Triple H to bring back ex-WWE star for WrestleMania 41 match against Drew McIntyre? Analyzing the chances

WWE will present its 41st annual WrestleMania in just over two months. The rumor mill continues to run wild on potential surprises, debuts, returns, and swerves. Triple H is said to be keen on bringing back several notable stars, including some who have been with AEW. There's now talk of a certain superstar returning to battle Drew McIntyre.

The Scottish Psychopath opened Night Two of WrestleMania 40 by dethroning Seth Rollins of the World Heavyweight Championship, only to immediately lose the strap to Damian Priest via Money in the Bank cash-in. Recent rumors had Priest vs. McIntyre happening at WrestleMania 41 this year, and this did not go over well with fans, or McIntyre, according to backstage reports.

The Men's Royal Rumble Match included a mishap with McIntyre's elimination, which brought backstage heat from various people. The botched angle was supposed to set up Priest vs. McIntyre at WrestleMania Vegas. Still, word came out that McIntyre was upset with another superstar involved in the debacle, later reported to be LA Knight, who is a member of SmackDown, where Drew was recently sent from RAW. Due to the negative feedback, a bigger WrestleMania opponent for McIntyre could be someone he has a lengthy history with: Malakai Black (fka Aleister Black).

Sources indicate WWE officials still have plans for McIntyre vs. Priest on SmackDown. There are also plans to still do McIntyre vs. Cody Rhodes at some point after the match was nixed in 2023 when The American Nightmare's creative direction was changed. Despite at least some future feuds in the works for McIntyre, it's still clear that the former TNA World Champion could use a few high-profile feuds to carry him through the year.

The Sinister Scotsman once formed a tag team The Dutch Destroyer, who is still rumored to be headed back to World Wrestling Entertainment. The international grapplers also locked up with championship gold on the line. The first-ever meeting between Black and McIntyre came on April 26, 2015, at an ICW event in the UK. The 15-minute main event saw Drew retain the ICW World Heavyweight Championship, and six months later, Drew and Jack Jester teamed up to defeat Black and Jimmy Havoc at another ICW event. Then in January 2016, McIntyre and Johnny Gargano defeated Black and Kassius Ohno to capture the vacant EVOLVE Tag Team Championship.

The Anti-Hero and The Chosen One teamed up in 2017 while both were on the WWE NXT brand. The veteran fan favorites won 10 non-televised live event matches, defeating teams like Andrade and The Velveteen Dream, The Forgotten Sons, and others. Their last outing was at a live event in Riverside, CA on November 11, 2017: a win over Andrade and Velveteen.

Black has been rumored to leave AEW for a WWE return, going back months. Tony Khan recently removed the former House of Black leader from the public AEW roster, indicating that the WWE comeback of Aleister Black could be imminent. With negative reactions already flooding in to potential WrestleMania plans for McIntyre, it's possible we could see McIntyre vs. Black on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Released WWE star rumored to head to AEW

World Wrestling Entertainment made another round of talent releases this past week, and Cedric Alexander unfortunately made the list. He had been with the company since June 2016.

Alexander was previously a member of The Hurt Business in WWE, with MVP, Bobby Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin. Now known as The Hurt Syndicate, the trio are all in AEW and have been there since their WWE departures. Alexander is now rumored to join them in the near future.

Lashley and Benjamin recently captured the AEW World Tag Team Championship from Private Party. Their first title defense will come on Wednesday's Dynamite against The Gunns.