According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter , by way of Sportskeeda , Drew McIntyre could still walk out of SummerSlam with his WWE Championship.
Meltzer noted how there were plans in place for Orton to walk away with the title. “The Viper” will have a rubber match with Edge at some point, and officials toyed with the idea of having the two veterans compete for the top prize.
However, the belief is that Orton is more than established as a main eventer and doesn’t need a title. That’s also true for Edge, who is a Hall of Famer with numerous championship reigns under his belt already.
McIntyre, meanwhile, only won the championship for the first time this year, and the company seems intent on pushing him as a top babyface. He also dominated Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania to claim the prize, which was no small feat.
The journalist also noted that McIntyre has been booked strongly during his run, which suggests that officials are happy with his performances. Vince McMahon is reportedly keen to push new stars as well, and putting the prize on Orton for the 14th time could be counterproductive to these plans.
That could still happen, however. As The Inquisitr recently reported, there have been rumors of Orton walking away with the gold. Some pundits have even speculated that his recent attack on former manager Ric Flair could have been a swerve in order to create an upset at this Sunday’s show.
As The Inquisitr report documented, there are supposedly plans in place to make Flair a fixture on weekly television for the foreseeable future. If that’s the case, it’s possible that he’ll continue to align with “The Viper.”
The original report also highlighted how McIntyre has defeated the majority of the heels on the red brand roster. A victory over Orton could solidify his reign as one of the best champions in recent memory. At the same time, having Orton pick up the win could create a host of fresh match-ups against current babyfaces.
According to Meltzer, this match will be telling in regard to the company’s future direction. Keeping the title on McIntyre would support McMahon’s claim that the product will be more fresh and youthful moving forward.
However, the upcoming Draft will also give McIntyre some fresh heels to overcome. As recalled by Wrestling-Edge , Triple H has confirmed that the Draft will happen in the near future.
