Drew McIntyre Was 'Legitimately Upset' By Roman Reigns/CM Punk Burial Following WWE Royal Rumble

Drew McIntyre has revealed he was "legitimately upset" by the post-Royal Rumble 2026 segment between CM Punk and Roman Reigns on Monday Night Raw which saw Reigns select Punk as his WrestleMania 42 opponent.

McIntyre noted during an appearance on Busted Open Radio that he was unbothered by Punk and Reigns' comments about him, but he was unhappy about them targeting the WWE Championship and Friday Night SmackDown.

"Say whatever you want about me. I can protect myself. I look after myself verbally. And to be honest, they weren't even that bad. It was just the stuff about the title and SmackDown and making it feel a little less than, when they're such big superstars. Just focus on the title, focus on each other. So, I went out and did a Braveheart-like speech on the Friday because I was legitimately upset. As far as I was concerned, that was it, done. And it seems to be done. Now, they're focused on their stuff. We're focused on our stuff," McIntyre stated.

During the Reigns and Punk segment following the Royal Rumble, Punk referred to Reigns possibly selecting McIntyre as his WrestleMania 42 opponent as "the easy way out", before Reigns described Punk as "the biggest star available." Reigns then said he may choose Punk for WrestleMania as he was "on Netflix" and "the best show." Ultimately, though, Reigns selected Punk because he hates him.

Drew McIntyre responded to CM Punk and Roman Reigns on the February 6 episode of SmackDown, noting that he was disappointed by their comments.

"Quite frankly, I was disappointed. The OTC and CM Punk, for such big Superstars, came across as very, very insecure. They would take a dig at me and then the other one would defend me by telling the truth, shutting down their argument. Talking about me doesn't upset me, talk about me all day long. What frustrated me was trying to make this brand and this title feel second rate. For the SmackDown roster, if you didn't see that as a declaration of war and you don't wrestle every match like it's your last match, I'll show your arse the door. As for this title, what did you say, Punk? The man makes the title, the title makes the man. This man has been through hell to get this title. This man never quit when times got tough or went part-time. I would never go part-time. I was there when the world shut down, ate banquets of crap, and I've earned this title," McIntyre stated.

McIntyre also claimed Reigns chose Punk because "fragile Phil" is always one fall away from his career ending, while Reigns knew he couldn't beat the WWE Champion at WrestleMania without his "Samoan army."

Drew McIntyre's WrestleMania 42 opponent has yet to be determined, but the plan before the Royal Rumble was for McIntyre to face Cody Rhodes either in a singles match or in a Triple Threat that also includes Jacob Fatu.

H/T F4WOnline