WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T has two names on his mind when it comes to who he’d like to see dethrone Roman Reigns.
Booker T took to his podcast, “The Hall Of Fame,” to discuss the matter. Booker named both Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre as the stars he’d like to see take Reigns down when the time is right.
“I’ve got to go with Cody Rhodes. Drew McIntyre, like I said on the kickoff show, being a part of that six-man with RK-Bro, keeping himself real close to the body. Making sure he stays close to the championship.
“It’s good for Drew McIntyre. Letting everyone know, man, I am not far from this picture. But, the guy that’s got the hot hand, the guy that’s got the rocket on him is Cody Rhodes.
“I say you run with that, man until it cools off. I don’t think that’s going to be for quite some time.”
Roman Reigns became the Unified WWE Champion when he beat Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 38 earlier this year. Reigns entered the match already holding the Universal Title, taking the WWE Championship from Lesnar when it was all said and done.
Now, “The Tribal Chief” rules over both RAW and SmackDown as a dual champion. As for Rhodes, he made his return to WWE at WrestleMania 38, taking on Seth Rollins as his surprise opponent selected by Vince McMahon.
Rhodes came from All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he remade himself into “The American Nightmare,” leaving gimmicks such as Stardust in the past. Now, Rhodes is back with World Title aspirations on his mind, and a matchup against Reigns would certainly be a great one for fans to enjoy.
Finally, McIntyre is a former World Champion in his own right. He topped Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 36 to become the WWE Champion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, McIntyre is also on a path back to the World Title, however, he might soon be making a pit stop for a feud with Tyson Fury first.
Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro (Randy Orton and Riddle) teamed up with Drew McIntyre vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos (Jey and Jimmy) and Roman Reigns at the WWE WrestleMania Backlash event.
The match started off slow. The Usos beat down Riddle after Reigns refused to fight McIntyre. Finally, Reigns and McIntyre mixed it up. McIntyre with the Claymore Kick to Reigns before getting the tag to Orton, who cleared house. Orton hit an RKO out of nowhere to Reigns then an RKO to Jimmy for a near fall. Riddle with a suplex then hit the floating bro for 2 on Jey. Reigns slammed McIntyre through the announce table. Riddle with an RKO off the top rope to Jey only for Reigns to pin Riddle with a spear.
WWE made a title unification bout for the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Titles official on the April 15th edition of SmackDown only to change it on the April 29th SmackDown.
WWE first unified the WWE and Universal Titles in a match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania where “The Tribal Chief” beat “The Beast” in the headliner of night 2. WWE reportedly has no plans to end the brand split.
However, after Reigns and McIntyre mixed it up, WWE decided to make a change to its plans as the company wants to save Reigns defending the Undisputed WWE Universal Title against McIntyre for one of the several upcoming stadium events.
Despite being one of WWE’s top stars, Drew McIntyre dealt with frustration regarding some of his creative in 2021.
He found himself in an odd place last year as WWE went from holding empty ThunderDome shows to right back in front of live fans. He had a hard time navigating himself through what he called not so interesting storylines.
“It got to a point where things went off track, in my opinion a little bit,” McIntyre told New York Newsday. “And it was hard to tell, without the live fans there, if it would have been okay. Right about the time where I fought Lashley a couple of times, I was telling these interesting—or, not so interesting—Scottish stories. That period maybe was not one of my favorites. But, hey, send me a challenge and I’m going to try and pull it off.”
McIntyre stated there was a period where he felt it wasn’t working right and pointed out how he got a mixed reaction during a promo segment at Money in the Bank.
“I would not do something that I’m convinced is not going to work, unless I’m told by the man himself [WWE chairman Vince McMahon], ‘You’re doing this,’ — which, he’s not going to do,” proclaimed McIntyre. “A lot of people would just take the paper and complain privately to people in the locker room, perhaps, or to themselves, and then, maybe down the line if they’re not with the company anymore, in interviews, rather than trying to work together with the creative writer you’re with and saying, ‘It doesn’t feel like me.’ And if you really feel strongly about it, go to the boss himself. I know a lot of people are intimidated to go to Mr. McMahon. But, in the end, he’s the boss of the company where you work.”
He said in an office if you get a promotion or have a question you would go to the manager of the office. In their world, they got to Vince McMahon who has the final say. McIntyre said that McMahon has an open door and will listen to what you think because he wants the best show possible.
WWE reportedly never had plans for a tag team title unification match at WrestleMania Backlash.
When The Usos first started their feud with RK-Bro, it was centered around trying to unify the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Roman Reigns specifically gave Jimmy and Jey an order to lay claim to the Raw tag team gold.
While the stage was set for The Usos vs. RK-Bro at WrestleMania Backlash, Reigns interrupted the contract signing. Randy Orton and Riddle were ambushed, and the contract was destroyed. Drew McIntyre then hit the ring and sent Reigns packing with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex.
Now, it’ll be a non-title six-man tag team match. The Bloodline will take on McIntyre and RK-Bro.
Title Unification Never In The Cards
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that WWE never had the intent of booking a tag team title unification match. Simply put, WWE didn’t have a challenger lined up for Reigns at the WrestleMania Backlash event.
It had been reported previously that WWE didn’t want to rush a Reigns vs. McIntyre program.
WrestleMania Backlash will take place inside the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island on May 8. Here is what the lineup looks like just a couple of days away from the event:
The Bloodline vs. Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey (“I Quit” Match)
Drew McIntyre is looking forward to winning the WWE Title in front of an actual crowd and looks at WWE Clash At The Castle inside Principality Stadium as the perfect place to do it.
McIntyre won the WWE Title from Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36 in 2020 in an empty Performance Center. WWE presents Clash at the Castle from the UK on September 3rd.
While speaking with Sports Illustrated, McIntyre noted his dream scenario is to defeat Roman Reigns at that event to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
“I’m a two-time WWE champion, but I never won the title in front of our fans,” McIntyre says. “My dream situation is fighting for the title against Roman at the UK show. There is going to be such intense anticipation for that event. That would be a match, atmosphere-wise, that people would always remember.”
Another possible match for him is to face Tyson Fury as WWE previously had plans for them to headline a UK stadium show in 2020. That got nixed due to the pandemic.
“If Tyson Fury steps back into the WWE ring, it’s not going to be as easy as he thinks,” McIntyre says. “He showed last time in his match against Braun that he’s capable. No doubt, he’s an entertainer. But if he steps into the ring against me, he’s in for something he’s never experienced before.”
McIntyre and Reigns will be across the ring from one in the main event of WrestleMania Backlash as McIntyre teams with Randy Orton, and Matt Riddle against Reigns and The Usos.
Fans have been waiting for a singles match between The Undisputed World champion Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre since the Scottish Warrior moved to the SmackDown roster in October last year.
These expectations were once again met with disappointment when the company announced a six men tag team match for WrestleMania Backlash main event.
Dave Meltzer provided some updates on this feud during the latest Wrestling Observer Radio. He revealed that WWE is holding off a singles match between McIntyre and Reigns for a bigger event.
WWE is set to hold not one but three major Stadium shows in the span of three months starting from July. The first one will be Money In The Bank from Allegiant Stadium.
This will be followed by the SummerSlam PPV from Nissan Stadium and the Clash Of The Castle special from United Kingdom.
Officials consider Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns to be a dream match. It’s likely that their singles encounter will be saved for one of these shows.
There is no word yet on what the company is planning for the unified titles. We will have to see if this match ends up being for only one of the world titles or both of them when the time comes.
Bobby Lashley had a scary accident during his match with Drew McIntyre in Newcastle, England on Thursday.
During their bout, as both men hit the ropes, all four of the top turnbuckles of each ring post collapsed, bringing the top rope down as well. As a result, Lashley went flying out the ring, as this occurred while he was hitting the ropes. Lashley appeared to land badly on his head, but was able to get back up and finish the match.
Luckily, Lashley was able to finish the bout and leave the arena under his own power. He and McIntyre even teamed up after the match to beat down Sami Zayn.
Fair play to @FightBobby last night who styled out the broken ring rope and sent everybody home happy (with @DMcIntyreWWE hoofing @SamiZayn too!)
The fans also got to enjoy several other great matches on the card; including Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sheamus, Gunther vs. Sami Zayn, and Sasha Banks vs. SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.
As for Bobby Lashley, he’s currently embroiled in a feud with Omos, who he defeated in singles action at WrestleMania 38. MVP then turned on Lashley, aligning himself with Omos, and the two men will rematch at the upcoming WrestleMania Backlash event on May 8.
Drew McIntyre sees a lot of similarities between he and Cody Rhodes’ journeys back to WWE.
Back in 2014 McIntyre was released from the WWE, forcing him to return to the independent scene; additionally working for promotions such as Evolve, IMPACT Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerilla (PWG), and so many more. In 2017 he was brought back to WWE after proving himself away from the company, eventually earning himself a WWE Title win over Brock Lesnar.
His former Tag Team Championship partner, Cody Rhodes, has had a very similar path. Rhodes left WWE in 2016 and went on to develop his “American Nightmare” gimmick after working for promotions such as IMPACT, New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and the then-newly developed All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Now, Rhodes has returned to WWE and has his eyes locked on a World Championship. Rhodes and Drew McIntyre have walked very similar paths in terms of leaving WWE, and returning proven commodities.
For Rhodes’ sake, hopefully he has the same results as McIntyre, earning a World Championship run. Speaking to Cultaholic, McIntyre discussed the similarities between he and Rhodes’ paths, praising his former tag team partner’s growth.
“Personally I’m happy to see him back, and there’s a few of us that have been around for a few years now that are excited to see Cody back just because we’re buddies with him and with his talent he adds to the show, 100%,” said McIntyre.
“And it’s cool to see how much he’s grown as a performer and as a person, much like myself. When I was gone from the company, I had to kinda go find who I was as a performer, kinda grow up as a man, and Cody’s done the exactly the same. And it’s cool. And I’d seen him before he came back and was aware of that. But it’s cool just to see him back in WWE.”
Currently, Rhodes is in the midst of a feud with Seth Rollins on Monday Night RAW. “The American Nightmare” made his WWE return against Rollins as his surprise opponent at WrestleMania 38.
Rhodes came out on top in the matchup, and now the pair will rematch at WrestleMania Backlash on May 8 from the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
We now know who Roman Reigns will be feuding with next.
After a couple of weeks of stalling, many questioned whether or not Reigns would even be featured on the WrestleMania Backlash card. In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that the “Tribal Chief” will indeed be headlining the May 8th premium live event.
At Friday’s WWE SmackDown tapings, Reigns re-started his feud with Drew McIntyre. The two had a stare-down and came to blows.
The angle was taped for next week’s SmackDown, which airs on April 29th.
The tapings were held after the April 22nd edition of SmackDown went off the air. This was done because WWE is headed overseas for the post-WrestleMania European tour beginning on April 28.
Drew McIntyre has some advice for boxing champion Tyson Fury: don’t screw things up this weekend.
Fury returns to the ring this Saturday. He defends the WBC heavyweight title against Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium in London, England.
McIntyre spoke with Sky Sports this week to discuss the fight, his relationship with Fury and his desire to wrestle the big man at WWE’s big UK stadium show from Cardiff, Wales in September.
McIntyre says he cheers on Tyson Fury every time he fights. They keep in touch and “go back and forth” pretty regularly. However, whenever Fury attends WWE live events, McIntyre says the Gypsy King manages to avoid him. He joked that Fury is the World’s Tallest Ninja, due to Fury’s ability to avoid him when they’re in the same building.
Drew McIntyre vs. Tyson Fury
McIntyre says, “I’m a big fan of his. He’s highly entertaining, he’s such an attraction. That’s why I’m always saying to him, ‘Hey, the door’s always open in WWE. The ball is in your court.'”
He’s no boxing expert, but even he can see Fury that is a superior fighter to Whyte. His cardio is second to none and he’s proven he can take a knockout punch and get back up. “There’s no reason he shouldn’t run right through him this weekend,” said McIntyre.
McIntyre advises Fury, “Don’t screw it up!” because there’s a big-money wrestling match on the table, if he’s up for it.
“All I’ll say to Tyson is, Don’t screw it up! Don’t screw it up. Get through this fight, win it, and then give us a call. We’ll figure out if it can happen in Cardiff.”
– Drew McIntyre to Tyson Fury
WWE’s first UK stadium show in 30 years takes place on Saturday, September 3rd from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
WWE should have no problem packing 70,000+ fans into Principality Stadium. However, a Drew McIntyre vs. Tyson Fury showdown all-but-guarantees a sellout crowd.
Three more big matches have been added to the WWE UK tour coming up later this month.
WWE will be running shows from the Utilita Arena on Thursday, April 28 in Newcastle, England; The O2 Arena from London, England on Friday, April 29; the Accor Arena from Paris, France on Saturday, April 30; and finally the QUARTERBACK Immobilien Arena in Leipzig, Germany on Sunday, May 1.
Earlier today, WWE confirmed several matches for the Newcastle and Leipzig shows. First, former WWE Champions Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre will be going head-to-head. Also, current SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair will take on Sasha Banks. In what should be a real treat, RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro will be taking on SmackDown Live Tag Team Champions The Usos. And finally, Sami Zayn will go one-on-one with Gunther.
We also mentioned last week that WWE announced three big matches for their respective shows in London and France. Check them out here below:
Undisputed WWE Champion Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey
SmackDown Live Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro
It should be noted that WWE Intercontinental Champion Ricochet, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi, Gunther, and Bobby Lashley are also advertised for those shows. More so, the SmackDown Live taping on Friday, April 22 from the MVP Arena in Albany, New York has a special start time of 6:30pm ET.
This indicates that the show will be a double taping, meaning the April 29 episode of SmackDown Live will be pre-taped as WWE is running their shows in the UK.
Drew McIntyre is guaranteed to be part of a big match at the upcoming WWE Stadium Show in UK. If given a chance to pick his opponent, he would like to face none other than the Undisputed World Champion Roman Reigns at the show.
The former WWE champion recently had an interview with BT Sport. He was told about a recent Twitter survey where fans discussed Reigns, Gunther, and Tyson Fury as the three potential opponents for him at the upcoming event.
When asked which one of these three names he would prefer to face at the show, McIntyre picked the Tribal Chief without any hesitation:
“Roman, He’s the Champion. I’ve been away from the title for a long time. Roman’s been so dominant and is doing the best work of his career. We’re on a collision course.
It is five months away. If somehow we could avoid each other for five months, that would be such a big match.” said Drew McIntyre, “Especially on the U.K. soil, I can’t imagine the atmosphere for that match.”
We asked @DMcIntyreWWE who he would want to face in the main event of the Cardiff stadium show ?
No hesitation:
"Roman. He's the Champion. I've been away from the title for a long time, but we're on a collision course. I can't imagine the atmosphere for that match."
The Scottish Warrior also discussed the other potential opponents. He revealed that Gunther and him have been talking about a match for a long time but claimed that right now is the time to educate the world about who Gunther is on the big stage.
On the topic of Tyson Fury, McIntyre mentioned how they have been taking digs at each other for over two years. Drew claimed that he would be good with this match as well but he has to pick the title match if given the choice.
The first night of WrestleMania 38 was plagued with timing issues. It led to both The New Day’s match and the special entrance of Drew McIntyre being cut from the show.
While the New Day’s encounter was rescheduled for night 2 of the show, fans criticized the company for cutting the Scottish Warrior’s entrance while showing many lengthy video packages.
However, according to Fightful Select, it weren’t the officials who made this call, and McIntyre himself made the decision to cut his entrance from the PPV.
Per the report, the former WWE champion preferred to have a more personal connection to the crowd instead.
The people who were brought in to the show for Drew McIntyre’s spot were still paid for their appearance and they all received all-access passes to WrestleMania 38.
The SmackDown star finally got his revenge over Happy Corbin in their match at the Grandest Stage of Them All. This was the second bout of the night.
McIntyre was presented strongly and he even kicked out of the End of Days which is one of the most protected finishers in WWE. Drew then delivered a Futureshock DDT and Claymore Kick to Corbin for the win.
After being in the world title picture for the last two WrestleMania events, people expected Drew McIntyre to be in a big match for the Shows of Shows this year. That’s why many were disappointed when it was announced that the former WWE champion will be facing Happy Corbin in a singles match at the Grandest Stage of Them All.
McIntyre addressed the criticism of his Mania match while speaking to Metro. He said that he is excited for the match and claimed that he appreciates the fans who want to see him competing in a bigger match:
“I’m very excited about it, personally. I’ve seen some of the comments when the match was made, the internet can be very harsh place.” said Drew McIntyre, “I appreciate all my fans around the world, their reaction is, ‘Drew’s not wrestling for the title? He won the title from Brock [Lesnar] two years along, he fought for the title last year, this year he’s fighting Corbin?!’”
Drew McIntyre On The Talent Of Happy Corbin
Drew McIntyre said that he understands the sentiment of the fans. Though according to him, anyone who believes Corbin is not talented in the ring, is lying to themselves:
“I understand that and I appreciate that, but the way I see it is, aside from his obvious talent in the ring – anyone who says he’s not talented in-ring is lying to themselves.”
Drew mentioned how Happy Corbin is a genuinely hated bad guy that everyone dislikes. He explained that a true bad guy is somebody you literally despise and want to see getting their butt kicked.
Drew McIntyre will get a chance at revenge against Happy Corbin next month at WrestleMania 38.
The “Scottish Warrior” has feuded with Corbin since Day 1 on Jan. 1. Corbin and Madcap Moss attacked The “Scottish Warrior” backstage. The attack resulted in the storyline for McIntyre to take time off from WWE TV. The company’s reason for briefly sidelining the former WWE Champion was to deal with a neck injury.
WWE fans were uncertain if McIntyre would return to wrestle in time for Wrestlemania 38. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that he had neck issues for several weeks and needed testing. Although he did not compete for 29 days, doctors were surprised that McIntyre recovered quickly.
“They dropped a lighting rig on my head, and I came back three and a half weeks later. I think everybody, including the doctor, was surprised at how soon I was able to come back. They told me, ‘You’re not making the Rumble. WrestleMania is possible, but let’s say it’s unlikely right now,” said McIntyre(h/t Fernando Quiles Jr). He continued, “Okay, Doc, no problem. I went straight to rehab, and I’ve always had the John Cena approach to rehab with every injury. What’s the most I can do for maximum benefit? ‘Well, you could come twice a day for six days a week, but that would be crazy.'”
Mcintyre took the doctor’s advice and did his best to return before Wrestlemania 38. “…I did that, rehab-wise, twice a day, six days a week, while also working out, so three times a day, six days a week, take Sunday off. When I saw the doctor a few weeks later, they were like, ‘All right, wow, you’re a cyborg, probably why you were called the Scottish Terminator. I guess you’re ready to go,” said Mcintyre(h/t Fernando Quiles Jr).
The former WWE champion will look to defeat Corbin at Wrestlemania 38. Although with Moss in his corner, Corbin has the advantage.
Heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury says there is a “One Million Percent” chance that he will return to WWE one day.
Fury made his WWE debut on Fox’s first Friday Night Smackdown on Oct. 4, 2019. His appearance led to a brief feud with former WWE talent Braun Strowman, culminating at Crown Jewel on Oct. 31, 2019. The boxing star won his match against Strowman by countout. His last WWE appearance was at Smackdown on Nov. 8, 2019.
Although Fury hasn’t competed in WWE for two years, fans and WWE stars have remained curious if he will return. In an statement from GiveMeSport, he promised that he will return to the company in the future.
One million percent, you will see me in the WWE again. One million percent.
Tyson Fury to GiveMeSport’s Tom Ward
WWE Stars Want to Wrestle Fury
Heavyweight Boxing Champion Tyson Fury & WWE Champion Drew McIntyre
The “Gypsy King” has become a dream matchup for several top talents in the WWE. Both Fury and Drew McIntyre have teased wanting to have a match against each other in 2020. In an interview with The Sun, Big E has also expressed intrigue about a possible Wrestlemania match between himself and the WBC Heavyweight Champion.
“Of course, that’s just rumors and speculation, but I think he’s going to find a way to get back into WWE soon. That’s what we do at WrestleMania. It’s about theatrics, entertainment and being larger-than-life. So, if we are going to do it, that would be the place to do it,” said Big E. He continued, “So I am open to a Tyson Fury WrestleMania match. As absurd as it may be to some, it would be a lot of fun.” (h/t SEScoops’s Anutosh Bajpai).
Before Fury can return to WWE, he will defend his WBC and The Ring Heavyweight Championship against Dillian Whyte on Apr. 23. He also teased fighting UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou in MMA. It’s unclear when he wants to return to the WWE, but he believes fans haven’t seen the last of him wrestling.
Drew McIntyre has detailed what his initial reaction was to the gnarly bump Madcap Moss took in their match at the Elimination Chamber event.
On Feb. 19, McIntyre and Moss had a singles match inside the Jeddah Super Dome in Saudi Arabia. At one point during the match, McIntyre hit a reverse Alabama Slam and Moss landed awkwardly on his head and neck.
There was a look of concern on the face of Happy Corbin and referee Jessika Carr immediately checked on Madcap Moss. The good news is, Moss was able to finish the match and he was reportedly feeling fine after being checked out by WWE’s medical staff.
McIntyre’s Initial Reaction
The folks at In The Kliq got a chance to speak with Drew McIntyre and asked him about the scary bump. McIntyre said he didn’t know just how bad it looked initially (h/t Wrestling Inc).
“I didn’t realize how bad it was, but I saw the clip back. I understand that, let’s just say, he zigged when he should have zagged. The move didn’t go the way it’s supposed to go. I was aware of that, but I did not realize how bad it was. And the fact that you know, he was okay. I did double-check that. I could see it in his eyes he was good. He was double-checking to make sure he could finish the match and after the fact, the necessary precautions were taken, and thankfully now he’s all good.”
McIntyre has been feuding with Moss and Corbin in the leadup to WrestleMania. The former two-time WWE Champion made his return at the Royale Rumble after being taken out by Moss and Corbin in storyline.
The reality was McIntyre needed a short break to heal from a neck injury.
Drew McIntyre has given his take on Cesaro and WWE failing to come to terms on a new deal.
Cesaro had been with WWE since 2011 when he competed under the FCW developmental system. Throughout his run with the company, Cesaro held the United States Championship and was a seven-time tag team titleholder.
Earlier this month, PWInsider reported that Cesaro “quietly” made his exit from WWE when his contract expired. He doesn’t have a non-compete clause since he was never released.
Drew McIntyre’s Take On Cesaro’s Exit
Appearing as a guest on the In The Kliq podcast, Drew McIntyre shared his view on Cesaro’s departure from WWE (h/t Fightful).
“That’s a shame. So many people come and go from the company. I’m one of them, and we always see each other down the line, but it sucks more when it’s a friend and somebody that you really want to wrestle.
“That was my number one match, I think it was his number one match. We’ve both and wrestling for 20 years, but never had a singles match. So we’re gonna be a bit longer, it’ll happen eventually. But, you know, he’s got his family. He’s got his new kid, and he’s going to be just fine. He is far too talented not to be.”
It’ll be interesting to see where Cesaro will go from here. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that negotiations with WWE could reopen. Of course, companies such as AEW may be on the table as well as NJPW, and Impact Wrestling. There’s always the indies as well.
Drew McIntyre says his speedy return can be attributed to the mentality John Cena has used during rehab.
McIntyre was briefly out of action due to a neck injury. It didn’t take long for the former two-time WWE Champion to get back on the horse, however. He ended up making his return at the Royal Rumble event and had a singles match with Madcap Moss at Elimination Chamber.
Drew McIntyre’s Impressive Recovery
Drew McIntyre made an appearance on the Sports Guys Talk Wrestling podcast and said he took the “John Cena approach” in order to speed up the recovery process.
“They dropped a lighting rig on my head and I came back three and a half weeks later. I think everybody, including the doctor, was surprised at how soon I was able to come back. They told me, ‘You’re not making the Rumble. WrestleMania is possible, but let’s say it’s unlikely right now.’
“‘Okay Doc, no problem. I went straight to rehab and I’ve always had the John Cena approach to rehab with every injury. What’s the most I can do for maximum benefit? ‘Well, you could come twice a day for six days a week, but that would be crazy.’
“‘Done.’ I did that, rehab-wise, twice a day, six days a week, while also working out, so three times a day, six days a week, take Sunday off. When I saw the doctor a few weeks later, they were like, ‘Alright, wow, you’re a cyborg, probably why you were called the Scottish Terminator. I guess you’re ready to go.”
McIntyre has been involved in a feud with Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin. As mentioned, McIntyre has already defeated Moss and is now turning his attention to Corbin.
Drew McIntyre is feeling the love from the WWE Universe.
McIntyre was heavily relied on by WWE during the COVID-19 pandemic era. During that time, fans weren’t allowed in attendance and WWE had to resort to creating a ThunderDome, utilizing a virtual crowd.
McIntyre became a two-time WWE Champion in the midst of the pandemic.
“These days, now that we can walk down the street, it’s pretty cool. It’s mostly, ‘Thank you,’ for the time period when obviously the world had shut down and every sport and entertainment company had went down and WWE gave the world an escape with some original content and I was WWE Champion at the time.
“[I was] kind of the face of WWE during that time and it’s amazing. Sometimes they’ll do these virtual Q&A’s or sometimes in person now where people can ask any question they want and usually, they took the time to thank myself and WWE and the WWE superstars for that time period and giving them that escape. So, that’s really cool.”
McIntyre remains a top player in WWE. He and Brock Lesnar were the remaining participants in this year’s Royal Rumble event. Lesnar ended up winning the match and he will go on to headline WrestleMania 38.
Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article
WWE has written Drew McIntyre off TV with the hopes that he could heal from his neck injury and be back in time for WrestleMania 38.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter talked about the former WWE champion recently and provided some minor updates on his condition.
According to him, McIntyre’s neck has been ‘bothering him for months’ and he would have required a ‘major surgery’ if nothing was done about it.
The officials hope that the damage is not too bad and this rest will help him be back in time for WrestleMania 38.
However, the plan is to have the neck looked at extensively. Nothing can be said about his future with certainty until Drew McIntyre has had his issues diagnosed properly.
Meltzer noted how the timing for this break was not in the favor of the officials because SmackDown has no other full-time top babyface.
Drew McIntyre competed most recently at the Day 1 PPV earlier this month. He defeated Madcap Moss in a singles match.
The match was followed by a backstage segment where the Scottish Warrior was attacked by Moss and Baron Corbin to write him off TV for the foreseeable future.
Drew McIntyre was victorious on Saturday night at WWE Day 1 in Atlanta, defeating Madcap Moss in a match that went right around 10 minutes. Following the match, there was a backstage segment where McIntyre was attacked by Moss and Baron Corbin.
According to a report from PWInsider, the backstage attack was to write-off McIntyre from television for the time being while he undergoes testing on a neck injury that he has been working through for a few weeks.
Right now, it’s not known how severe his neck injury is or how much time he will miss. The hope is that it will be a short-term situation, but one WWE source told PWInsider that everything is “up in the air” right now. The company is trying to be pro-active with the situation by writing McIntyre off television to have testing done now. McIntyre was reportedly wearing a neck brace when he left the arena in Atlanta tonight.
Despite being injured, McIntyre has been working twice as hard lately. Literally. On some of the recent WWE live events, McIntyre has actually been working two matches on the shows. He was starting out the events tagging with Sheamus against the Usos, then later facing Sheamus in Street Fights on the same show after Sheamus turned on him in the tag matches.
McIntyre figures to be one of the top names on SmackDown for WrestleMania season should he be available and healthy. Coming out of Brock Lesnar’s WWE Championship victory at Day 1, there are multiple directions the company could take with Roman Reigns.
Most are expecting Reigns vs. Lesnar soon after the match was cancelled at WWE Day 1 due to Reigns testing positive for COVID-19. If that match happens at the Royal Rumble or Saudi Arabia show in February, it could leave Reigns open for a match with someone other than Lesnar at WrestleMania (Lesnar vs. Lashley has been hinted at as a Mania match). McIntyre could be a possible Reigns opponent should he be available. Honestly, there aren’t a lot of other options for him on SmackDown given the lack of depth at the top of the card.
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From winning the Royal Rumble to main eventing WrestleMania and defeating Brock Lesnar for the world title, Drew McIntyre has achieved a lot of things in the last couple of years which is a goal for many wrestlers.
The former WWE champion made his wrestling debut in 2003 and he has been a part of the industry for almost 2 decades. However, even after this, he has no plans of hanging his boots anytime soon.
McIntyre was asked how long he plans to continue wrestling during a recent interview with Fansided. Replying to it, he claimed that he will be here as long as he can:
“I ain’t going anywhere, I’ll be here as long as I possibly can. I’m 36 years old, everybody thinks I am in my mid-40’s because I debuted when I was so young. I still have at least 10 years in me. Don’t count me out yet.”
Drew McIntyre was also inquired about a potential encounter with the Universal champion Roman Reigns and he claimed that it’s his eventual goal.
However, McIntyre mentioned how he lost a couple of big matches on Raw before moving to SmackDown. He explained that he wants to wait and build himself back up to the level where people start demanding the match.
Former two-time WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has one match in mind that he would turn back the clock for to watch live.
McIntyre is one of WWE’s top stars but of course, he’s also a wrestling fan at heart. There is a slew of matches from different promotions that one could point to and watch back.
For McIntyre, one WWE classic is enough for him to want to go back in time to watch live.
Stone Cold vs. Bret Hart Is Drew McIntyre’s Pick
(via WWE)
During an appearance on WWE’s The Bump, a fan asked Drew McIntyre which match he’d use a time machine for to see live.
McIntyre admitted it wasn’t an easy question to answer but his pick is Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart from WrestleMania 13.
“Oh man, there’s too many. I was there for Shawn and Taker at Mania, which was amazing to watch live.
“I’ll go with Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin from WrestleMania 13. That’s a match that I still watch to this day often and it stands the test of time, which not all matches do.
“Such unbelievable competitors, storytelling, and a double turn at the end. It was just a perfect, perfect match.”
That match took place back in March 1997 and is still talked about by those in the wrestling industry and fans.
From the blood dripping down Austin’s face, to him passing out rather than tapping to the Sharpshooter, and the double turn as Drew mentioned, this match has gone down in history as one for the ages.
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Former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre is looking to beef up his move set just in time for WrestleMania season.
McIntyre has been with WWE on-and-off since around 2007. You don’t get career longevity like that without constantly improving yourself.
The Scottish SmackDown star recently spoke with The Daily Record about the ongoing effort to stay in shape, refine his character and stay relevant.
Prior to re-signing with WWE in 2017, McIntyre said he didn’t like what he saw in the mirror. He had a deep conversation with his wife and realized he wasn’t giving his all, in terms of his training. He cut back on his drinking and got himself into the best shape of his life.
“I needed to look like I could beat up Brock Lesnar,” McIntyre recalls. “I didn’t believe it, so I started putting in the work like crazy and eating properly.”
McIntyre has an incredible physique. He’s learned what works and what doesn’t. Of course, it’s important for him to put in serious hours at the gym. However, he believes it’s “100% true” that staying in shape is mostly about diet, not training.
We are less than four months out from WrestleMania 38. WrestleMania season is about to kick into high gear and Drew McIntyre is already working on improving his move-set. In fact, he’s working on a new move that he hopes will bring him another championship in 2022.
“I’m really proud my headbutt is know as the Glasgow Kiss,” he said. “Now, the world knows about the Glasgow kiss. I’m working on a new one when I threw the guy across the ring. Thinking I might call it the Highland Fling.”
Visit the Daily Record to read their full interview with Drew McIntyre.
