10 Wrestlers Who Changed Their Perception In A Heartbeat

3. Drew McIntyre

Dr Britt Baker
WWE.com

Before:

Drew McIntyre was always one of those theoretical WWE headliners that the company likes, aims to protect, and is capable, but, over time, the realisation hits that this talk stems more from backstage reports and our projections than onscreen evidence. After a run with Dolph Ziggler that fizzled out - it went a year and didn't erupt at WrestleMania, such is the way - Drew was a monster who brutalised Dean Ambrose out of the company one month, a sudden, was-this-always-a-thing lackey for Shane McMahon the next. His serious heel persona verged on the bland and almost the silly, what with his various synonyms for "beating up".

In a heartbeat:

After a mid run as a heel in late 2019, he turned babyface out of nowhere in December, at which point he was presumably encouraged to cut loose, because he was a revelation as an easygoing presence who had adapted his real, witty side on camera without - as yet - reciting sh*tty material. He lounged on the barricade, called himself sexy, and gently heckled the crowd, doing a sort of wrestling stand-up act that didn't, unlike Seth Rollins', make one want to gouge one's eyes out.

This one promo saw him demolish Suplex City in minutes.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!