It was a WWE house show in the Wicomico Civic Center, Salisbury, Maryland in 2009. He was introduced as Drew McIntyre. The man that came to the ring was tall, wiry and present. In the sense that as he walked to the ring you understood some of the basic chemistry that surrounds charisma. With no more information than a name and a unique look, something else inside of him screamed ‘pay attention’. That was my first impression of Drew McIntyre. He seemed to personify intensity, focus and will.
The Chosen One Drew McIntyre
The performer known as Drew McIntyre had a fast ride in a fancy car through the ranks of the WWE. Chauffeured by Mr. McMahon himself. The internet crowd raged about the upgrade until they witnessed a stellar showing by the lad at the 2011 Elimination Chamber PPV during the Smackdown Elimination Chamber match. He was all fire and brimstone. The hunger for more tangible in every cell of his being. He rampaged and doubt waned. It was just a glimpse of what all suspected had always been there.
So it was a surprise after some messy outside of the ring tales to see the star ebbing. From Mr. McMahon’s ‘Chosen One’ to the 3rd fiddle in a rock band parody known as 3MB with fellow hucksters Jinder Mahal and Heath Slater. Never let it be said that Mr. McIntyre didn’t carry his roles and matches as if he was still perched on the stairway to greatness. While his positioning did not improve he never let that weigh in heavily on how well he expected himself to perform. Take care because that attitude is the most important point of this tale.
Amid great shock and turmoil Drew was released from the WWE. In nearly a prophetic fashion he predicted what his fate would be. He was a wrestler and before long he would find himself back on that hallowed WWE ground. In the meantime, he would work. Would he ever work. And work he did.
The Rise of Drew Galloway
Drew hit the indies like a comet. He touched base with his British Isle brethren and he started staking his claim to well managed indie shows internationally. He traveled a lot. Sometimes touching 3 continents in a week. He rocked mics in different countries. Left audiences breathless with his growing in ring repertoire. Stunned with his sheer size and power. And then there were the titles. The seats being filled with people there to see Drew. The YouTube videos, the Twitter wars, the Facebook posts.
His work became all the proof needed to develop different takes on his talent. And the whispers started. Drew Galloway without the tethers of the WWE was more than they had ever even knew. Under his own name the truth of what he was finally coming to fruition. Indeed sometimes the best revenge is just living well.
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All together building the myth, the legend of Drew Galloway. The one that got away. Reborn in the haze of the WWE casting him out in the cold. It’s hard to determine if this is a prodigal son tale or one of Job. However for obvious reasons, it feels like a Scottish tale. Something that may be set to song one day as the WWE decided that perhaps they had been too hasty.
And the New. . .
Here we are. Friday August 18th, 2017 Drew McIntyre became NXT champion. That roster spot just right around the corner. Who says things don’t come full circle? This time with a bigger, better, badder Drew that is nearly three times as hard to dismiss as he had been that very first night I saw him in MD years ago.
If it hasn’t been said. Welcome back Drew.
