Drew McIntyre and CM Punk engaged in a bitter, and bloody, feud throughout 2024 that began when McIntyre injured Punk in the Royal Rumble, and culminated at WWE Bad Blood in a Hell in a Cell match.
The two men traded personal barbs on the microphone, broke friendship bracelets, and took shots on social media.
Speaking to Alex McCarthy of the DailyMail, McIntyre reflected on his months-long story with Punk.
"I didn't really anticipate anything in the beginning, I was dealing with my personal feelings towards him, understanding why he was brought in. It's a numbers thing. He sells a lot of T-shirts. And after the injury, I was going to exploit it. And it's interesting, my name wasn't mentioned once when it came to dream matches for CM Punk. And I was like, 'Yeah, weird. It's almost as if there's a guy that was around him all this time when he was a terrible person who might have stories,'" he said. "With the Punk process, having so much real feeling, so much material, and not just my ideas... obviously creative are just absolutely on fire, and with Hunter [Triple H] leading the charges, setting these awesome shots up for me, all I have to do is put it in the back of the net."
McIntyre continued, "It was an interesting and fun process, and it's better than any therapy in the world. I don't need a therapist to talk to, I've got a microphone every week, because you see some of the stuff I say, especially these days, even talking about my my personal tragedies and the likes I sounded out on TV. And during the Punk stuff, I was sounding out a lot of feelings when he came back eventually and started saying his piece.
As much as we have certain feelings towards each other, we both are aware we've got certain magic with each other. It's a tale as old as time. The more people have a genuine disdain for each other, people can truly feel it. And if you're actually good at your job, like we are, it does create magic. And the whole process was magic, and the cell itself was a match that we talked about forever.
"I will say, however my feelings are towards him, I went completely gangbusters for him. I didn't hold back. On TV, I can only go so far, but, on social, but it's my social. You can't tell me what to do. I went overboard. And the company could have asked me to pull back if they wanted me to, and I'd have said, 'No, it's my social'. But I went at him and went at him. And I've done that with a couple of people, and they have got a boo boo face. Not that I care, but he didn't. He ate it like a man, and then came back with what he had to say. So I'll give him that."
The rivalry between the two is not over as both men will be part of the men's Royal Rumble match.
Fans can check out the current lineup for WWE Royal Rumble by clicking here.
