10 Things We Learned From WWE 24: Drew McIntyre

3. What Happened After WWE Released Him

drew galloway icw
ICW

Most wrestling fans reading this will know that Drew turned his career around after being released by WWE in 2014. He hit the independent scene hard, became the prototypical touring pro wrestler and caught the promotion's eye all over again by working his arse off.

It wasn't all kick ass redemption stories and ICW/EVOLVE/WCPW Titles though.

Drew had just moved into a new apartment with his then-girlfriend (now-wife) Kaitlyn when WWE called to let him know they were terminating his contract. That, and the ongoing misery of his mother's death, sent him down a dark path of more alcohol and more poor decisions. However, he pulled the nose up and became the man he needed to be.

Kaitlyn played a huge role in that. Drew's father is even shown on 24 thanking her personally during a Zoom call shortly after he won the WWE Title for "taking care" of his son. McIntyre also admits that he "needed to fall on his ass" to get back up again.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.