Drew McIntyre Returns On WWE SmackDown Four Days After Quitting, Hospitalizes CM Punk
On the June 17 episode of "WWE Raw," Drew McIntyre unceremoniously announced, in no uncertain terms, that he quit WWE. As the "WWE SmackDown" garage door opened, however, McIntyre hoisted a bloodied CM Punk onto his shoulders and made it known, in no uncertain terms, that he was here to stay.
The wrestling world was set abuzz immediately following McIntyre's announcement, but the drama was somewhat undercut by the fact that he publicly signed a new WWE contract earlier this year. The Wrestling Observer confirmed Friday that McIntyre's abrupt departure was a planned part of the storyline between McIntyre and Punk, and notably not a reason to give McIntyre time off to spend with his wife, who is currently recovering from emergency surgery. McIntyre's social media accounts were also restored on Friday after being deleted on Monday.
McIntyre's return on "SmackDown" came as a shock to many as he maimed Punk in the latter's hometown. The entire backstage area was stunned into silence as McIntyre lifted a battered and limp Punk into a fireman's carry before making a bee-line to the ramp. As he appeared before a stunned Chicago crowd, McIntyre dumped Punk — who notably landed on his tricep — before Nick Aldis and other WWE officials finally ran out to intercept the enraged Scot. McIntyre was escorted to the back, and Punk was last seen being lifted into a hospital bed. Commentator Corey Graves announced that updates on Punk's condition would be made on social media throughout the night.
McIntyre and Punk's animosity runs deep, but their bad blood came to a head at this year's Clash at the Castle event. McIntyre nearly had the World Heavyweight Championship in his hands after pinning current champion Damian Priest, but Punk, dressed in a referee's shirt, deliberately stopped the count at two, and effectively cost McIntyre the match. As of writing, Punk's current condition is unknown, and it is uncertain whether the two will be able to have a match to settle their differences in the near future.