Drew McIntyre Off WWE TV After Brutal Loss to Damian Priest at Saturday Night’s Main Event

Drew McIntyre’s run has hit a pause—possibly a long one.

According PWInsider, McIntyre is off WWE TV for the foreseeable future following his brutal loss to Damian Priest inside a steel cage at Saturday Night’s Main Event on May 24. The match, held at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, ended with Priest delivering a sickening Con-Chair-To and walking out the cage door as McIntyre lay motionless in the ring.

Sources indicate that McIntyre has been “working hurt for some time” and that his appearance on Saturday “finished his current WWE dates.” The word backstage is that he’ll be taking an extended period off and won’t be seen on TV going forward.

In a recent interview with Jay Reddick of the Orlando Sentinel, McIntyre revealed just how rough things have been behind the scenes. “I can’t turn my head all the way left yet,” he said, confirming that he’s still in pain. Despite that, he’s been pushing through the grind, a mentality he says comes with the territory.

“Working hurt is just what happens if you’re an athlete, especially as the years go by,” McIntyre explained. “If you’re injured, it is something to take care of. Maybe back in the day, we would have taped it up and gone with it. In the past, I have worked with muscle tears and breaks, which isn’t the most sensible thing, but the way we operate now, you want to last for the long run.”

While there’s been chatter about McIntyre landing a big Hollywood role, reports confirm this absence is not related to any outside project and is strictly about taking personal time away from the ring.

The loss to Priest may have been storyline—but the toll was real. Drew’s body has been through countless wars over the last few years, and stepping away now might be exactly what he needs before making a full-force return down the line.

Do you think WWE should have written Drew McIntyre off in an even bigger way—or was the brutal Con-Chair-To the perfect exit? Drop your thoughts in the comments—we want to know what you think.