Many years ago, Drew McIntyre was struggling to find his footing in WWE.
After the initial buzz surrounding Vince McMahon’s hand-picked future WWE Champion wore off, McIntyre was having a hard time becoming the superstar that the chairman hyped him up as. His journey after this period is well-documented, as McIntyre ultimately got released before he later returned and became a world champion.
But in an interview with Alistair McGeorge of Metro.co.uk, McIntyre recalled a underappreciated chapter of this story, as he looked back on how Rey Mysterio once pushed for him and tried to get McMahon to let him help the young star.
“I remember having a match on SmackDown on one time, which went really well – the first time we’d wrestled in a singles match,” said McIntyre. “I wasn’t doing anything significant at the time, my career was on a bit of a downward spiral at the time.
“I really needed to get into a storyline or work with somebody that could get be back on the right path. Rey actually went to Vince himself and told him, ‘You’ve got something with this guy, I’d really love to do something with him.'”
McIntyre noted that Mysterio’s efforts never yielded any chance to work together on-screen, but he still appreciated his intention.
Years later, McIntyre has reached the potential McMahon once saw in him, as he is now a former WWE Champion. Meanwhile, Mysterio is a genuine legend, and he continues to perform on a regular basis. “The Scottish Warrior” made it clear that he wants people to appreciate the fact that Mysterio is still wrestling, and he tries to remind the beloved star that he’s “incredible.”
“When we get to main event and I get a chance to get the microphone, I make sure I reinforce to everybody watching in the back, in the crowd, this is incredible that we still live in a world where Rey Mysterio performs,” said McIntyre. “It’s such a privilege for me to tag with him – and also to remind him how incredible he is, because he’s so frickin’ humble, I think he forgets half the time!”
Both men will perform at WWE WrestleMania 38; McIntyre will battle Happy Corbin, whereas Mysterio will team up with his son, Dominik to face The Miz and Logan Paul.
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