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New Report Sheds Light On Why Drew McIntyre Was 'Suspended' On WWE SmackDown

It may be several weeks or longer before we see Drew McIntyre back on WWE Friday Night SmackDown.
Rick Ucchino|
Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre | WWE

Drew McIntyre may be off of WWE television for the foreseeable future.

The Scottish Warrior was 'suspended' by SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis this past Friday night after he attacked referee Dan Engler and ruined the show's main event match between WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Aleister Black.

McIntyre and Aldis were then captured on camera having a very heated argument as multiple backstage producers escorted the former WWE Champion out of the building.

Why Drew McIntyre was suspended

It's not clear at this time just how long McIntyre will be suspended for, but we now have a better understanding for why he's been given time off from WWE.

Veteran wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer said on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that Drew is on his way to film scenes for a new movie role.

Deadline reported back in September that McIntyre had been cast in Amazon MGM Studios’ reboot of Highlander, starring Henry Cavill. However, it's not been confirmed at this time if production for that film is getting underway or if McIntyre has landed an additional acting gig.

Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre | WWE

Principle photography for Highlander was reportedly delayed after Cavill suffered an injury during training. Filming wasn't expected to begin until sometime early next year.

The remake of the 1986 cult classic will also star former WWE Superstar and future Hall of Famer Dave Bautista, in addition to Russell Crowe, Jeremy Irons, Marisa Abela, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou and Max Zhang.

McIntyre will star as Angus MacLeod, the brother of Henry Cavill's character. This marks his second major film role in as many years. He previously portrayed Rory Mackenzie in 2024's The Killer's Game, which also starred Dave Bautista.

The Scottish Warrior's pursuit of the WWE Championship has hit a wall following back-to-back losses to Cody Rhodes, most recently at Saturday Night's Main Event on November 1.

McIntyre placed part of the blame for his loss that night on Dan Engler, which explains his motivations for the out-of-nowhere Claymore Kick that he delivered to Engler this past Friday night in Greenville, South Carolina.

Some time away from WWE will now allow McIntyre to reset and refocus, while also allowing Cody Rhodes a chance to move on to new challengers. Aleister Black clearly expressed his interest in the WWE Championship on the most recent episode of SmackDown. Unfortunately for him, he still has unfinished business with Damian Priest that needs to be resolved first.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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