After months and months of speculation about Drew McIntyre‘s future in professional wrestling, with more than a few (premature) Drew Galloway is #AllElite graphics made by overly eager fans, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made things official on his social media accounts, announcing that the “Scottish Warrior” was sticking around in WWE on a new, long-term deal.
Surprising? Eh, not really, as McIntyre has been utilized better in the last three months than he had in the two previous years combined, but still, until it was officially set, fans had to speculate about what was going on in the “Scottish Warrior’s” mind, especially considering he has friends far and wide across the industry at darn-near every company you can think of.
Well, as it turns out, there was never any real free agency consideration within McIntyre, as, per his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, he never planned to go anywhere else.
“We’re making billion-dollar deals left and right. The billion-dollar man Nick Khan is closing all these deals for us, left and right. At the top, there is a lot of things going on, a lot of opportunities if you get to the top. I’ve been to the top, and whatever people are trying to do to stop me from getting to the top, it’s not going to happen. I know this industry too well. I’ve figured out backstage. If you try to politic ahead of me, I’ll beat you down, and I’ll get myself ahead of you. I know how this game works. I’m too big and wise,” Drew McIntyre told Pat McAfee via Fightful.
“That’s why I’m staying with WWE for the foreseeable future. I wasn’t going to go anywhere, for anybody out there who was unsure, reading those internet rumors or whatever. We were in a place where I had to get things right for my family. I got with Nick Khan and Triple H, they were so understanding. We got things right for the future. Drew McIntyre was never going to go away from WWE. It’s awesome that The Rock made the announcement. It’s the first thing he’s done for anybody on our roster, ‘Drew McIntyre has re-signed with WWE.”
Would it have been appointment viewing to see McIntyre debut in AEW, New Japan Pro Wrestling, or even back in TNA for his second post-WWE run on the indies? Sure, considering his current gimmick is that of a certified hater, watching him pull off a pipe bomb promo on Punk, WWE, and both of their fickle fanbases would have had all-time great potential. Still, McIntyre staying in WWE feels like the right call, as it’s clear his feud with the “Second City Saint” hasn’t even come close to reaching its full potential.
Drew McIntyre comments on breaking his elbow at WrestleMania 40.
Elsewhere on The Pat McAfee Show, Drew McIntyre commented on the condition of his elbow, which he broke at WrestleMania 40 via – according to him, at least – an unprovoked attack from CM Punk after his World Heavyweight Championship win.
“You know what happened at Mania when [CM Punk] attacked me from behind and swept my legs out? He fractured my elbow. Broken bones in it. You know what I did the next day? I wrestled in a four-way match, and I would have won if it wasn’t for CM Punk,” Drew McIntyre told Pat McAfee and co via Fightful. “I’ve been taping up every week. I did a European tour where I wrestled Jey Uso every single night. He’s sitting on his couch, collecting his big paycheck, thinking he can kiss corporate arse and keep cashing those checks while I’m putting in work. Why is the bad guy? Who is the delusional one? Who is the hypocrite?”
Did Punk actually break McIntyre’s arm? Eh, probably not; it’s far more likely the injury happened in the ring at WrestleMania 40 or, even more likely, the very next night on RAW in the four-way match. Still, if it plays into the story, why not embrace it, just like McIntyre did by taking credit for tearing Punk’s triceps in the Royal Rumble, when it could have happened in any number of spots against Cody Rhodes or even someone else. Why? Because even if WWE is officially moving away from the term “Sports Entertainment” and is allowing its Superstars to call themselves wrestlers once more, they are still in the entertainment business, and having these two feud with each other over injuries that have detailed their respective runs is darn entertaining indeed.
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