"Got a bunch of heat for things that weren't even on him"- 39-year-old performer sheds light on Drew McIntyre's failed first run with WWE (Exclusive)
EC3 recently discussed why Drew McIntyre struggled to sustain his momentum and failed to become a top star during his first tenure with WWE.
The Scottish Warrior is one of the global juggernaut's most popular babyfaces. Despite not currently featuring in the title picture, the former two-time WWE Champion is still prominently featured in the company's programming, always eliciting big crowd reactions.
However, this wasn't always the case, as The Chosen One's first run with the Stamford-based company was utterly disappointing.
Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's The Wrestling Outlaws, EC3 first praised McIntyre for reinventing himself during his time away from WWE. He also recalled working with Drew McIntyre in IMPACT Wrestling and FCW (Florida Championship Wrestling), adding that he was proud of his continued success.
"The one thing that I thought was gonna hold him back was because it wasn't going to himself because nobody works as hard to reinvent themselves and come back in the way they want to come back and do such great business in so many places and working with him in IMPACT Wrestling, it was great, very proud of the guy. I know him from FCW," said EC3. [From 0:43 to 1:07]
EC3 stated that he was worried about the "residual heat" of McIntyre's first run with WWE potentially affecting his prospects.
The former IMPACT Wrestling World Champion explained that The Scottish Warrior got "heat" from the locker room during his initial tenure for things he wasn't even directly involved in.
"But I thought the one thing that would hold him [Drew Mcintyre] back in WWE was just the residual heat from the first time. That's the only thing that could have held him back. It was the stupid, dumb, lingering nonsense that meant nothing. I mean, the guy came early; he peaked early. Maybe he didn't know how to interact in the locker room. He got a bunch of heat for things that weren't even on him. Gets thrown away, makes that run in IMPACT Wrestling, in the UK, and then comes back," added EC3. [From 1:07 to 1:42]
Check out the video below:
WWE veteran Vince Russo on resentment in the locker rooms
Furthermore, Vince Russo explained that wrestlers tend to remember even minor things that may have been inadvertently disrespectful.
The former WWE head writer claimed that performers keep a list of all the offenses someone commits against them, be it even negligible ones like not shaking hands backstage and more.
"The thing with wrestlers, they never forget. Something could have happened 20 years that you may not even remember. They don't forget anything. A conversation, a look, you went into the locker room, you don't shake a hand, they don't forget anything. They have these ongoing list of offenses against you. They never forget anything," said Vince Russo. [From 2:00 to 2:30]
Time is running out! At #WWECrownJewel, @DMcIntyreWWE will battle @realKILLERkross in a Steel Cage Match. https://t.co/2gihPOHllz
McIntyre is slated to square off against his arch-nemesis Karrion Kross at Crown Jewel 2022 next Saturday night in a Steel Cage match.
Do you see The Scottish Warrior besting Karrion Kross this time around? Sound off in the comments section below.
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