WWE’s Drew McIntyre reveals the biggest difference between Cody Rhodes and CM Punk ahead of the Royal Rumble

After getting into it on the microphone with Cody Rhodes and CM Punk over the past few weeks, it's understandable that Drew McIntyre is feeling like he's being attacked from all angles heading into the final RAW before the Royal Rumble.

Now firmly out of the realm of being a babyface, with the line between anti-hero and downright heel blurring more and more with each passing week, McIntyre's desire to become the next World Heavyweight Champion or Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, if for no other reason than to justify all of the sacrifices he's experienced over the past few years, has only continued to grow with each passing week, going so far as to team with Judgment Day in the pursuit of a competitive advantage.

So, before making an appearance at the go-home edition of RAW, McIntyre decided to cut one heck of a promo for social media, where he used his unlimited time limit to shoot on Damian Priest, praise Matt Cardona, and reveal the biggest difference between Cody Rhodes and CM Punk as they both take aim at the belts he wants.

“I've just arrived in my hotel. Early hours of the morning for RAW tomorrow. I've seen a full-grown man at the airport with his jeans around his ankles peeing like a child. I could have done without that. But anyway, we're six days to the Rumble, and our champion's potentially hurt. Seth, you gotta be careful when you call yourself a workhorse. The thing about workhorses is if you run too hard, and you ain't actually one, you get an injured wheel that will put you down, buddy. But that's a what if, not a what is. Let's talk about what is,” Drew McIntyre demanded via Fightful.

“Let's talk about last week, myself and Cody getting the chance to catch up. Former tag team champions of the world, the Dashing Ones. Once again, Google it if you don't believe it's a real thing. When we were younger, we really thought we could have done more within the system. Maybe we could have. But stepping outside the system, getting our heads screwed on right, getting perspective, helped us become the men we are today. I set the blueprint, redefined what it meant to be an independent wrestler. Cody, he took it, put his spin on it, created a lot of jobs for a lot of our friends. Now, Matt Cardona is taking it in his own unique direction, which is awesome. But I still stand by everything else that I said. I think what we're seeing is a very clever act developed outside the company instead of the real person. The wolf in politician's clothing. The gratitude is real, the work ethic is real. All the other stuff, I don't know. I guess prove me wrong. But I'd much rather the silver tongue than Punk's poisonous one.”

“Now, Priest, you idiot. One, stop wearing Rhea's clothes. Two, once again, why didn't you wait until I beat Seth, and I was champion, and I was weakened to cash in? Why do you think you keep failing? Actually, maybe three, maybe I should take that briefcase from you and restore its credibility. Mate, I'm gonna beat you. But bias aside, I do see you as an important player in my vision for RAW, and I admire anyone that picks a fight with me. But you need to learn it's not all about all rising. It's about falling in line. It's about trusting someone who's led multiple companies, including this one. Your next world champion. Take it easy.”

Whoa, whoa, whoa, is McIntyre cutting such a comprehensive, biting promo on social media because WWE wants to add even more intrigue to his position in the 2024 Royal Rumble, or is this a classic case of a performer trying to build hype themselves because he isn't being pushed the way he wants to on television, something that has served performers like Xavier Woods very well in the past? Either way, it would appear McIntyre is even more of a performer to watch in the 2024 Royal Rumble, which, considering his status as a top-5 potential winner already, is really saying something.

Cody Rhodes reveals why he wants to win the big one in Philadelphia.

Speaking of Cody Rhodes and his desire to win the 2024 Royal Rumble so he can “finish the story” at WrestleMania 40, the coverstar of WWE 2K24 stopped by Sports Illustrated to talk about his big accomplishment and revealed a surprising reason why he explicitly wants to win the big one in the City of Brotherly Love.

“I'm looking at WrestleMania 40–in my favorite city to wrestle, right next to Wells Fargo Center, where the fans decided to get behind me at a random Money in the Bank–wrestling in front of fans from all over the world, that's a good place to be,” Cody Rhodes told Justin Barrasso. “It's going to be special. I'm looking forward to celebrating 40 years of WrestleMania, especially because it's in Philly.”

While Rhodes won't be wrestling in front of a fanbase fresh off of winning the Super Bowl, as his team in 2023, the Philadelphia Eagles, have been eliminated from playoff consideration, that history does matter a ton to a noted wrestling mythology nerd like the “American Nightmare,” as that's largely the reason why he's gunning for the WWE Championship instead of the World Heavyweight Championship in the first place.