Drew McIntyre Absent from WWE RAW in Portland Due to Creative Decision

Drew McIntyre will not be appearing on September 16, 2024 episode of WWE Raw in Portland, Oregon. The absence of McIntyre is reportedly a “creative choice made by the company.”

Last week, it was speculated that McIntyre might be absent from Raw to attend the premiere of his upcoming film, The Killer’s Game. However, he was ultimately required by WWE to travel to Raw, where he appeared in Calgary, Alberta to participate in a live segment with Adam Pearce, setting up his Hell in a Cell match with CM Punk at the upcoming WWE Bad Blood premium live event.

PWInsider Elite reports that McIntyre’s absence from tonight’s show is not due to any personal reasons but is instead a deliberate creative decision. Meanwhile, CM Punk is scheduled to appear on tonight’s episode of Raw, where he is expected to further build his feud with McIntyre and continue the setup for their Hell in a Cell match.

McIntyre and Punk have already faced off in two matches, with McIntyre winning at WWE SummerSlam—where Seth Rollins served as a special guest referee—and Punk securing a victory in a Strap Match at Bash in Berlin. The upcoming Hell in a Cell match at WWE Bad Blood on October 5, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia, will serve as the third match in their intense rivalry.

WWE RAW Lineup for September 16th, 2024 Episode:

• WWE World Tag Team Championship: Finn Balor & JD McDonagh (c) vs Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods.
• Bronson Reed vs. Braun Strowman
• Damian Priest vs. Dominik Mysterio
• CM Punk appearance
• Nataya vs. Zoey Stark

Ringside News will be providing live play-by-play coverage of this week’s show over in our WWE Monday Night RAW coverage hub. It promises to be a memorable episode for many reasons, so it remains to be seen how the episode will turn out.

What are your thoughts on McIntyre’s absence from WWE Raw and his ongoing feud with CM Punk? Let us know in the comments!