Drew McIntyre's Loss Was The Right Call, Hot Takes From WWE Clash at the Castle 2024 | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Daniel Johnston
Published Mar 23, 2026
Much will be made of Drew McIntyre returning to Scotland on Saturday at Clash at the Castle and losing another major world title match.
The crowd in Glasgow was molten-hot for its fellow countryman, more than ready to see him win the World Heavyweight Championship from Damian Priest and celebrate with the 11,000-plus fans packed into the OVO Hydro.
Instead, his title aspirations were dashed by CM Punk, who pretended to be a referee and screwed his heated rival out of the belt for the second time this year.
Wrestle Ops @WrestleOpsCM Punk via IG stories. <a href="">
While some will criticize WWE for not calling an audible and going with the McIntyre victory, the decision was the correct one.
A win for the Scot would have resulted in a great moment that the company could replay for years, but where would it have gone? McIntyre wins the world title and challenges Gunther in a battle of heels at SummerSlam?
That is hardly the marquee match McIntyre vs. Punk is, especially given all that has gone into getting that contest into the ring.
McIntyre and Punk have an established feud, which has intensified through intensely personal verbal confrontations, and they have not settled it in any official match.
The Best in the World's rehabilitation from a torn triceps muscle was the only thing preventing that from occurring.
With the revelation by the Chicago-born competitor that he is expecting to be medically cleared by next Friday's SmackDown in his hometown, the match is as close to being realized as it has been.
Having Punk cost McIntyre not just the world title but also doing it in his home country, was the latest bit of retribution from Punk after The Scottish Warrior injured him at the Royal Rumble and cost him the main event of WrestleMania 40.
It made sense within the story's context and set in motion what will inevitably end with the official announcement of Punk vs. McIntyre at SummerSlam in a match that does not need the World Heavyweight Championship to be a legitimate main event.
The hatred between them is enough to attract fans to Cleveland Browns Stadium on August 3 and create interest in the event while allowing the world title to be reserved for another high-profile match on the card.
It is the right call, no matter how much you may have been invested in the idea of McIntyre raising the world title to close out Saturday's show in Glasgow.
