Top WWE Superstar reportedly upset over WrestleMania 41 plans

WWE is officially on The Road to WrestleMania 41 after Saturday's explosive Royal Rumble PLE. The fireworks were expected inside Lucas Oil Stadium but not backstage in the locker room. Sources are now opening up on what fueled the Royal Rumble behind-the-scenes incident, why a top WWE Superstar is so heated, and what the future holds with WrestleMania Vegas.

Drew McIntyre entered the 38th annual Royal Rumble as the 17th entrant. He lasted 26:55 before being tossed out by Damian Priest as the 21st elimination. Drew had zero eliminations of his own but reportedly stormed out of the stadium after The Rumble, according to backstage reports from last night. It was noted that McIntyre was not happy with a certain wrestler who just "had to get their moves in" at the expense of other stories being told in the match.

The Scottish Psychopath was seen "screaming and cursing" when he returned backstage, and after venting, he made a scene by storming out of the venue and was already gone long before the main event ended. It was reported that something went wrong with McIntyre's elimination, with some observers pointing to how the actual sequence seemed rushed. Later reports noted how many others were upset over the matter backstage as this wrestler was accused of focusing on getting himself over and not the actual match. It was said that the name of this superstar will likely come out soon, but it could not be confirmed by multiple sources at that point. People backstage also claimed this was not an angle.

The Scottish Warrior was reportedly calmed down by family backstage at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday night, according to a new report from Mail Sport. It was reiterated that Drew vented his frustrations backstage and that these issues are "very real," not a part of a storyline.

The Archer of Infamy has not been named as the other WWE Superstar as of this writing, but all signs point to Priest being the culprit. Mail Sport reports that McIntyre vs. Priest is a planned feud heading into WrestleMania 41. The bout was described as a "nothing match" by one source.

McIntyre is apparently down on the idea as well. It was noted that the veteran grappler feels like he deserves a more prominent program for The Grandest Stage of Them All, as he just had the most successful year of his career. McIntyre was lauded for his recent rivalry with CM Punk, noted the Daily Mail report. It was also acknowledged how the former TNA World Champion received immense praise for his recent character work and for his ability to consistently perform at a high level in the ring.

It wasn't clear if Drew vs. Damian is actually planned for WWE's Show of Shows or just WrestleMania 41 Season. Night Two of 'Mania XL in 2024 opened with McIntyre capturing the World Heavyweight Championship from Seth Rollins. Priest immediately cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to nix the reign. Priest later retained over McIntyre in front of his hometown at Clash at the Castle: Scotland.

WWE RAW to feature Elimination Chamber build

Drew McIntyre is hoping for a big WrestleMania 41 spot, and that journey will continue on this week's RAW from Cleveland and perhaps SmackDown in Memphis. Drew secured his WrestleMania 40 spot last year by winning the Men's Elimination Chamber, and now he may have the chance to repeat history.

WWE has announced that qualifying matches for the two upcoming Elimination Chamber matches will begin on RAW. No participants were announced for the qualifiers, but they will continue on SmackDown. The big Elimination Chamber PLE is set for February 1 from Toronto.

McIntyre and his rumored next opponent, Damian Priest, are not currently advertised for Monday's live RAW but are expected. Priest was recently moved to the blue brand, while McIntyre remains on the red team. WWE has also announced that Rumble winners Jey Uso and Charlotte Flair will be on RAW.