Drew McIntyre finds himself back in the world championship picture at what he feels is the perfect time. The 36-year-old Scotsman, who will be at Nassau Coliseum for “SmackDown on Friday, is in the early stages of a feud with the Undisputed WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns. He will team up with Riddle and Randy Orton to take on Reigns and his cousins Jimmy and Jey Uso at WrestleMania Backlash on Sunday (8 p.m., Peacock). Ahead of a big week, McIntyre — a two-time WWE champion — took time for some Q&A with The Post’s Joseph Staszewski.

(Edited for clarity and length)

Q: Why was this the right time to bring you back into the world title picture and finally put you across from this version of Roman for a true feud?

A: When I moved over the SmackDown (in October 2021) I felt like I had to hit the reset button. I had done so much on Raw. I had been champion for a long time even though the majority of the time technically we didn’t have any fans there. I felt just kind of floating toward the end. I had to take a couple of steps back to take a few steps forward. The timing was perfect. I moved to SmackDown and I had the opportunity not necessarily to start from the bottom, but to reprove myself over again, which I’ve always been happy to do in at this stage of my career.

It’s about reestablishing Drew McIntyre and who he is before stepping back into that main event title scene especially with Roman, who’s been our top guy for years but is now operating on a different level. He always talks about it because it’s true. I think with this time we’ve had to reestablish McIntyre, going by the reaction, the character development, etc., this feels like the perfect time when I walked out last week to help RK-Bro and heard the reaction and felt the moment and it felt like something special which it might not have felt so big if we had done it a few months ago.

Q: You talk about Roman working on a different level. What’s that like as a performer knowing when you go out there you are going to have a guy working on such a high level on the mic and in the ring to try to meet him there?

A: That’s what I want. It’s such a fun day at the office if you have to step up your game. You don’t want to be constantly bringing people up every time you’re out there, be in a match or be on the microphone or be in a character perspective. As much as I pride myself on being a leader and a general and pulling people up, when I’ve had the opportunity to be in with someone where I’m like, wow this person is very good I’ve got to stay on my toes. Maybe not so much in the ring, that’s some place I feel very confident. There are very few people who can surprise me the ring that I can’t keep up with, but especially with character and microphone and being on a roll like Roman is right now.

The last person that I remember being on a roll like this was Randy when I was champion. He finished the stuff with Edge and he was already one of the best of all time, but somehow he stepped up to another level with Edge during that period in 2020 and he was just on fire in every possible way, especially on the microphone. I remember saying this is my chance to step up and prove I belong in the main event scene. If I can’t keep up with Randy, especially during that time, than I don’t belong in the main event scene. I was able to swim with him and I’m very proud of that time. And if I get the chance to be in there in and around Roman it’s the same opportunity to prove to myself and everybody else that I belong at the top.

Q: You’ve talked about the dream scenario of wanting to beat Roman at the Clash at the Castle show in the UK in September. Why is that scenario so attractive to you then maybe a match with a Tyron Fury there?

A: The fact that it’s in the UK at a huge stadium show that I’ve been pushing for for years. I had my big moment at WrestleMania (in 2020) and I got two of the three things I imagined as a kid. Imagined main eventing WrestleMania for the title and winning the title in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans. I’ve very proud of that moment. I’m very proud of my title reigns, but I didn’t have anybody there during them. So to go an opportunity and a scenario I couldn’t have even imagined as a kid, because I was always picturing WrestleMania, a giant WrestleMania-like event within the UK in the main event against someone like Roman for the championship. To be able to win that big match, raise that title in front of so many people, probably family and friends, people I grew up would be an absolute dream scenario.

Q: Even more than a match with Fury?

A: That’s an attraction match. It would draw a lot of attention not just in our industry but outside our industry. The ball is in his court. He’s got to pick up the phone. He’s got our number. Maybe he can draw my attention for a second because my focus, obviously is fully on The Bloodline and Roman right now. But if he distract me, it would be big. It would be special. We talked about pulling people up, me being the veteran I’d be pulling him up. At the same time, he’s an elite level athlete, he’s an entertainer it would be very good. But if you are making me choose, I’m still going to choose the title match.

Q: Creatively, do you like the idea of a united champion and having the one guy as champ as opposed to the way it’s been where the titles have been split over the brands?

A: If we’ve got separate rosters, I kind of prefer the idea of a champion for each show. At the same time, we just had WrestleMania and we needed a huge match. Brock had one title, Roman had the other title. It made for a very interesting … I don’t want to use the word stupendous, but it made for a very, very big match and now we are kind of with in the fall out of that huge match, that huge WrestleMania and we’ll see what happens. I kind of like the idea of a champion representing each brand. We have those separate brands, so somebody has to take down Roman at least for one of those titles.

Q: How has Randy Orton helped you in and out of the ring and what is it like to watch this version of him just have so much fun with Riddle?

A: Working with me and advising me within the action and after the action, the finer points about this industry that nobody would know unless you’ve reached that top, top level. It’s one thing to get advice from people that have been around for a long time, but nobody can teach you that top level, main event pace and that ability to connect on an emotional level with our fan base and things that are hard to articulate with somebody who has not been in there. It’s amazing sometimes when he says things that seem so simple to him and a light bulb goes off in my head and I go, I’ve never thought about it that way. And I go, of course I haven’t thought of it that way because you’re Randy Orton. You’ve fought the best of the best at the top level for years. Now I’m just getting my Ph.D. this top level and learning from the best, so there were multiple light bulb moments being around him and working with him.

I remember during that time he wasn’t accepting the fact that he was a locker room leader. So I was always encouraging him, you know Randy you’re the guy around here. He was like, ‘Oh come on.’ I was like whether you like it or not you’re the leader. You have been around here a long time. We’re all looking to you and he started growing into that leader role. He’s always been teaching. I think now he’s accepted he’s the one we look to for guidance.

Being around for a long time and kind of matured the way he’s matured and become the man that he is today, the fun that he’s having today is very entertaining to watch. I don’t think he’s ever been so relaxed on screen or backstage. I think a large part has to do with Riddle because the person you see on screen as that character is one hundred percent him. Those guys get along so well. Riddle can relax absolutely anybody no matter how tense they are, what kind of day they’re having. You speak to Riddle for two seconds you’re laughing.    

Q: When Cody Rhodes came back, your name and Bobby Lashley and Jinder Mahal’s came up as guys who left the company and were able to come back and achieve that main event slot they wanted. What’s it been like watching Cody’s journey back to WWE and doing what you and others did finding their way back?

A: It’s awesome to watch and to see how far he can take it. I remember when I was gone from WWE and started carving my own path I got to the point my brother said to me it’s become a verb to do a Drew, leave WWE, reinvent yourself and become a bigger star. Then you had Cody take a chance on himself, leave WWE on his own accord and not only did he reinvent himself he took it to the next level and created an entire company during that period. Whatever I was able to do outside the company and set a template of what you can do using social media, using a lot of self-belief and opportunities that were given to you. He took it to the next level and did an incredible job, grew as a person, grew as a performer. Now to see him back in WWE getting the return at Mania and the perfect platform to go in maintaining that place thus far has been very cool. Hopefully he can keep it going for months and years to come.

Q: You were the first person to kick out of Baron Corbin’s End of Days finisher in WWE. What went into the decision that your match at WrestleMania 38 was the right time to do that?

A: You’re going to retire and that’s going to be the thing, nobody kicked out of the move or you can find the right moment and the right person and the right feud. Realistically, Corbin and I had been feuding for six months at that point. In today’s day and age that’s a frickin’ life time. It might as well be 10 years with people’s attention spans.

Corbin and I avoided a singles match somehow for that entire period all the way to WrestleMania, the first proper WrestleMania in a few years everyone back together after the world had been shut down for so long, a special WrestleMania. If it’s going to happen anywhere, why not that match and make people go, ‘Oh my God, Corbin’s actually gonna win,” because I think a lot of people thought Drew’s gonna win this one. [He’s] the big good guy, he’s probably going to go on for the title is probably in their head.

At that very moment when I went for the Claymore, missed it and Corbin hit the End of Days everybody in that building thought, ‘Oh God, Corbin’s won.” That’s what it’s about. It’s about making people, no matter what they think that know, like making them forget for that second and get lost in that emotion. That what kicking out of End of Days in that moment did.