“I Injured Punk, Sacrificed Myself”: Drew McIntyre Explains Why He’s the Reason for Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40

WWE continued to build the path to the Elimination Chamber on tonight’s edition of Friday Night SmackDown. As soon as the show began, Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce revealed the company’s plans for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XL after Cody Rhodes chose Roman Reigns as his opponent in the big event.

The two GMs announced a series of qualifying matches that will pit Raw and SmackDown superstars against each other for the six spots in the Elimination Chamber. And in the first qualifier match, Drew McIntyre earned his ticket in the first match of the night, beating AJ Styles with a Claymore after LA Knight distracted “The Phenomenal One.” In a backstage interview after the match, the Scotsman laid out his thoughts on winning the championship and how he was the catalyst behind Rhodes vs. Reigns.

Drew McIntyre’s big reveal

In the backstage segment, McIntyre was asked what qualifying for the Elimination Chamber meant for him after he defeated AJ Styles to secure the position. And while he did reveal that it is finally his moment to get the title for himself, he also revealed why he is the reason Cody Rhodes will face Roman Reigns. He stated, “The Cody Rhodes situation I talked about, I injured Punk in the rumble, sacrificed myself so Cody could finish his story. He messed around for a bit; I had to mess him up a bit, so he made the right decision. Seth tried to be selfish and forced Cody to go with him. And that’s not what the fans wanted, and I always want to give the fans what they want. If I have to take the hard way to the main event at WrestleMania, that’s what I’m gonna do.”

He further went on to add why he is the right candidate to dethrone Seth Rollins and that winning the Elimination Chamber wouldn’t be much of an issue. He said, “If I have to beat everybody in the Elimination Chamber again, which I have done before, I know how to do that. That’s what I’m gonna do, and I’m gonna finally get that moment because I don’t deserve it; I’ve earned it.”

But McIntyre forgot that there was another person who just qualified to be a part of the Chamber. Randy Orton, starred in the main event of the night alongside Sami Zayn. The two fought a very even fight, with the Canadian close to achieving victory at times, but an RKO out of nowhere ended all resistance. At the end of the match, McIntyre appeared on the scene to face one of the most dangerous opponents he will have to deal with inside the steel structure. So maybe the path to WrestleMania isn’t that easy for the Scottish Warrior.

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WWE Elimination Chamber: Perth will take place on Saturday, February 24 from the Optum Stadium in Perth, Australia. Fans will be able to witness this event live from the venue or through its broadcast on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network internationally.

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