Drew McIntyre entered 2021 as the WWE Champion after holding the belt for the majority of 2020.
His run as WWE Champion in 2021 didn't last long as he was defeated by The Miz, cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase with the help of Bobby Lashley, at WWE Elimination Chamber. Miz would lose the title to Lashley just two weeks later, setting a program between Lashley and McIntyre.
Lashley and McIntyre would collide at WrestleMania 37 in a singles match, WrestleMania Backlash is a triple threat match that also included Braun Strowman, and Hell in a Cell.
Lashley was victorious in all three major bouts with the final match including a stipulation where if McIntyre lost, he could not challenge for the title as long as Lashley was champion.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani of BT Sport, McIntyre was asked about his constant challenges for the title after losing at WrestleMania 37.
"It was weird because generally, the good guy, is the one chasing and that's where the excitement is. I felt for a long period that as champion, that's where I was meant to be and the chase was exciting from Rumble to Mania when I beat Brock, but there was a period where I felt 'I'm meant to be. I'm meant to be champion.' During the Lashley stuff, perhaps the way we set up the matches, perhaps the narrative of 'Drew keeps getting title matches' that we were pushing for some reason, didn't exactly help during that period. Perhaps I could have gotten out of the title scene a little quicker after I lost the first match and didn't have a couple of follow-up matches and started the rebuild again," he said.
After exiting the WWE Title picture, McIntyre would feud with Jinder Mahal before being drafted to WWE SmackDown.
"That's what I've been looking for, for a long time, is just hitting that reset button and starting from scratch against and re-proving myself. That's why with the SmackDown move, it felt like the perfect time to go, 'we know what Drew can do and is capable of, let's hit that reset button and re-prove myself.' I'm happy to do it. I've been doing this 20 years, there are 52 weeks a year. I'm a patient man," he said.
McIntyre is set to face Madcap Moss at WWE Day 1.
You can view the current lineup for WWE Day 1 by clicking here. Fightful will have live coverage of the event beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
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