There were rumors of backstage conflict between LA Knight and Drew McIntyre following the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble.

McIntyre’s apparent annoyance was caused by an unfortunate elimination during the men’s Royal Rumble match.

The Incident at Royal Rumble

Damian Priest defeated Drew McIntyre in the Royal Rumble bout. But things did not go as planned with the elimination.

According to reports, the Scottish Warrior may have became frustrated when LA Knight’s activities in the ring unintentionally interfered with the timing of McIntyre’s elimination. According to reports, McIntyre was unhappy about the event backstage.  

LA Knight’s Response

LA Knight responded to the rumors of backstage heat with McIntyre in a recent interview on the “Gorilla Position” podcast.

Knight said that he was not aware of any problems at the time and that any necessary discussions to resolve the matter were held later.  

On-Screen References

WWE programming reflected the tension between the two superstars. LA Knight made fun of McIntyre during a promo on a SmackDown broadcast by bringing up the Royal Rumble incident.

Knight, McIntyre, and Jimmy Uso engaged in a triple threat match as a result, with McIntyre winning and earning a trip to the Elimination Chamber.  

Conclusion

Although there was some backstage conflict between LA Knight and Drew McIntyre as a result of the Royal Rumble incident, both superstars handled the matter professionally.

Fans can anticipate possible future conflicts between the two, as their on-screen encounters have given their characters greater depth.