During a recent interview with Newsweek, Drew McIntyre commented on working a match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36, getting to work with Roman Reigns, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On working with Roman Reigns: “It’s crazy. To watch Roman go from an FCW developmental… I remember one of his earliest matches when I went down to FCW, and I was about 25 at the time so around nine years ago. And I was in a tag match with him and the trainers told me to keep an eye on this guy, he’s going to be good. But I didn’t realize how good he would become and how far he would go. I was away from the company for a few years and came back and had the opportunity to be around him and work with him. And I was “wow this guy has advanced faster than anyone I’ve been around.” I was learning from him even though I’ve been around a lot longer than him, and I was actually learning from Roman. So I was like “Ok this guy really gets it.” Obviously it’s in his blood and he’s such a phenomenal performer and leader I can learn a thing or two about this guy. I was the big feud for him coming back from his illness, and we got a lot of time to work together and he was helping me out to learn how to be a top-level WWE Superstar. And one year later it’s crazy that I got to eliminate him last from the Royal Rumble and now we’re both going for our respective titles. If I can be a champion like Roman has been it’s something to be proud of.”
On what he learned from Reigns about performing at a main event level: “Yeah there’s a lot of nuances that he mastered. A lot of people can get good at this job and get a crowd to react. And when I say react I mean clap their hands for that particular moment or match and have people truly invested and care about you. The room feels different when you walk into it, that’s a true top-level superstar. Like I said, even though he hasn’t been doing it as long as myself, a lot of people around at the time [felt] it was in his blood and he got it very quickly. And it’s about how you present yourself as that top-level superstar It worked for so many of the legends in this business, and he was a sponge the whole way. He got the opportunity to work with a lot of guys who aren’t around anymore, and to have that knowledge that was passed onto him passed onto me, he was willing to teach.”
On his NXT run: “Being in NXT was what I wanted to do. It was by choice. It was Triple H’s vision for me to return to NXT and his NXT brand. That was the only place I was willing to return to, and just because I’ve been gone for awhile. I didn’t re-sign with TNA. New Japan was on my mind. Had it not [been] for a 40-minute phone call with Triple H, during that call he said a lot of positive things. He was keeping an eye on me. He was very proud that I was finally living up to my potential and what himself and Mr. McMahon saw in me all those years ago. But during that call I made my feelings very clear that I wanted to be in NXT, and he made it clear that was his thoughts, to reintroduce me to the WWE and show them who Drew is now. The NXT fans are the hardcore fans. They know what I’ve done outside the company, so that was a very good place to reintroduce Drew but at the same time be a leader and teach everybody around me the things that I did well and not to make the same mistakes that I did. So I really thrived and loved to be a champion and leader down there before I got sent to RAW.”
On NXT Takeover: Tampa’s cancellation: “I’m sure they feel the same [as the main roster is about WrestleMania]: a little disappointed that it’s not going down as they envisioned it, but again very proud to give the people something to look forward to. Takeovers are something I look forward to personally. Every match they always knock it out of the park. Everybody who is lucky enough to be on a Takeover realizes that they are very lucky because there are so many people at the PC. When I was there, I was there for a year, and when I was injured I was going down there to work with Shawn Michaels. I would meet about 200-300 people every time I was down there. So many people at the PC it’s unbelievable, and if you’re lucky enough to get on a Takeover you’ve earned it and deserve it. I know those guys give it a 110 percent at every Takeover. And I believe they’re going to do [the Takeover matches] on Wednesdays, and I know they are going to knock it out of the park and I’m excited.”
On how he’s dealing with his big WrestleMania match not being what he envisioned: “I’ve been thinking about this. It came to me as I was talking in a prior interview. After cooling off and putting the stamp on an 18-year career, becoming WWE Champion, the first British WWE Champion. How is it going to be sitting in that ring, potentially, by myself with the title? And the way I described it earlier was, you have your moment with the crowd, adrenaline is pumping high, you go to the back, everyone is there. You go to the locker room, everyone is there. You get congratulations and eventually everyone leaves and you’re going to come down and after I’m last, I’m the last one to leave the locker room. And when I finally get to that hotel room and you’re with your significant other, in my case my wife, and finally once you’re alone, that’s when the real emotions come out. And I can imagine this particular situation being something like that. Like you get a peek at you when you’re away from the public. I’m not the most emotional person in the world, but after winning the Royal Rumble I got emotional because it was such a huge moment for me. And I get a flash of everything I’ve been through to this stage. But this time, in the ring by myself, you’re really going to get a glimpse of what happens when we get back to the hotel. And the hotel room closes and you’re staring at the title and I know a lot of other people are going to be worried about their entrance and how they react afterwards, celebrating, etc, but that’s what I would say. Do what you always do, relax, be in the moment and the cameras are going to pick everything up, so just pretend you’re in that hotel room afterwards and just let the world in, and whatever real emotion comes out, comes out.”
On what the match means to him and his career: “It’s not what I expected but I’m past that now. I’m just very proud to be a part of something so big, and hopefully the world will be able to watch and get their mind off of what’s going on right now. And the idea that I can be a champion during this time is a big deal for me. There have been down times in WWE. There have been wrestlers like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Diesel who were champions when there were tough times for WWE. But this is not just a down time for WWE, it’s a down time for the world. And I want to be that champion, be that positive story that puts a smile on people’s faces. If I can win that title and tell that 19-year journey and tell that story and the build up I got to tell that story, I can be that guy at the end of the night who can put a smile on their faces. That would mean the world to me. That would be my moment. And when we’re all back together and I get to raise that title, that will be our wrestling moment.”
