WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre carried WWE through the ThunderDome/Pandemic Era and recently sat down with Rasslin’ with Brandon F. Walker to talk more about the past year of his career. McIntyre had plenty to say about numerous topics, check out the highlights below.
On having fans at WrestleMania this year:
Obviously you mention the buildup to it was interesting. We almost got rained out at times and I was trying to keep myself motivated and in the right frame of mind. But at the same time, just seeing the weather going on, and people being asked to leave the stadium [then to] come back inside, oh my goodness. Last year I’m fighting for the title and there is a worldwide pandemic, and this year I’m fighting for the title and we’re about to get rained out, there must be some kind of jinx. And as it gets closer to showtime and finally we start on time, we’re on the stage and I was actually supposed to be at the front of the stage, but somebody was standing in my spot. And I went, ‘Yes, perfect. I want to blend into the background.’ So, I kind of hid during the anthem as best as I could, because I didn’t want to look up and didn’t want to feel the crowd until it was time for my entrance, because I knew I was the first one walking out. I didn’t look at the crowd, obviously I could hear them, and the people around me were excited, the fellow superstars were jumping around and making noise. But I tried my best to drown everything out. Because I was like, ‘Nope, nope. I’ve waited one year, one month, and one day, and I’m the first one out here. I’m not experiencing it until I walk out for my entrance.’ So, I head to the back, I’m the first one through the back, and I hear, ‘Drew, there is a 40-minute delay.’
On what he thinks is his best feud in his career:
Thus far I think it’s Randy Orton. We spent four months with each other and that was my ultimate test of, ‘Can I step up to Randy Orton’s level on the microphone, in the ring as a storyteller, and can I hang with the best in the game?’ And that was such an important development and stage for me, keeping up with Randy and proving myself, and cementing myself at the top of the mountain. But Lashley and I are so similar and are at similar levels, and are trying to pull each other up through our work. And every time we get in there together it is easy. We know we can lay it in to each other any way we want. We can make people question do we like each other. And at times, we don’t. You can tell just by watching our matches sometimes on Monday Night Raw. You know, you can put us in there with not as much time as a WrestleMania, but you know you’re going to get a hard-hitting and exciting match for the duration of Lashley vs. McIntyre together. And keeping that storyline progressing, and adding wrinkles, like Braun Strowman, in keeps things interesting.
On Bobby Lashley being verbal to the roster about stepping up their game:
I’m always challenging our roster to step up, and I had been since before I won the title. But my big thing was not directly telling everybody, you know, do as I say, not as I do. I tried to lead through my actions and I made sure every single time I was in the ring, and I always wrestled this way, but in particular now the WWE Champion is out there and he is laying everything in and he is bringing this believable style. And if you’re in the ring with him you have to be able to step up to his standard, because if you don’t step up to my standard in that ring then I’ll eat you alive, quite frankly, inside that ring.
You can listen to the entire interview below.
Thanks to Wrestling Inc. for providing transcriptions
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