Report: Major Angle With WWE WrestleMania 39 Implications Almost Had To Be Scrapped

A major angle on the March 10 edition of Friday Night SmackDown almost had to be scrapped.

A Fatal Five Way took place on last week's SmackDown that saw Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Karrion Kross, Xaver Woods, and LA Knight fight it out for a shot at the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 39. Drew McIntyre and Sheamus scored simultaneous pinfalls in the match and the two friends will clash on this week's SmackDown to determine who will face GUNTHER at the Show of Shows.

According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, the angle almost had to be scrapped as Drew McIntyre was "extremely ill" last week and wasn't cleared to compete until he arrived at Friday's TV taping. Had McIntyre not been cleared by the medical team, the two-time WWE Champion would have been replaced in the match with an unknown talent. 

Despite the illness, McIntyre worked the house shows following SmackDown and received a lot of respect for working hard for the company even when ill or banged up over the past year. The Scottish Warrior is considered a locker room leader in that regard, PWInsider noted.