#Drew McIntyre enters Extreme Rules aiming to be WWE’s perfect ‘flawed’ champ

(Edited for length and clarity)

Q: On “The Bump,” Dolph Ziggler teased his stipulation for your match as something we’ve never seen before. When the theme of Extreme Rules is the “The Horror Show,” how unique do you expect his match and stipulation to be?

A: I know it’s going to be unique. I guarantee it’s something that we’ve never seen before because Dolph is a very smart person. He knows that he can’t match up to me physically, so he’s going to try to play those mind games. We saw it with bringing out Heath (Slater) to try and get inside my head.

Whatever stipulation Dolph picks at “The Horror Show at Extreme Rules” is gonna be something that’s going to be really difficult for Drew McIntyre to overcome. If he picks a weapons match he knows already I am the weapon. He’s not going to pick a weapons match. It’s going to be something so outside the box that I got to be ready for it, and he’s probably not going to announce it ’til the night.

Q: How important was teaming with Dolph in 2018 and the success you had to get yourself reestablished in WWE?

A: It was the perfect way to come back to “Monday Night Raw,” being in a team with Dolph. We have a lot of history together. We were in FCW together, we were on “SmackDown” together trying to figure things out when the youth initiative was starting and we were trying to get newer talent over. Dolph and I were trying to navigate the waters at the time.

He’s been here consistently for about 15 years because he’s figured out how to navigate the waters of WWE during the good times and bad. So it was certainly a great learning experience, backstage kind of getting inside Dolph’s head and also on TV. We both think the same way, we both have a huge passion for this industry. I could not think of any better way to come in than with Dolph. And to be honest, I think we got it cut short. There was a lot more left with Dolph and I.

Q: You’ve had two very good pay-per-view matches in a row, including one against Bobby Lashley that many thought was his best match since returning to WWE. How important is that as a new champion to establish to fans that you’re gonna get the best out of the person you are in the ring with?

A: I’m very proud of that fact that I’m trying to elevate everybody that I work with. At the same time, I’m trying to establish myself as champion. I’m still building myself to try to get to that top, top superstar tier level. At the same time as I’m building and establishing myself as a top player, not just on Raw but in WWE, I want to be bringing everybody up to my level on the microphone, in the ring. And that’s cool that Lashley now is at that next level. He has MVP with him as well. That’s a perfect combination.

With Dolph, he came over on a little bit of a losing streak, as I pointed out, when he came from SmackDown. But the past couple weeks, getting a chance to show our real history, for Dolph to be real and also bringing Heath to play those mind games using kind of a real situation. We got one more week of TV and I think Dolph’s going to come out of this match in a better place than he began.

I want to keep elevating everyone that I work with until my goal is to get to Randy Orton, who is someone I’m going to have to work up to, and that’s what I’m excited about.

Q: Do you feel Drew McIntyre needs someone like Randy Orton, who people may see as above him, to raise him up? Why do you think it’s important that Randy Orton is hopefully next for you?

A: He’s on fire right now, he’s firing on all cylinders. He’s giving it everything and he’s operating on another level and the true, true bad guy as well and being someone with so much equity, so established and so good, he’d bring up anybody. And for myself, I feel like if I’m the Batman and I’m kind of messing up all the top villains in Gotham City up until now, again things are going pretty well. Batman is my example because he’s kind of a flawed individual just trying to fight for right. But he’s my Joker.

I think there is such a compelling story there, besides pulling me up perhaps in-ring wise and teaching me some lessons, working up to the level he’s at promo wise, just the story behind Randy and I. The paths we’ve taken both being so young and being chosen ones and he would mess up all the time. I’d mess up quite a lot. He was on another level talent wise, but also he was so protected. He had so many people cleaning up his mess as he walked along. Whenever he screwed up there were always people trying to defend and protect him and make sure he made it. On the other side, I necessarily didn’t have that.

I was put off TV. Then I was in 3MB. Then I was fired. Again, my doing. But people were very much trying to make sure Randy was protected.

Q: What did it mean to you to share that moment with Heath last Monday on “Raw” and to give him that moment of closure in WWE?

A: I was very proud of Heath. That was a very real moment. Everyone got to see at the very end (when we hugged). All that was missing was Jinder (Mahal). It’s that 3MB closure for now because Heath will be back, but I’m glad that he agreed to do it.

I was about to talk to Heath to convince him to come on board for one last hurrah. My wife reminded me, remember how you felt during this time (being let go). You were kind of ready to move on. Sure enough, when I spoke to Heath, mentally he was in a different place, physically he was in a different place. He was so proud of everything he learned in WWE. He was so proud of his time in WWE that he really wanted to get out there and show a different side of himself and probably come back someday.

He was ready for that next step and I let him know, “Heath, that’s one way to look at it. I know you are in a different place mentally and physically, but my first place was ICW. I went to Scotland. I caused some buzz on the underground. People saw that real side (of me) and worked really hard and applied all the lessons I learned in WWE and I became the guy I am today during that time. If you can do it on Raw, the biggest platform in the world, show that side. It’s really going to set you up nice going forward and we’ll get that moment together, enhancing the storyline with Dolph and I.”

So I’m glad he agreed to do it and he killed like I knew he would. He showed that real side. Everyone got to see how hard he’s working in the gym. I’m excited for the day Heath returns and gets ready to start fulfilling that 3MB prophecy.

Q: As champion when you are in the locker room now and it’s very different times and there is a lot of uncertainty, how did you feel like you needed to step up as a leader?

A: Finding new ways to connect with the audience at home is important during this time. Everyone is finding their way or found their way, but definitely initially I want to be somebody who was going out there and embracing the environment and making it clear to everybody I work with, ‘Hey, it’s OK. You don’t have to pretend there’s people out there. You don’t have to stick to the traditional rules because there are no rules right now.’

I’ll give advice where I can, but it’s up to you to get what feels right. I know from that first Raw after Mania, I was going out there and saying hi to the commentators because it felt right. I was moving cameramen out my way if they were in my way. I was looking down the camera. Sometimes I was thinking to myself, ‘Hey maybe I’ll just say this into the camera and see if it catches anyone’s attention.’ My wife dared me to say, ‘Hey, all you cool cats and kittens’ when the “Tiger King” was a big thing. I said it right down the camera because I knew it would become a meme of a GIF or whatever, maybe encourage people to tune into Raw to see, my goodness what else is going on on Raw right now?

I like to lead right by example and again, I can’t be any more different than looking right down the lens and saying. ‘Hey, all you cool cats and kittens.’ It’s to show everybody, hey, even the champ’s trying some different stuff.

Q: Everything seems more conversational and loose with your promos, that answers why. You are just trying to have some fun.

A: We have this unique situation where we can tell more compelling stories with depth because it’s almost being filmed like a TV show, the crowd not there dictating that a promo go in a different direction that it might normally go or being interactive and you feel the need to interact back with them. You can just kind of live in the moment.

The Heath promo for an example. I don’t know if I would have been comfortable with that in an arena, just because of the content when he pointed out that I was a bad friend and Dolph was exploiting that.

An arena would have turned on that, especially being real talking about his family. In that environment, I felt we could tell that story and show I’m not a perfect person all the time as the character. Human beings are flawed. With (John) Cena and Super Cena, Roman (Reigns) is bulletproof and that worked for them as that’s great. They’re so successful. But for Drew McIntyre, Drew Galloway, I think it’s OK to show that I’m flawed. I am human.

In the end, as long as you get that happy ending where Heath and I came together when it was clear Dolph manipulated the situation. I think we can create stories with more depth, characters with more depth. People can invest more and when we are back in the arenas they are going to be so much more invested in the characters if you are willing to take a chance.

Q: You recently went after Conor McGregor on Twitter after he posted a picture with the WWE title and teased a fight with Vince McMahon. What made you feel the need to speak up?

A: Outside the fact that I’m WWE champion during a pandemic era and I try to cause a little buzz whenever I can, that’s a big mission of mine to get eyes on the product. I also notice a lot of people talk a big game and think they can just walk into WWE. I get why.

There is a lot of money to be made, but if you don’t have a passion for it, you don’t have a genuine love for it, we don’t want you. Unless you are willing to put in the effort, like Ronda Rousey, who had a genuine passion and was so successful because of it. Then I get a little bit frustrated when people just think they can walk on in the door. He put my title on his shoulders, the PR team mentioned Vince’s name. Yeah, I thought I’d throw a little jab at him. The fact that he did punch an older gentleman in a bar (last August) and the guy barely flinched. I assure you. if he punched Vince McMahon he’s gonna floor you. So I recommended he stick to whiskey McTapper.

I don’t hold back my punches, but if he’s willing to come in with the right opportunity for him and he puts in the work, he’s such a huge star, it would put more eyes on the product and at the same time it would put eyes on our other superstars.

So. I’m all about it if it’s the right situation, but they got to have that genuine passion and not just put things out like they are gonna waltz right in. Maybe contact WWE and have a private conversation. Don’t just think you’re gonna walk in the door.

Q: We all know Conor has the walk down.

A: He does have the walk down. That’s what I want to see between Conor and Vince, a strut off.

Q: That would sell tickets.

A: Yes it would, maybe it would be moderated by R-Truth.

Q: How fun was it working with R-Truth and getting to play that side of your character off him?

A: With Truth, the way the story played out, him putting my title on the line, not his title, and kind of being the straight cop, it’s like a buddy cop movie, to his funny cop. I think it was a good little combination and I think there’s life to more R-Truth and Drew McIntyre down the line.

Q: You tweeted a picture with you walking with your wife teasing a “WWE 24” documentary. When can we expect that and what do you hope people will take away from watching it?

A: I’d expect in the next couple of months, the next few months max. But it is the first time, I guess, we’ll delve deep into my story. I’m excited to see how much we actually use because my wife does not like doing on-camera interviews. She’s been with me since the end of the 3MB run through the independent run all the way through now. She’s such an important part of the team and she sat down and actually spoke to the cameras for the first time, a lot of my friends have been involved, there are another few names involved who saw me at my best times and my worst times.

I’m an open book, I’ve spent my entire life in front of the camera and people pretty much know my business inside out. Not all true if you believe reading on the internet necessarily. Hopefully through my story you can learn a little bit more about Drew McInytre and understand that I am like other people. Like I said already in the Heath promo, I’m flawed.

It’s taken me a long time to grow up as a person as well as a wrestler and hopefully people can be inspired by it. That’s my biggest thing. That’s why I am so open and talk about my story. I’m not shying away from any questions because I want just one person who reads it and gets a little inspiration to chase their goals and their dreams, no matter where they are in life.

Q: What was the time frame they filmed it in?

A: We have footage from everything. There’s footage from my first dark match in WWE when I was 22 years old right through WrestleMania (36), etc. We’ve got everything possible available.

Q: What do you expect the Rey Mysterio and Seth Rollins “Eye for an Eye” match to look like?

A: I expect someone to lose an eye, from everything I’ve seen. I do the media to promote the pay-per-view. I really don’t have to try this time. Check out Drew and Dolph, we’ve got real history. Dolph’s gonna pick a unique stipulation. Bray (Wyatt) and Braun (Strowman) have so much history together. They’ve got the Swamp match. For people who have never seen wrestling before, they are just two giant individuals in a unique situation. That’s a cool thing to show people who necessarily aren’t just wrestling fans.

I can talk about that. Asuka-Sasha (Banks), girls are operating at the highest level, they’re gonna have a phenomenal match. That’s all fine and dandy, but check out this pay-per-view the “Horror Show at Extreme Rules” because a man is going to lose an eye from his head. There we go. That’s all I need to say. Watch Rey Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins, one of them will lose an actual eye from they’re skull. Check it out!