"After being gone for nine years... I'm your leader now, kid"

Drew McIntyre: "Last week's match with Seth was all or nothing for Drew McIntyre; I didn't want that title, I needed that title and as you can see, I don't have the title. I've been replaying the match over in my head. I remember I had the match won when I claymored Seth, I pinned him, I was so overzealous I put his foot on the rope and I cost myself the damn match. I've been really thinking about this all week and maybe... maybe Seth has been right. Maybe Sami has been right. Maybe the one person holding Drew McIntyre back is Drew McIntyre. If that's the case, I need to get myself right, I need to get my head screwed on right, I need to get my priorities right, I need to step away from WWE for a while. [The crowd is shocked.]

Now, I've been playing this over my head -- trust me it wasn't easy -- it start feeling this way, this has been the lifelong dream... but up to two days ago, I really felt that way and I kept replaying the match over and over. But then it occurred to me, 'wait Drew! That's not true whatsoever! You didn't lose straight up. No, no, no, 'the Bearman' didn't win, Damien Priest cashed in during the match and cost you the match!' [Crowd boos as Drew looks at the camera.] Priest, why would you have cashed in during the match, why didn't you wait 'til the match was over? And I was champion and I had won and I was weakened and I was an easy target? You didn't just screw yourself, you screwed me, too, you idiot! And between Priest and Seth and Sami, and Jey Uso been moved to RAW 'cause Cody has magical political powers and CM Punk making his return to wide open arms [Crowd had a polarized reaction.] actually maybe I need to revisit this leaving the company thing, maybe I should leave for nine years, then I'll get a hero's reception when I return! Oh yeah, we can chant my name during the matches--"

[CM Punk's theme song hits as he interrupts McIntyre.]

CM Punk: "We are in Piper Country. [Crowd cheers.] [see Note 1] I'm a little disappointed you didn't wear the kilt, but I guess that would've been too easy; they might actually like you and cheer for you because Rowdy Roddy Piper is a legend. [More cheers] Piper was known for talking. CM Punk is known for talking. Is Drew McIntyre known for talking? [Crowd subtly says 'no!'] But since I've been back Drew, it seems like that's all you've done. And it might seem a little weird coming from a guy who just talks probably too much, but I thought since I heard my name I would come out and if you had anything to say, you could say it to my face. I'll just stand right over here."

[Punk lies on the top rope and turnbuckle in the corner before 'CM Punk' chants emerge.]

Drew McIntyre: "Alright! The floor is mine? I guess first of all I wanna say: congratulations. We're going on just over a month now and you're still here! [Punk is amused.] See, some of the guys and I have got a bet going in the back, that you're gonna crash and burn, you're gonna self-destruct, that you're costing a lot of people a lot of money the longer you stick around!"

CM Punk: "That's good."

Drew McIntyre: "I guess my big bad words have offended you, they've upset you. Maybe you and Seth have more in common than you actually realize. I don't care what you've said outside of the company. That's irrelevant. You wanted some headlines, you're bitter, you want some attention 'cause you weren't getting enough... I get it. What I care about is what you do to me personally. And I'm one of the few people on this roster still that travelled the world with you for years. I know the real CM Punk. I've seen what you're truly like and I have had so many things happen to me caused by you. I could go on for... all night actually we've only got a three hour show so maybe I'll go with the first thing that comes to my head...

Remember you were champion, and you used to refer to yourself as the leader. You would actually walk in the locker room and say, 'as the locker room leader...' because, the leader has to announce he's the bloody leader. Back then I actually needed a leader. I needed somebody to help me out, I was in a real dark place. Right now I'm not in a dark place; I've got some obstacles in my way, I'll kick them down. I'm Drew McIntyre, I got it these days, [Crowd cheers.] but I didn't have it back then.

I was just a kid, I had personal issues going on, I lost a person was closest to me in the world, my career was in a tailspin and I could've done with a real leader to tell me it was gonna be ok, to help me navigate this place, but you saw me as a threat and it was never gonna happen. I've spoke to Randy Orton about this before and I understand that Randy couldn't have helped me because he had his own demons. You're straight edge; you don't have any demons, you are a demon! A self-serving, narcissistic succubus. And I didn't need anybody to help me become a leader. Once I got fired I figured it out, I've stepped up myself and I became the man I am today so after being gone for nine years... I'm your leader now, kid."

[CM Punk grins while the crowd is again polarized. Drew then imitates Punk's earlier lying-in-the-corner pose to Punk's amusement as the crowd laughs.]

CM Punk: Called myself a lot of things in life. I've called myself a lot of things in my WWE career, a leader was never one of them because I always led by example. Called myself a savior, and kid... if you want your hand held, you can pledge allegiance to the Straight Edge Society right now, we can shave your head! And you can live this clean life. Talk about demons? Listen man... if I'm not a leader, who did you watch walk out of this company? It was me. And who did I watch walk back in and become bigger, faster, stronger... you went on, you won the Royal Rumble and you main evented WrestleMania. You followed my lead on the way out, I got no problem saying that I'm following my--your way on the way back in. And just because I wanna do what you did--I'm back bigger, faster, stronger and I'm gonna win the Royal Rumble and main event WrestleMania and you're upset about it just like Seth? [Drew responds 'Yeah' off the mic.]

Yeah. And as far as being a demon... I'm not a demon, when pushed, I'm Satan himself. And if you were one of the people that saw that side of CM Punk that says way more about you and where you are and your little dark places than it does about me, because I'm a real real nice guy until it's time not to be. And it looks like it's getting to be that time, I am not here to be a nice guy. I am not here to make friends. I'm here to win the Royal Rumble and main event WrestleMania."

Drew McIntyre: "So we got ourselves a little problem there. As you said, I've won the Royal Rumble, I've main evented WrestleMania, something you've never done. But that wasn't for me. Those title wins... no. If you remember right, the world shut down, this place needed somebody to step up. Those title wins were for the entire world, were for this roster and some of our superstars stepped away, because if you were still here, you'd probably step away too, 'cause when the going gets tough, Punk gets going. [Crowd acts surprised.] This time I'm in the Royal Rumble-- if it's not clear I'll be in the Royal Rumble and if you're in there, you wanna talk about being Satan I will exercise you. I will eliminate you from that Royal Rumble, I'll go back to the main event of WrestleMania and win the title with live fans and for this time, it's gonna be for me." [Crowd cheers.]

CM Punk: "It's getting a little spicy in here, Drew. So I'm gonna lead by example and I'm gonna walk away before I knock your teeth down your throat! There's one person that can stop me from accomplishing my goals and it's me, and I got out of my own way a long time ago. You can't stop me from winning the Royal Rumble, Seth can't stop me from winning the Royal Rumble, Cody can't stop me from winning the Royal Rumble. And Drew, leader to leader, because I'm such a nice guy in the Royal Rumble, I'm gonna throw you out last."

- Credit: Thanks to inmate PromoSkills for transcribing this promo.

- Note 1: "Piper Country" refers to Roddy Piper's time working in Portland Wrestling, where he became a big star in the Pacific Northwest prior to his start with the WWF.