WWE's Drew McIntyre Addresses Bad Blood Main Event Status, CM Punk's Obsession, and More

WWE's Bad Blood Premium Live Event is happening next week in Atlanta, and few rivalries are as fitting of that title as the one between Drew McIntyre and CM Punk . McIntyre and Punk have been at each other's throats for much of the year, with Punk costing McIntyre numerous Championship opportunities and McIntyre attacking Punk multiple times. It's all led to what promises to be a brutal Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood, and ComicBook had the chance to catch up with McIntyre ahead of their anticipated battle. Throughout the conversation , McIntyre talked about restoring the meaning to Hell in a Cell, being the true main event of Bad Blood, Punk's obsession with taking him down, and the effect their rivalry has had on McIntyre along the way.

All Consuming Hatred

First McIntyre addressed Punk's recent comments that he's become obsessed with the rivalry with McIntyre, and Drew is actually happy about it. "Yeah, I mean, I'm glad to hear that he's obsessed with me and it's all he thinks about because it's the only chance he's going to have against me. He's consuming himself with how on earth am I going to beat a guy that is bigger, stronger, faster, younger, better looking, better at everything on planet Earth than me, so he has to be obsessed," McIntyre said. "But at the same time I'd be lying, and I don't lie, that's more of a Punk kind of thing, if I didn't say it has somewhat consumed me as well."

"And I talked about it a little bit on Monday, that I don't go into my personal stuff too much. I'm usually focused on a greater cause, but Punk got pretty deep the week before, so I went a little deeper to point out that my family is concerned about not just the match, but what this has been doing to me," McIntyre said. "My wife has been a little worried about not just what it's doing to me mentally, but how it's affecting my time home. And, you know, when I re-signed with the company I told her, don't worry, it's going to be fun from here on out. I'm at a different stage of my career. You're going to feel number one all the time, and he made me a liar. It has consumed me. The hatred has consumed me, and she's been a distant number two, and I'm so sorry for that. But it's the truth that it has to end because hatred long term is not healthy, and it all ends at Hell in the Cell."

A Battle Worthy of Hell in a Cell

This sort of rivalry is a brilliant fit for a Hell in a Cell match and brings to mind the kind of scores that are supposed to be settled in that sort of atmosphere. While it doesn't make the beatdown he expects to give to Punk any different, McIntyre is happy that there's some mystique being restored to the concept, as it had become pretty diluted in the past.

"No, I put him down in a straight singles match, back alley brawl or any kind of match, but it is what Hell in a Cell was designed for. It was so stupid that we had a PLE called Hell in the Cell. A couple of guys would have a random cell match. A couple of girls would have a random Hell in the Cell match, just because that's the name of the PLE. I had one with Randy Orton. That was justified when we're in, you know, a blood feud at the time, but every other, like the other match I had with Lashley, not justified," McIntyre said.

"So many matches I saw at Hell in the Cell just for the sake of having a cell match. Just wasted the cell, which was known as literally the last resort. And now to get away from it for a while, to keep it away as it is such a dangerous match," McIntyre said. "It had some mystique. Let it build that mystique back up. Let a story build that Punk and I built organically through a genuine dislike for each other, but also professionally, we're very good at our jobs. But it got to the point where, how do we finish this? I know how. Hell in the Cell, the last resort, a true blood feud. A true blood feud ending well."

The Next Chapter and Main Event Status

McIntyre and Punk have already had one of the most thrilling feuds of the year, but if it all ends at Bad Blood, what's next for McIntyre? "Next for me is what it's always been about. I didn't come to WWE 17 years ago, never mind the work I've done over the past few years, to make up the numbers. I came to eat them up, to be number one, and this past year, I have been World Champion for five minutes and 46 seconds and lost it because of Punk. I've won Money in the Bank and then cashed it in and got screwed out of the world title because of Punk," McIntyre said. "I went to Scotland for the first ever PLE in Scotland in WWE history, in the main event where it all began. Perfect moment to become World Champion, and it got screwed by Punk. Three times in one calendar year, I've been cheated out of the World Championship."

"So, yeah, maybe I get my hands on that World Title finally and have a significant run with it finally. With people in the crowd, maybe finally," McIntyre said. "It was a necessity for the time, and I'm proud of what we did to give people that escape and myself being the flagbearer and the one that stepped up. It's not exactly how I dreamt of it as a kid, so I'd like to finally get that run."

McIntyre is ready for what's next, but don't get it twisted, he is in the main event of Bad Blood. "So let's get Punk in the rearview mirror. Let's let people make documentaries about it. They'll talk about us together for the rest of time because of these last ten months. Ten months in a modern story may as well be ten years. People's attention spans, especially to keep them as interested as they've been, we'll always be associated with each other into the future. But I can't have the end of that story being the Punk one, and he won't win. And we are the true main event of Bad Blood. Whatever I keep reading online, whatever might materialize, I don't know. I always speak my mind, but I know the fans know this is the real main event of Bad Blood," McIntyre said.

Bad Blood streams live on Peacock on October 5th at 6 PM EST.

What do you want to see next for McIntyre after Bad Blood? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!