Drew McIntyre is currently under contract with WWE until the end of the WrestleMania 40 season, as more time was automatically added to his contract.
As PWMania.com previously reported, McIntyre fueled the rumor mill while doing media to promote WWE Superstar Spectacular in India, when he was asked about online reports claiming he has yet to sign a new WWE contract. McIntyre basically danced around the question, but admitted that he has seen people discussing his future online, adding that he focuses on the present rather than the past or future.
When asked if there has been any movement in signing McIntyre to a new contract this week, WWE sources told PWInsider that the company has been mostly focused on finalizing the Endeavor acquisition, which is expected to close next week, so there hasn’t been much, if any, movement in the McIntyre contract situation.
Having said that, one WWE source revealed that McIntyre’s contract was extended because he took three months off earlier this year. McIntyre is currently under contract with WWE until around WrestleMania 40, and the two sides have about seven months to finalize a new deal, assuming McIntyre stays. It was also stated that WWE officials did not rush to sign McIntyre to a new contract because they needed time to work on it, which is consistent with one of the narratives that circulated earlier this summer.
McIntyre took a break after WrestleMania 39, where he and Sheamus were defeated by WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER, but he returned at Money In The Bank on July 1 to continue the feud with Imperium’s leader. WWE hoped McIntyre would return before Money In The Bank, but he wanted a strong storyline to return with, and an agreement was reached just days before he returned, following GUNTHER’s title defense over Matt Riddle, McIntyre’s current tag team partner.
McIntyre’s current contract was set to expire in early 2024, according to reports earlier this year. According to initial reports, McIntyre had not signed a new contract and would not return until the two sides agreed on how he would be used in the future. However, it was later revealed that McIntyre and WWE were not even in contract negotiations, in part because the deal was set to expire in early 2024.
It was also reported that one major issue would be how McIntyre would be used creatively, specifically how meaningful his storylines would be. There was speculation that, with less than a year remaining on his contract, McIntyre did not want to be aimlessly floating around the storylines when he had already demonstrated, during the COVID-19 pandemic, how important he can be to the overall company, not just as an in-ring competitor, but as an overall ambassador to the WWE brand.
WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H was asked if locking in McIntyre was a priority during the Money In The Bank post-show press conference in July. He stated that it is a priority, and then remarked that the amount of speculation surrounding McIntyre has been amusing. He went on to say that McIntyre took some time off after WrestleMania for a minor injury, but while he was out, they decided to get “something else” fixed, but he didn’t elaborate. Triple H then praised McIntyre’s talent and stated that he hopes McIntyre finishes his WWE career.
McIntyre’s most recent televised singles match was a loss to GUNTHER at SummerSlam. He is currently feuding with The Viking Raiders and The New Day in the RAW tag team division with Riddle. The Vikings defeated McIntyre and Riddle in a Tornado match on Monday’s RAW after Kofi Kingston inadvertently hit Riddle with Trouble In Paradise.
