Drew McIntyre Almost Had To Be Replaced In WWE SmackDown Match Last Week

GUNTHER is still in search of a challenger for his Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 39. Last Friday's "WWE SmackDown" was supposed to clarify the title picture with a Fatal Five-Way match going down to determine a No. 1 contender. However, both Sheamus and Drew McIntyre scored pins simultaneously, leading to more confusion with no clear-cut winner decided. But McIntyre was lucky to even be in such a muddied position at all. 

PWInsider Elite reports that McIntyre was very sick throughout last week and was at risk of being pulled from that match. However, after arriving at the building and being examined by the medical team, he was given the green light to wrestle and proceed with the storyline as planned. Earlier in the week, Kofi Kingston had to be replaced from that same match after suffering an ankle injury on the "SmackDown" before — coincidentally from a dive by McIntyre. Xavier Woods was his replacement, although who might have filled in had McIntyre not been able to go is an unsolved mystery. McIntyre has been receiving a lot of love backstage in WWE for how he has managed to keep going, regardless of if he's been under the weather or less than 100% physically.

With McIntyre's health back on the up and up, he's set for one-on-one action this Friday against Sheamus. Following the result of last week's match and complaints from GUNTHER, there will be only one No. 1 contender — unless WWE still figures out a way to turn this into a Triple Threat affair as was originally rumored for GUNTHER's WrestleMania title defense.