Drew McIntyre Chooses Tougher WWE Rival Between CM Punk & Cody Rhodes

Published: Mar 6, 2026 by Connel Rumsey | Last Updated: Mar 6, 2026 by Connel Rumsey

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Drew McIntyre Chooses Tougher WWE Rival Between CM Punk & Cody Rhodes

Undisputed WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has named the tougher WWE rival of his between CM Punk and Cody Rhodes.

Drew McIntyre has been in bitter rivalries with both CM Punk and Cody Rhodes in recent years, with him facing off against Punk inside Hell In A Cell at Bad Blood in 2024, and facing Cody Rhodes in Three Stages of Hell on SmackDown on January 9.

Speaking on Graps The Podcast, Drew was asked who his tougher adversary was between Punk and Rhodes.

Drew explained why each man is tough in their own way, saying:

“I mean, Punk is the worst human being on planet Earth. So, I can start with that. He’s a genuinely horrible, horrible person. I won’t take away his toughness, Cody as well, they can take an absolute beating like no other, and I’ve gave them absolutely everything, and I’ve kept trying to fight back.

“In the end, Punk defeated me at Hell in the Cell, not because he was a better man, but because of severe blood loss and I was breaking my back on the steps, and eventually, we’ll have another showdown where I take him down.

“For Cody, he’s a little different in the sense that I know how good he is, I know how great he is, and he could just rely on his talent. Go on that. I don’t know why he just has to be the golden boy, has to take every little shortcut he can, whether it’s on screen, off screen, and play this big smiley guy. I know part of that is really him, but I know part of it is not him, and I just wish he would just rely on his talent rather than feeling like I’m fighting him and fighting everybody else behind the scenes.

“And it’s not just me saying it to, steal one from Becky Lynch, it’s everyone else saying it. It’s Sami Zayn saying it. It’s the rest of the roster saying it. So if I say it, suddenly it’s lies, gf everyone else says it, it’s suddenly the truth, right? Or maybe, just maybe, I’ve been telling the truth all along. You should just look at the facts. Number one fact being this is a breach of contract.”

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Drew is set to defend the championship against Cody on tonight’s episode of SmackDown, which he calls a ‘breach of contract’.