to get a singles match with John Cena before he retired, but it didn't end up happening.

But little did we know that Drew McIntyre was originally set to compete against Cena at WWE Crown Jewel. However, AJ Styles ended up getting that honor instead. A match that turned out to be Cena's best match on his retirement tour.

This wasn't common knowledge at the time, and with John Cena recently making the news public, how does McIntyre feel about this unfortunate series of events?

WWE Champion Drew McIntyre recently spoke with SHAK Wrestling. When asked for his reaction to John Cena's recent comments that he was supposed to face him instead of AJ Styles at Crown Jewel, McIntyre reaffirms that he wanted the match, but can't change the company's creative direction.

"I mean, I can't change the creative direction," Drew McIntyre admitted. "I talked about getting a match with Cena, getting a situation on the microphone with Cena, just to prove what I'm capable of, because I want to compete with the best that he is or was the best on the microphone.

"And I heard the quote, heard what John said, whatever people weren't feeling what was going on. They decided to pivot. He outright asked, you want AJ? And the match was incredible. So I could sit there and go, damn, what if? Or what if he tweeted my name? But the reality is, he's retired. I'm World Champion, so I think it worked out just fine for Drew McIntyre."

Drew McIntyre believes things happened how they were supposed to

When asked if he knew that was the original plan, McIntyre admitted that he knew enough, but he kept his head down and kept working no matter what happened. In McIntyre's mind, things happened the way they were supposed to happen.

If you look at what has happened to Drew McIntyre so far in 2026, it would be hard to argue his logic. The Scottish Warrior unexpectedly won the WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes last month on SmackDown in a Three Stages of Hell match.

Had McIntyre not won that title last month, his position at WrestleMania 42 later this year would be very much in doubt. Losing that Three Stages of Hell match would have marked a definitive close in his rivalry with Rhodes, and we would likely be on the road to another match between Rhodes and Roman Reigns instead.

So yeah, McIntyre might not have gotten his singles match with Cena that he wanted. But given his current position, everything worked out just fine for him.

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