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Drew McIntyre Receives Unfortunate Update Amid WWE Hiatus

Drew McIntyre Receives Unfortunate Update Amid WWE Hiatus

Newsweek3 days ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Drew McIntyre has been absent from WWE television since May. A new report suggests his return is not expected to happen soon.
McIntyre has been missing since his Steel Cage Match against Damian Priest at Saturday Night's Main Event. That match appears to have been the conclusion of their long-running feud.
Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest got into a brutal Steel Cage match at Saturday Night Main Event.#SNMEpic.twitter.com/GGiNAKvNJ8 — Oneily Arena (@OneilyArena) May 25, 2025
No Immediate Plans For McIntyre's Return
According to WrestleVotes, there are no creative plans in place for Drew McIntyre. This indicates his hiatus from the company will continue.
Speaking on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, the outlet noted that McIntyre's return is not imminent. However, his absence is being felt on the show.
WrestleVotes stated that when McIntyre does return, he should be put back into the main event scene. "Nothing on the pipeline recently, which tells me it's not imminent," they reported.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 11: Drew McIntyre talks to the crowd during WWE Monday Night RAW at Toyota Center on March 11, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 11: Drew McIntyre talks to the crowd during WWE Monday Night RAW at Toyota Center on March 11, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
Alex Bierens"When he's ready, if I was booking, I'd put him right on the top," the report continued (H/T to TJRWrestling.net). "I think the guy deserves it and you could tell, when he's not on TV, like as of late, the show is lacking a little bit."
More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation
McIntyre On Real-Life Issues With CM Punk
Before his feud with Priest, McIntyre was in a heated rivalry with CM Punk. The two stars competed in three high-profile matches.
In a recent interview, McIntyre addressed the nature of their feud. He acknowledged that there was genuine animosity between them.
He admitted to a real-life dislike for Punk. However, he also stated that personal issues do not have to interfere with business.
McIntyre believes their rivalry was proof that personal tension can enhance storytelling. He noted this is possible when both performers are great at what they do.
McIntyre's career is a story of redemption and main event success. During his first WWE run, he was dubbed "The Chosen One" and captured both the Intercontinental and WWE Tag Team Championships.
After being released, he reinvented himself on the independent circuit, most notably winning the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
He returned to WWE in 2017, where his career ascended to new heights. McIntyre is a two-time WWE Champion, a one-time World Heavyweight Champion, and a former NXT Champion. His crowning moment came after winning the 2020 Men's Royal Rumble, leading him to defeat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36.
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For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.

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Exclusive: Bonnie Blue on Feminism, Consent and Online Hate
Exclusive: Bonnie Blue on Feminism, Consent and Online Hate

Newsweek

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  • Newsweek

Exclusive: Bonnie Blue on Feminism, Consent and Online Hate

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. If you've been on the internet in the past 12 months, then you've most likely heard the name Bonnie Blue. The 26-year-old British sex worker launched her OnlyFans account in 2023 and quickly became notorious online, thanks to installing herself on college campuses in the U.K. and Australia and sleeping with what she described as "barely legal" 18- and 19-year-olds. The men in question would provide proof of age and fill in consent forms, and Blue would then upload content onto OnlyFans, an online content-sharing platform that can be used to share any kind of content, such as photos, recipes and writing, but is particularly popular among sex workers. Although the men have reached the legal age of consent, outrage has ensued. Some of the young men have lost their virginity to Blue on screen, and concerns have been raised regarding both consent in this context, and the implications of this kind of sexual activity for young men. In an exclusive interview with Newsweek, Bonnie Blue discussed consent, feminism and how she deals with online hate. In an exclusive interview with Newsweek, Bonnie Blue discussed consent, feminism and how she deals with online hate. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva/Instagram Toward the end of 2024, Blue, a mere year into her adult film career, had received death threats, been deported from Fiji and faced a petition to be banned from Australia. But things hit fever pitch in January of 2025 when Blue reached the height of virality after claiming to have slept with 1,057 men in 12 hours. Since then, she's become a fixture in the tabloid press and faced mounting scrutiny online, most recently receiving a permanent ban from OnlyFans. She also made it across the pond to do a tour of America, starting out in Las Vegas and then heading to Houston to appear on The Isiah Factor Uncensored. Whether you love her or hate her, it's no secret that in an attention economy, notoriety and virality are lucrative currencies. And Blue has ensured one thing with her content: you probably know her name. But who actually is Bonnie Blue? Newsweek spoke to the woman behind the headlines for an exclusive interview, where she discussed consent, feminism and how she deals with online hate. 'I wouldn't say I'm not a feminist' Blue's ascent to fame comes at a critical and complex moment for gender politics, both online and offline. In the 2010s, the internet was dominated by so-called Girlboss feminism, body positivity and the watershed of the #MeToo movement. The 2020s though, have seen a shift toward conservatism, and the embrace of traditional gender roles for women is becoming more mainstream. Things are incredibly polarized. On one side, you'll find women who say they found ultimate peace in their role as homemaker, and the surge of the so-called "trad wife." On the other, you'll find women who say they've found ultimate empowerment through sex work. Blue sits in the latter camp. "I wouldn't say I'm not a feminist," she tells Newsweek over a video interview. "I do believe women should have a voice and they should be in control," she says. "A lot of people say I actually bring women back 100 years, but I'm a clear example of a lady that's taken full control of the body." Blue continues. "This is to a certain degree, what feminism has asked for, a woman that can take control. I don't feel intimidated by men. I'm actually paid more than guys in my industry. I have a complete voice and I don't ever feel taken advantage of." The debate over sex work is one that has long raged, but thanks to the rise of OnlyFans and stars like Blue, it's made its way out of fringe feminist circles and into the mainstream. A quick search on TikTok or Instagram will soon throw up hundreds of videos debating whether or not sex work is empowering or oppressive. Such videos regularly receive hundreds of thousands of views. So too do videos by actual sex workers. Though their income is made on content that sits behind paywalls, in 2025 we're in an era of sex work social media marketing, where sex workers build prominent profiles on platforms like Instagram and TikTok to boost engagement on their paid-for content. But while this content is booming on social media algorithms, public opinion remains split. In 2020, an analysis from left-leaning think tank Data for Progress found that 52 percent of respondents said they strongly or somewhat supported decriminalization of sex work, compared with 35 percent who opposed it and 13 percent who were unsure. As for the rise of the tradwife phenomenon? Blue told Newsweek:" I don't think you have to be submissive." Blue said she knows people whose preference is to be a stay-at-home mum, doing cooking, cleaning and being given "rules" by their partner. "As long as you enjoy that, that makes you happy. I don't care that you don't want to go to work. I don't care that you don't want to feel empowered," Blue said. "But also, if a woman wants to leave the partner because the partner's being controlling and they want to earn their own money, they want to become a sex worker or they want to become a CEO of a business, then go and do that because we're in a world where you can," she added. "Women are in power, and you need to take advantage of that," Blue told Newsweek. 'I'm not a predator, I'm not a groomer' At the time of reporting, a Google search for the term "Bonnie Blue predator," yields 1.6 million results, while "Bonnie Blue groomer," yields a further 1.3 million. Concerns that Blue is furthering rape culture, and a broader culture of violence against women, have been dominant in the media since she first rose to public prominence. But one specific incident has poured gasoline on the fire. Blue was planning to organize a "petting zoo," where she would, in her words "be tied up in a glass box" with members of the public invited to go and "use" her however they saw fit. Her aim was to break her own world record and sleep with 2,000 men. A TikTok from the account @ainsleycaresalot about the petting zoo has the text overlay "Bonnie Blue's petting zoo makes me sick. This is setting women back 100 years. Its teaching men that we are just here for their pleasure,"and has has been viewed 3 million times as of reporting. A post on X, formerly Twitter, from @paniniboy7 which referred to the petting zoo as "terrifying" and calls Blue a "danger to society" has been viewed 12.5 million times. A TikTok edit from the account @definehertruth that shows Blue speaking about the petting zoo cut next to footage of women's rights marches has been viewed over 15 million times. "I get blamed for rape culture a lot, especially at the moment," Blue told Newsweek. "There's been people that have been raped," which Blue described as "terrible" before adding that said people have "spoken out and saying they blame me for their rape." "I look at that and I'm like, I'm not responsible, I wasn't the one that raped you," she said. "I get called predator all the time, and groomer. I sleep with 18-year-olds," Blue said. "I'm not a predator, I'm not a groomer." The fallout over the petting zoo came just before Blue was permanently banned from OnlyFans. In a statement given to the British outlet Metro, an OnlyFans spokesperson said: "Extreme challenge content is not available on OnlyFans and is not permitted under our Acceptable Use Policy and Terms of Service. Any breach of our Terms of Service results in content or account deactivation... This is why it has been necessary to take this action. We always act when users breach our terms of service." Speaking to Newsweek, Blue denied having broken any of OnlyFans terms and conditions. OnlyFans did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this article. Would she ever consider creating her own platform? "Possibly," she told Newsweek. But her next step is switching to Fansly, a platform she described as being "more sex worker friendly." "Fansly will be much better suited for me short term and long term, because they're proud of the sex workers." Addressing the criticism she has faced, Blue told Newsweek: "When you're a sex worker, you get hate, regardless. 'You're disgusting, you're a prostitute, s***, w*****,' you get it all anyway." Blue also addressed a recent rumor that has circulated about her. "I've got loads of hate saying I'm transgender," she said. Google Trends data shows that searches for "Bonnie Blue trans," began in December of 2024, but skyrocketed in mid-June, after a post went viral on X from the account @BrockRiddickIFB claiming that Blue was a transgender woman and used to go by the name of Kyle Butler. "I just look at that and think, how can I be offended? How can I be taking your comments to heart? Because I'm not transgender," she said. "So why should I be bothered that so many uneducated people are just going to make up rumors?" Blue added: "If the hate comments was valid and they had facts behind them, I'd probably be offended. But when it is just coming from poorly, uneducated people that know nothing about me, I'm like, how can I be hurt by them? I just find them entertaining." When asked if her content falls into the genre of rage bait, a tactic used to elicit online outrage to increase traffic and engagement, she told Newsweek: "I'm purposely playing it for sure." 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Asked what responsibility she has to her audience, Blue told Newsweek "consent." "Discussing consent, discussing, what's OK, what's not OK," she said. "Before I've met someone, when I meet someone during the video, during any intercourse with someone, I'll be like, are you OK or you enjoying this? Are you having a good time, let me know if you're comfortable," she said. Blue told Newsweek that consent is the "most important thing."

WWE Night Of Champions Full Card - What Time Does It Start?
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WWE Night Of Champions Full Card - What Time Does It Start?

US wrestler John Cena holds his championship belt in the ring during a presentation on the eve of ... More his match for the undisputed WWE Championship against CM Punk at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on June 27, 2025. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images) The next WWE premium live event is here. Night of Champions is an old-school WWE event, but it has changed quite a bit over the years. Here's an answer to the most compelling questions about the 2025 version of is WWE Night of Champions 2025? The event takes place on Saturday, June 28. WWE kicked off the weekend with a special episode of Friday Night SmackDown, which saw the last layers of hype for the biggest matches on Saturday's card. In addition to the normal go-home content, we also saw a new Women's U.S. Champion crowned. Giulia knocked off Zelina Vega to win her first singles title on the main Time Does WWE Night of Champions 2025 Start? This show will begin a little earlier than most of WWE's premium live events. Night of Champions starts at 1 p.m. ET, with a preshow that begins at 11 a.m. is WWE Night of Champions 2025? The event takes place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. That explains the early start time and WWE kicking off the weekend with a larger episode of SmackDown than is the Full WWE Night of Champions 2025 Card? Undisputed WWE Championship Match (c) John Cena vs. CM Punk In case you missed it, Punk trolled Cena on Friday by coming to the ring dressed in one of his rival's old gimmicks, the Doctor of Thuganomics. He even had custom trons that read "Punk Life." Punk came to the ring and recited bars he likely wrote. It was purposely lame and cool all at the same time. King of the Ring Final Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton This match has a chance to steal the show. Rhodes could lose and turn heel—or vice versa. In any case, I'm betting that whatever happens in this match will lead to something serious in the fourth quarter of the of the Ring Final Jade Cargill vs. Asuka Is Asuka back for a significant run, or has she been chosen to put Cargill over? Quite honestly, I wouldn't have an issue either way. Asuka and Cargill would make excellent Queens of the Ring. My hope is that the two women have a strong States Championship Match (c) Jacob Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa Few in WWE are as over as Fatu. He seems destined to successfully defend his title. However, this match seems like a perfect spot for Solo's Bloodline to get a new or returning member. If that happens, the scene could be set for Fatu to drop the belt—though he'd likely regain it shortly. In any case, this match could be Fight Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez Let's hope Rhea and Raquel do their best Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest impersonations in this one. McIntyre and Priest had one of the best street fight matches I've ever seen at WrestleMania 41. While we haven't seen the same bitter build for this one, the ingredients are there for Ripley and Rodriguez to put on a Zayn vs. Karrion Kross Kross has his chance to shine in a match against one of the best workers in the industry. We'll see if he can take advantage of his moment.

How to watch WWE Night of Champions 2025: Live stream and match card for today
How to watch WWE Night of Champions 2025: Live stream and match card for today

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How to watch WWE Night of Champions 2025: Live stream and match card for today

John Cena will continue his farewell retirement tour with his final Night of Champions appearance this evening. After dethroning Cody Rhodes to become a record-breaking 17-time WWE Champion at WrestleMania 41, Cena puts the Undisputed WWE championship on the line against long-time rival CM Punk. There's an argument to be made that Punk, to date, poses the biggest threat to Cena's title reign given the history between the two but this is his first WWE singles championship match in over 12 years. Meanwhile Solo Sikoa looks to claim championship gold for the first time on the main roster as he challenges Jacob Fatu for the United States title. The King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring tournaments culminates this evening as Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Asuka and Jade Cargill battle for the respective crowns and a world title match at Summerslam. Elsewhere on the card, Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez face off in a street fight whilst Sami Zayn looks to silence Karrion Cross in a regular singles match. Live stream: In the UK, WWE Night of Champions 2025 can be watched and streamed live on Netflix. Coverage starts at 6pm BST today, Saturday, June 28, 2025. A membership costs £4.99 a month and the subscription can be cancelled at any time.

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