Drew McIntyre Reveals the Deepest Fear He Had for His Royal Rumble Victory Back in 2020

The biggest pop came when Hall of Famer Edge made his shocking return as the No. 21 entrant. For the unversed, ‘The Rated-R Superstar’ stepped back into the ring for the first time in nine years, and the arena exploded in disbelief and pure joy. 

The former 11-time World Champion had retired in 2011 after undergoing triple fusion neck surgery, and no one ever expected to see him wrestle again. However, the Canadian legend’s return briefly worried McIntyre. 

He feared that the WWE Universe might turn on him and rally behind the returning legend instead. Speaking on the No-Contest Wrestling podcast, McIntyre opened up about his concerns. 

I was concerned that people were going to boo because Edge had returned. I was a babyface. An organic babyface — good guy. People were getting behind me so big at that time, but it’s freaking Edge. He was gone for nine years. And I was like, ‘Oh, no. We’ve seen this with Roman. We’ve seen it with Batista in the past, where the good guy wins and they get booed out of the building.’

Drew McIntyre via No-Contest Wrestling podcast

McIntyre was referring to Roman Reigns’ 2015 Rumble win, when fans famously booed even after The Rock appeared to endorse him, and Batista’s 2014 victory, when the crowd wanted Daniel Bryan and CM Punk instead. Thankfully, the same didn’t happen to McIntyre. The fans stayed firmly behind him all the way to the finish.

That’s going to be me. I eliminated Brock. 40,000 people went crazy. What a feeling. I eliminated Roman at the end, and the same exact reaction happened. And it was just unreal that people had said, ‘That’s our guy.’ I felt like I’d finally crashed through to that next level.

Drew McIntyre via No-Contest Wrestling podcast

McIntyre would go on to defeat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36 to capture his first WWE Championship, a crowning achievement that, although it took place inside an empty Performance Center due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cemented his legacy as one of WWE’s top stars.

Moreover, McIntyre’s stock skyrocketed following his Royal Rumble triumph, as he went on to carry WWE through the Thunderdome era, engaging in memorable rivalries with stars like Randy Orton and Bobby Lashley.

It was a remarkable turnaround for the Scotsman, who had returned to WWE in 2017 after being released years earlier following an underwhelming first run. His comeback and eventual rise to the top proved to be one of the most inspiring redemption stories in modern wrestling history.

Drew McIntyre reveals he almost joined NJPW back in 2017

Drew McIntyre has been a cornerstone of the WWE roster for eight years now, from his impressive return run in NXT to his numerous rivalries and title programs across Raw and SmackDown since rejoining the main roster in 2018. However, the Scot almost didn’t make his way back to the Stamford-based company.

In 2017, after a highly successful run on the independent circuit and in TNA, McIntyre, then wrestling under his real name, Drew Galloway, was actually preparing to head to Japan. He was on the verge of signing with New Japan Pro Wrestling, which was thriving at the time. 

This was because of the legendary rivalry between Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada, the rise of The Bullet Club, a newly independent Cody Rhodes, and Japanese icons like Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito, Katsuyori Shibata, and Hiromu Takahashi.

For McIntyre, who had been released from WWE in 2014 after an underwhelming first run that featured an Intercontinental Title reign and a stint in the comedic faction 3MB, Japan seemed like the perfect next step. But a last-minute phone call changed everything.

In a recent interview with No-Contest Wrestling, McIntyre revealed that William Regal intervened and connected him with Triple H, who was then overseeing the NXT brand. 

In 2017, when I returned to WWE, I was ready to go to New Japan at that point. That’s where my head was at. I spoke to the right people to start having the serious conversations, and Regal told me, ‘You’ve got to talk to him, talk to Hunter first, go talk to Paul first,’ and it was one minute into the conversation I knew it was time to come back.

Drew McIntyre via No-Contest Wrestling podcast

McIntyre officially returned to WWE in April 2017, and only a few months later, he became NXT Champion by defeating Bobby Roode at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III. He later dropped the title to Andrade at NXT WarGames that November, paving the way for his main roster comeback in 2018, kicking off one of the company’s most inspiring redemption stories.

Since then, McIntyre has had iconic rivalries with Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, Seth Rollins , and Randy Orton. His run includes two world title victories, defeating Lesnar at WrestleMania 36 and Rollins at WrestleMania 40, as well as major championships across the globe. 

Moreover, he has held titles in TNA, EVOLVE, and Dragon Gate USA, and he’s even a legend and Hall of Famer in his home country’s promotion, Scotland’s ICW.

Currently, McIntyre is locked in a heated feud with Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship, with the two set to clash at Saturday Night’s Main Event in what promises to be another defining moment in his storied