Who Should ‘The Scottish Warrior’ Target in His 2026 Return?
2026 has been a roller coaster ride when it comes to the career of Drew McIntyre. From winning the Undisputed WWE Championship at the start of the year to losing a grudge match at WrestleMania 42, ‘The Scottish Warrior’ has certainly experienced many ups and downs. Following his loss to Jacob Fatu in an Unsanctioned Match at WrestleMania 42, McIntyre took some time off to film some scenes for an upcoming movie. With reports saying that Drew has finished his commitments, it’s only a matter of time before he returns to the squared circle. With old foes and a couple of fresh faces on the SmackDown roster, who could McIntyre step up to in his return?
Cody Rhodes
The easiest choice for McIntyre to target is the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. At the start of 2026, the World Championship changed hands following an intense Three Stages of Hell Match, with the challenger defeating the reigning champion. McIntyre held on to the title for about two months before losing it back to Rhodes on the SmackDown after Elimination Chamber. The reigning world champion did everything in his power to keep his challenger away from the title picture, but his actions ultimately came back to haunt him. After repeatedly costing the top contender championship opportunities, he was eventually forced to defend the gold against the same rival, a decision that led to the end of his reign. McIntyre might still feel the sting of never receiving a rematch for the world title, and immediately returning to the main event scene gives Rhodes another challenge in his third world title reign.
Jacob Fatu
The main reason that McIntyre became world champion in 2026 was that Fatu interfered in the match. The dominant Samoan powerhouse attempted to go after McIntyre, but, in his rage, also attacked Rhodes. A few months later, Fatu would once again interfere during a world title match, only this time, he would cost McIntyre the match, allowing Rhodes to regain the title. McIntyre would then go after WWE’s explosive enforcer of The Bloodline, which led to their Unsanctioned Match at WrestleMania 42. Fatu would put McIntyre through the table for the win. If McIntyre still holds a grudge against Fatu for costing him the world title, then going after him would allow both men to continue their story and go down a more violent path in their storyline.
Nick Aldis
The SmackDown general manager has butted heads with McIntyre over the past few months, blaming ‘The Scottish Warrior’ for interrupting important matches and causing havoc on the blue brand. Even though he was against giving McIntyre what he wanted, he obliged, which allowed McIntyre to win the title and prevented Rhodes from getting a rematch for the world title. However, the hard-hitting Scottish star continued to interfere in Rhodes’ matches, costing him multiple opportunities to challenge for the world title. After getting involved in the Elimination Chamber match, the former world champion turned executive forced McIntyre to defend the title against Rhodes, which led to the top-ranked contender losing the title. The decorated WWE veteran blamed Aldis for all his misfortunes and accused management of continuously screwing him over. Although there have been teases of Aldis making a return to the ring, nothing has come to fruition, but if McIntyre goes after Aldis, then it might make him suit up once again.
