Drew McIntyre was fired by the WWE in 2014, which may seem shocking based on his current run.
During his first run in the WWE, McIntyre was touted as a future world champion. The Scot was tasked with leading the next generation forward, once the likes of Triple H, The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels hung up their boots and left a spot in the main event.
The Scot was even endorsed by Vince McMahon himself on TV. The former Chairman of the WWE designated him as the “Chosen One” and anointed him as a future World Champion.
He seemed to have limitless potential and would be a huge star in the future if only he could fulfil it. Looking at him now, you’d think it was all smooth sailing. He is a two-time WWE Champion, defeated Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania and has main evented many pay per view events.
This includes the UK’s first stadium show for 30 years (losing to Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns).
He is one of the biggest babyfaces on the show and one of the most popular stars on the entire roster.
However, it wasn’t always this way. If you go back to 2009, he is a fresh-faced, young Scottish superstar with the world in front of him and bags of potential waiting to be realised.
He was wrestling top stars like The Undertaker regularly, winning titles, and was finding his feet in the WWE. By 2014, he couldn’t have been further from there. He had plummeted down the card over the years, losing the spark that McMahon first saw in him.
He was part of a comedy group, alongside Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal, named Three Man Band. The trio was later joined by Hornswoggle, only adding their lack of legitimacy in the ring. He was at an all time low and there was no shock when Drew McIntyre was released by WWE in 2014.
He went on to have one of the all-time great runs on the independent scene, becoming champions in promotion in the UK like ICW and WCPW. He also travelled over to the United States, becoming the Impact World Champion in the promotion. He had bulked up un his time off, found his voice in his promos and improved tenfold in the ring.
He was a new man, and it was no shock when he was signed back by WWE in 2017. McIntyre was sent to the NXT roster to become their new champion, very soon after his debut.
He since made it to the main roster and won two WWE Championships.
Both Vince McMahon and Triple H were very high on the Scottish Psychopath and he looks to remain one of the companies top stars for the foreseeable future.However, the question remain as to why Drew McIntyre was fired by WWE in the first place.
In his own words, it was entirely his fault and something he had to work on personally before he was brought back in.
Why Did WWE Fire Drew McIntyre?
In a recent interview with former WWE star Mark Andrews on My Love Letter To Wrestling, Drew McIntyre revealed he was fired by WWE because he wasn’t improving enough.
He also wasn’t “giving it my all” and was drinking and partying too much.
He revealed that he knew WWE were right to release him and that he needed the push of his firing to finally sort his head out, improve and become the top star he was always destined to be.
“I wasn’t giving it my all. I wasn’t being honest with myself and looking at my weak areas where I could improve.
And obviously, some big personal things happened that pushed me over the edge when it came to the partying and the drinking and the likes. But still, I wasn’t doing anything to try and get better mentally,”
The firing in 2014 was exactly the kick up the arse he needed to finally take responsibility for his actions and improve in the ring and in life.
He was released alongside other former WWE stars like Jinder Mahal and Brodus Clay, but none of them wrestled like a man possessed on the independent scene quite like McIntyre did.
He wrestled all over the world but mainly helped to build up the British wrestling scene as it hadn’t been for the last 30 years.
He helped turn ICW in one of the most exciting promotions in the world, with his ICW Heavyweight Championship match against Grado (with Mick Foley as special guest enforcer) attracting interest from all over the world as he put over the young Scottish star.
The match was probably the greatest moment in the promotion’s history, and it went downhill as soon as McIntyre left to return to the WWE in 2017.
That match also had one of the greatest entrances ever, as Grado entered to Madonna’s “Like A Prayer”, which you can watch below.
He re-signed for the WWE in 2017 with a new goal – to become the first ever British WWE Champion.
After a spell in NXT, he achieved his dream when he defeated Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36, although the event was soured by the pandemic, forcing zero fans to be in attendance for the historic occasion.
He made up for it by campaigning and succeeding for WWE to put on a show in his home of the United Kingdom.
The event took place in Wales, not too far from his home country of Scotland, and the hype was unbearable to see him dethrone Roman Reigns.
While he failed in his effort to win the World title at the event, a sing-song at the end with Boxing icon Tyson Fury sent the fans home happy and solidified him as a top star in the WWE.
Drew McIntyre being fired was the best thing to happen to him. Without him being sacked by Vince McMahon, we likely would never have seen Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales and we still would not have a single World Champion from Great Britain in the WWE.
