12 Wrestlers Who Benefited From Their WWE Release
4. Drew McIntyre
Once hand-picked as Vince McMahon’s “Chosen One”, this towering Scotsman looked all-set for a long, prestigious career in WWE’s main event scene. One ill-advised deportation storyline and a stint in the cringeworthy 3MB stable later, and Drew’s career as a big-time WWE superstar was over.
Fortunately, Drew’s been on a tear ever since. He returned to Scotland’s ICW (a promotion he helped establish in his career’s early days) mere weeks after his release, and proceeded to tear a hole through the independent scene on both sides of the Atlantic, winning the ICW and Evolve Championships in quick succession.
His reincarnation took everyone by surprise, and Drew quickly became one of the most in-demand wrestlers on the planet. After signing a deal with TNA last year that would allow him to continue working indy shows, Drew became TNA World Champion earlier this year, and despite losing the belt to Lashley on June 12th, he remains a fixture in the company’s title scene.
There’s never been more hype around Drew Galloway. In hindsight, leaving WWE might be the best thing he’s ever done, and if he ever returns, there’s no way he’ll find himself languishing on Superstars and Main Event ever again.