10 Wrestlers Who Blamed Themselves For Failing In WWE
7. Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre eventually became the "Chosen One" he was touted as upon debuting for WWE in 2009: it just took a lot longer than expected.
Flying high as WWE Champion in 2020, he was nonetheless seen as bust by the time he left the promotion in 2014, having failed to catch on as anything close to a top guy. His run's dying days were spent screwing around in 3MB. A fun jobber stable, admittedly, but a colossal relegation for a guy once touted as a potential headliner.
A blockbuster independent run followed, during which McIntyre honed every aspect of his game to become the awesome performer he is today. Now, he's a certified top guy, having felled Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36, and one that blames nobody himself for not cutting it in his first run.
Speaking to British newspaper The Guardian shortly after 'Mania 36, Drew said that when WWE fired, he told himself "this is on you." He realised there and then that to regain his dream, he was "going to have to prove to everybody you are who they thought you were from the beginning," and here we are today. The self-reflection paid off.