Drew McIntyre’s Crown Jewel Return Ruled Out By UK Boxing Appearance

Drew McIntyre will not be making his long-awaited WWE return at Crown Jewel on November 7, with a new scheduling conflict putting that theory to rest.

McIntyre has been away from WWE television for six months, last appearing at WrestleMania 42 Night One, where he lost to Jacob Fatu in an Unsanctioned Match. Since then, he has been tied up filming roles in the upcoming films “Highlander” and “The Last Druid.” With those commitments now finished, speculation about his comeback has ramped up, and Crown Jewel seemed like a logical target given that several of his biggest past rivals are advertised for the Saudi Arabia show.

That theory has now been dashed. The WWE UK Twitter account confirmed McIntyre will instead appear at a Zuffa Boxing event at the Copper Box Arena in London on the same night as Crown Jewel, sharing the bill with Raw’s Bayley. VIP meet-and-greet packages for the appearance are already on sale. Notably, Finn Balor had originally been slated for that same boxing appearance alongside Bayley, but McIntyre now appears to have taken his place.

While the news closes the door on a Crown Jewel return, it doesn’t necessarily mean McIntyre is far from the ring. If anything, being pulled into a separate UK promotional booking suggests WWE is actively planning around him rather than treating him as an afterthought, which could point to an in-ring comeback sometime after November 7.

The bigger question now is where that return makes the most sense. SmackDown, McIntyre’s home brand, is already stacked with main-event-level talent, which makes a pivot to Raw an intriguing possibility — especially with The Bloodline still prominent there. McIntyre has unfinished business with that faction dating back to Clash at the Castle 2022, when Solo Sikoa’s interference cost him the Undisputed WWE Championship in front of his home crowd in Cardiff. A redemption arc built around settling that score, potentially leading to a program with Roman Reigns, would give McIntyre’s eventual return real emotional stakes.

There’s also the matter of Raw’s current top storylines involving Reigns, Bron Breakker’s group, and whatever direction WWE takes Reigns’ push to “right the wrongs” of his first Undisputed Title reign. Slotting McIntyre into that mix, even as a steppingstone before a bigger program, would give him a meaningful account to settle rather than just a random reinsertion into the roster.

None of that is confirmed, of course — for now, all that’s certain is McIntyre has other plans for November 7. But between wrapping his film work and already being pulled into WWE-adjacent promotional appearances, the pieces continue to point toward a return sooner rather than later. Fans will just have to wait a bit longer to see exactly how WWE chooses to bring “The Scottish Warrior” back into the fold.

⚔️ @DMcIntyreWWE is officially joining @itsBayleyWWE at @Zuffa_Boxing 12 in London on November 7th! 🙌

🎟️🤝 Get your VIP Meet & Greet tickets here ➡️ https://t.co/GUPZTet9mP pic.twitter.com/gtXuKXlSPc

— WWE UK & Ireland (@WWEUK) October 24, 2026