Drew McIntyre - WrestleMania may be his destiny, but sheer determination got him there
Main-eventing WrestleMania might be Drew McIntyre's destiny, but sheer determination got him there.
At the Royal Rumble, Drew McIntyre made history when he became the first-ever British Royal Rumble winner. And, the Scottish Psychopath may just make history this weekend when he takes on Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. Unforeseen circumstances, though, could see that crowning moment take place in an empty arena.
McIntyre's meteoric rise, though, hasn't been so unprecedented.
Ever since being released from WWE in June 2014, the Scotsman has taken his destiny into his own hands. From returning to ICW and elevating the promotion to monumental heights, to winning the IMPACT World Championship - McIntyre has done it all. Not only this, but he's also returned to WWE to become NXT Champion and even be involved in a tag team match with The Undertaker!
If you've followed the rise of Drew McIntyre ever since his initial release from WWE, his "sudden" stardom may be no surprise. But that doesn't make it any less satisfying to see.
As a Scotsman myself and one who's watched McIntyre wrestle in near-empty venues before, over the past few years, I've asked several big names about the Ayrshire athlete's potential. Every single one of them have almost built the Insane Championship Wrestling Hall of Famer up for this moment.
In fact, almost two years ago, the first-ever wrestling interview I'd conducted was with WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page. DDP told me how Drew McIntyre drove seven hours from Tampa, Florida up to Atlanta, Georgia to work out with him because he was so determined to make it right to the top.
"When people say, "Who is your guy? Who do you think's going to be the next big star to come out of the new guys coming up?" There's no question."
Towards the tail-end of last year, I caught up with Dallas again and asked if McIntyre was still the next big thing. DDP revealed that WWE just had to start letting Drew McIntyre be himself, much in the same way they did with Steve Austin when he became Stone Cold - and this is something McIntyre would later praise Paul Heyman for.
One other man who would share those exact same sentiments is fellow WWE Hall of Famer, and WWE's Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development - Triple H!
I asked The Game at the turn of the year whether 2020 would be the year McIntyre became WWE Champion.
"I think it's a possibility. Drew has had an incredible run, started off at such a young age, and he's still so young now and he's kind of just coming into his own now as a performer, really. I told him that the sky is the limit for him. He left for a while, he had to go clear himself out and realise what he wanted, and step away and come back even better."
Triple H would reiterate the one thing that anyone who's ever worked with McIntyre points out - his determination and work ethic.
"He's an incredibly hard worker and he's as serious as serious can be. He wants to be the best in the world and, when you have that type of attitude and that strong work ethic, absolutely, it's a possibility."
Just a couple of weeks later, ahead of the Royal Rumble, I added a third Hall of Famer to that list when Kurt Angle revealed how McIntyre has done "a great job" and that this year would indeed be his year.
"I can't guarantee anything but I think Drew McIntyre might end up being World Champion by the end of 2020.”
It isn't just Hall of Famers, though, that McIntyre's success has made a huge impression on, and maybe no-one more so than fellow ICW legend Grado! Following McIntyre's return to Scotland to spearhead Insane Championship Wrestling into the mainstream, the promotion would sell out Glasgow's SECC venue with McIntyre and Grado in the main event scene, and Mick Foley as special guest commissioner!
The show went down in history as the largest independent British wrestling event in 30 years at the time and still lives on in the memory of many as hosting one of the greatest moments in ICW history. Grado told me how Drew orchestrated one of the greatest moments in his career that very night.
"Drew is the best guy in the world to wrestle, I learned so much from him. I'm not the most technically gifted wrestler in the world by any means. He helped make me look like a star."
The 5,000-capacity crowd would witness the crowning of a new ICW World Heavyweight Champion that night, but McIntyre played a pivotal role in the reaction that followed.
"You heard The Rock say in the papers the other week that he is the next big thing, and he definitely is. Big, handsome guy, promo skills, that f***ing stupid accent. But other than that, he's an absolute monster and he's a star."
One other man I had the pleasure of speaking with about McIntyre is another close friend of the Scotsman and a former WWE Champion in Sheamus!
Back in January, Sheamus told me how McIntyre was set for the biggest year of his career in 2020. Shortly after, the former NXT Champion won the Royal Rumble.
Just a couple of weeks ago, I caught up with The Celtic Warrior again and he was emphatic in his prediction for WrestleMania!
"I have no doubt in my mind that Drew will walk away WWE World Heavyweight Champion. It has to happen. It has to happen. It just has to happen. It has to! Brock's won it so many times, I don't think Brock's going anywhere, but when you saw Drew staring down at Brock Lesnar, that was pretty awesome, fella. That was really really cool. Drew looking down at him. For the first time ever, Brock looks vulnerable."
Sadly, if Drew McIntyre does make history and become the first-ever Scottish and British WWE Champion at WrestleMania, he'll do so in an empty arena.
A far cry from the scenes during his Royal Rumble triumph - not just in the building, but in a pub in Glasgow that contained more people than McIntyre had wrestled in front of many times in his home country. And, bizarrely almost 300 more than he'll wrestle in front of at WrestleMania.
While it feels like such a history-making moment should happen in front of a sold-out crowd, one thing is for sure. If Drew McIntyre wins the WWE Championship at WrestleMania, not only will it be unforgettable - but it'll be a fitting prize for years of blood, sweat, tears, hard work and determination.
The true story of redemption for a man who was watching WrestleMania on a big screen in a local nightclub with myself and a couple of hundred other Glaswegians after being released from WWE just five years ago.
WrestleMania 36 is The Only WrestleMania Too Big For Just One Night. You can watch on April 4 AND April 5 from midnight on the WWE Network, which costs £9.99 a month and includes a library of WWE content on-demand or get a free 30-day trial.