Drew McIntyre’s rise to the top of WWE was far from straightforward.
After being anointed as the “chosen one” by Vince McMahon, the star failed to establish himself on the main roster before sliding down the card and eventually being released. It was only after a spell on the independent scene and re-joining WWE in 2017, that McIntyre finally fulfilled his potential with the company.
McIntyre initially signed with WWE in 2007 and made a couple of brief appearances on the main roster before appearing in OVW and FCW. The Scottish star arrived on SmackDown properly in 2009 and it was here where McMahon tipped him to become World Champion.
At the time of McIntyre’s call-up from FCW, Freddie Prinze Jr was working as a writer with WWE. Speaking on his Wrestling With Freddie podcast, he recalled McIntyre being moved to the main roster and many within the company wanting the star to drop his Scottish accent, something Prinze Jr was dead set against.
“Bro, they did it to English-speaking dudes like Drew McIntyre. So they did that with Drew McIntyre. When I first worked there, they called him up from FCW and they’re like, ‘You have to lose the accent.’ I was like ‘What? You can’t make him do that. He’s not a trained actor. He’s never worked on his voice. He is a big ass dude from Scotland.”
Drew McIntyre No Longer Advertised For Money In The Bank
Drew McIntyre hasn’t appeared for WWE since competing at WrestleMania 39. While it has been reported that McIntyre is dealing with some kind of undisclosed health issue, it has also been noted this his contract is due to expire in 2023. To add further intrigue, McIntyre and WWE aren’t said to be close to agreeing terms on a new contract.
Meanwhile, McIntyre is no longer being advertised for Money In The Bank in July.
H/t to SEScoops