In an interview with WWE’s official website, NXT superstar Drew McIntyre discussed being part of the roster, his surprise appearance in the crowd at NXT Takeover: Orlando, working his upcoming final dates for EVOLVE Wrestling and more.
Highlights of the interview are below:
On his surprise appearance at NXT Takeover Orlando: “I was very tired because I had the craziest week of my life. On that day, I had been on the move since 8 a.m., and I actually was at the EVOLVE Wrestling show 45 minutes before I appeared on-screen at TakeOver. Once I got through the traffic, my mindset was, “Wow, this is really happening.” NXT is where I always envisioned myself going. I’ve been traveling and doing so many great things, but in my head, the next logical step was NXT. I genuinely believe it has the strongest roster of anywhere in the world. Obviously, in the back of my mind, I wondered how the fans were going to respond. One, would they remember me, and two, would they know who I am these days and what I’m about? Would they care? You always have those doubts, but when I appeared on-screen and heard that response, you saw the smile that came across my face. I can’t put that feeling into words.”
On his surprise appearance at Insane Championship Wrestling just weeks after his WWE release several years ago and joining the EVOLVE Wrestling roster: “That’s correct, the very first match. The first thing I did, three weeks after I was released, was go to Scotland for ICW. I hid at my dad’s house for three days with the blinds closed, because I didn’t want anybody to know I was there. I did a surprise appearance and put out my mission statement, which was to put ICW on the map and raise the profile of U.K. wrestling. [Promoter] Gabe Sapolsky of EVOLVE saw my mission statement, which went viral, and contacted me. When my originally scheduled opponent, Trent Barreta, got injured, Gabe asked if I’d like to fight Ohno for the title, and I said, ”Absolutely.” I became EVOLVE Champion in my very first match, which is pretty crazy, but exactly the start I needed as I began my mission.”
On becoming a cornerstone in EVOLVE Wrestling: “When I won that title, I told everybody that the company and its roster deserved to be seen. Nobody really knew who Ricochet was, or Timothy Thatcher, or Zack Sabre Jr. When I saw how good the talent was, I said, “OK, I want to put eyes on this company.” I defended the title all across the world, on TV in the U.K., in multiple countries, including Australia. I knew that the company had no choice but to grow, and it was very rewarding to play a part in it.”
On his final EVOLVE Wrestling matches: “Zack Sabre Jr. is somebody who has built a reputation for himself over these past few years. He wasn’t around when I first started [in the U.K.]. I was there for six years before WWE signed me, and there was practically no scene there whatsoever. We were building the scene back then. Then I went to America and suddenly there’s this influx of such great talent, and Zack’s at the top of that list. This is our first time wrestling, ever, and I guarantee everybody a show with that one. The second match is against Matt Riddle. He is my arch-nemesis. Here’s a guy who has been wrestling for barely a year and he gets comparisons to Kurt Angle – and rightly so. Matt Riddle, like me, is one of the hardest-hitting men on the entire planet. His kicks and strikes are deadly, and I love to get in the ring with him. We have our differences outside the ring and we’re one match apiece so far, so this is the rubber match. This is the definitive ending. He’s got the WWN Title right now, and I plan to make an example of him on my way out the door. I’m going to force Riddle, the former UFC fighter, to say “I quit.” “Fight” isn’t even the word to describe it. We’re going to need the crowd to take a few steps back, because it’s going to get crazy. It won’t be contained by the ring.”
The interview is available in full at this link.
