Drew McIntyre is the first ever British WWE world champion and is enjoying a lot of success at the top of the WWE. He faces a big challenge heading into Backlash in the way of a reinvigorated Bobby Lashley but before then the Scottish champ sat down with a group of journalists, including us to discuss all things Drew McIntyre.
The WWE Champion discussed many things including a possible match against Undertaker, the potentially leaving Drake Maverick, his Backlash opponent, the bullying of Alexa Bliss and Hana Kimura and his advice to the recently released WWE Superstars. Here's a selection of some of the questions and answers in the interview!
Drew McIntyre on wrestling with Undertaker and possibly facing 'The Deadman' in the future
Asked by Kenny McIntosh of Inside The Ropes
"I'm all about moments these days rather than just necessarily the moves in there and the moves are cool. It's good to have a good match but it's all about the story, those moments. And I suggested to Taker, I don't know if you remember the one point we come face to face in the match and he was cool with that and I could hear the crowd rumbling and then at the very end, for the finish, we did the throat slash, and I appeared up behind them. And that was a couple of cool moments. "
"And I may have dropped in the conversation, it was a certain match we were hoping to have about 10 years ago. And, you know, kind of what I'm capable of these days. You know how I think these days. And I think he seems pretty keen that we could do something down the line and fingers crossed that match happens because I really think we'll do something special."
Drew McIntyre on who could be the second British world champion in WWE
Asked by Andrew Spoors of Rushonrock
"I've not thought about it. I'm so concerned about staying first British champion for the next 20 years if possible. I reckon Pete Dunn has obviously done a great job thus far so has everybody has NXT UK, the British superstars over here. I'm just amazed with the representation we have. I reckon Pete, you know, he gets a good response from the crowd, is very good and the ring, he's incredibly young. I think he's gonna have a good shot to be number two, but don't be surprised if someone else jumps in there also, because there's so much talent."
Drew McIntyre on wrestling without fans in the crowd
Asked by Paul Wycherly
"I think for a match perspective you really got to think about and change it up and maybe don't sit on those slow holds for too long and try to keep the pace going. While also try to tell your story the same time so match-wise definitely has required a lot more thinking I hit harder. "
"From the promo wise I think it's a very good time, if you know your character, to get your character out there and have people invested in you and you know. WWE at it's heart is all storytelling and characters. I think with the attention fully on you, with like nobody shouting over you, that spotlight's on you. If you're able to really embrace that character. You know who you are. You're able to educate everybody exactly who you are, by the time the crowds come back. They're gonna be care about you a lot more."
Drew McIntyre on facing Bobby Lashley at Backlash
Asked by Paul Wycherly
"I don't get paid by the hour. So hopefully I can beat him in five minutes too. But, yeah, Lashley's more focused than he's ever been. He's a huge guy, a strong guy, a fast guy. He's undefeated, like you say in the MMA world - Bellator and he's the kind of Lashley that I've been hoping to see you on WWE TV. "
"The soap opera wedding stuff is for some people, it's not for me. The show should be a lot of different entertaining things for everybody. But Bobby Lashley is not that, he's a killer. The partnership with MVP and Lashley is exactly the perfect period to bring out the real Lashley. He's been on a different level these past few weeks. I felt it on Monday, or brawling with each other. I don't know how anybody has been in the cage with that man And and I know at Backlash if Edge and Randy Orton are going to have the greatest match ever, Bobby Lashley Drew McIntyre are going to have the greatest fight ever. Ever."
Drew McIntyre on a potential clash with former 3MB partner Jinder Mahal
Asked by Jerry Coughlan at Sports Matters
"I think there should be. It should be at WrestleMania or any pay per view as long as there's the appropriate build and appropriate story told for the fans to invest. It's not just 'Oh, we're both in the 3MB'. There's so much more to it than that. There's what happened in the ring and especially what happened out the ring that people don't know about and our personal private lives of what was going on at the time especially with me, and he was there the whole time."
"Both getting fired and then me trying to get out there in the independents and make my name and he went off and really, kind of, gave up, stopped working out and then turned his life around get back to WWE. He became WWE champion before me, wasn't exactly as universally praised as when I finally won the WWE championship. So there's so many possible layers to the story that the world have seen on television and have not seen that could really make for one of the most memorable feuds of all time. We have so much material"
Drew McIntyre on his advice to the recently released Superstars having been released himself and then returning to the company to become champion
Asked by us
"I mean, I've been speaking to a few of them. And anyone I've not spoken to that hears this, feel free to reach out to me, please. But this is the opportunity to really reinvent yourself. And if you had a vision of yourself that you weren't able to bring to the table in WWE, obviously the WWE machine's constantly moving, it's very difficult to reinvent yourself within the system. And I couldn't be who I am today without my time away, I wouldn't have learned what I've learned without my time away."
"So I say just have a look at yourself, be honest, like 'who am I, what do I want to show the world' and put that plan together right now you during this time because the world is going to open up. And the independent scene is the healthiest it's been in, Id' say ever to be honest. Just the level of talent around the world, incredible companies around the world. And if you have something to bring to the table and you are truly good at your job, you truly love this job, you're going to have the best time, you're gonna make money you're gonna make a lot of fans."
"Eventually if you choose to, you're probably back in WWE. So if you believe in yourself the way I believed in myself, go out, have that fun, learn those lessons, get better wherever your weak areas are. One day you could be sitting there with the WWE championship."
Drew McIntyre on Hana Kimura and Alexa Bliss receiving abuse online
Asked by Gary Cassidy of Sportskeeda
"There are so many, you know, scenarios and situations around the world that are incredibly upsetting. I don't think that Drew McIntyre is the person that should be speaking on it. And I think you should just ask yourself 'would I like if somebody said that to me, no.' It's as simple as that. It takes a lot of effort to not be nice, and it doesn't take any effort to be nice. Just be nice"
Drew McIntyre on Drake Maverick possible leaving WWE
Asked by Gary Cassidy of Sportskeeda
"It's the real Drake Maverick. That's the real Spud. He's very, very passionate about this industry. Pretty much, like myself, all he's always wanting to do is give his entire life to it. Again, the situation that he was in he just, put his heart on his sleeve and told the world 'I'm still gonna keep doing this.'"
"He would be successful wherever he went, he's so capable of multiple, multiple different roles, not just in the ring. He's so talented when it comes to you know his mind. He could be writer of the show, he could be helping with characters, he can be on the show, he can be a manager, so multi talented. And I do think going off of the storyline, which he created himself., that he will be around and he's going to have a long future here. And not just on camera, but off camera too."