Reported update on Drew McIntyre after 'career-threatening' injury on WWE RAW

According to a report from Wrestling News Co, Drew McIntyre is expected to make his return to WWE programming after Sunday’s Payback pay-per-view, as opposed to at the event itself, to continue his rivalry with Randy Orton.

“We were told that the current plan is for McIntyre to return sometime after the Payback show to set up the rematch with Orton for Clash of Champions on 9/27.”

After retaining his WWE Championship against Orton in a 20-minute match at SummerSlam, Drew McIntyre was viciously attacked by The Viper on the post-SummerSlam episode of WWE RAW.

Hasn't @DMcIntyreWWE learned by now ... you'll never see it coming?#WWERaw @RandyOrton pic.twitter.com/zRnHeBNyxn

— WWE (@WWE) August 25, 2020

The first attack, which began on the entrance ramp before continuing backstage, saw Orton deliver two punt kicks to the WWE Champion.

Later in the show, Drew McIntyre attacked Orton to cause a disqualification in the 13-time World Champion’s match against RAW debutant Keith Lee.

Moments later, Orton hit Drew McIntyre with another punt kick backstage, causing him to suffer severe storyline injuries.

Drew McIntyre’s storyline injuries

.@RandyOrton will not stop. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/piRIbNPxtE

— WWE (@WWE) August 25, 2020

WWE.com reported that Drew McIntyre may have suffered a skull fracture and possible bleeding to his brain after the brutal attack, while it was also claimed that the Scot’s storyline injuries were “potentially career-threatening”.

It has since been announced that Randy Orton and Keith Lee will have a rematch at the upcoming Payback event on August 30, with Drew McIntyre not involved in a match on the show.

What’s next for WWE Champion Drew McIntyre?

As the report suggested, it appears that Randy Orton will quickly move on from facing Keith Lee by challenging Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship again at Clash of Champions on September 27.

Drew McIntyre told Sportskeeda’s Riju Dasgupta shortly before his current storyline began that he wanted to work with Orton because he views the former Evolution member as one of the few Superstars on the WWE roster who can pull him up to the next level.

Check out the interview in the video above.