The Forbidden Lore Of WWE's Drew McIntyre
While the key New Japan Pro Wrestling matches of the era dominated MOTY lists, Galloway’s reputation soared in certain circles put off by the epic aspirations of NJPW and NXT. In 2016, a full year before Braun Strowman tilted the paradigm into the direction of meat, Galloway and Bobby Lashley clashed like titans at TNA Slammiversary.
The unappealing-looking EVOLVE was never the coolest promotion on the planet. The best matches were never hyped to any great level, accordingly - but Drew’s sick war with Roderick Strong in September 2014 was the first premonition of his glorious future. The second was an exceptional styles clash against Johnny Gargano at the WWNLive Supershow on March 28, 2015. Drew also returned home during his years away from WWE to Insane Championship Wrestling which, alongside PROGRESS, was at the forefront of the UK “graps” boom. There, in an excellent bit of matchmaking, Drew was the violent, serious, invincible major star antagonist for the pudgy, loveable, cult hero underdog that was Grado. In front of 4,000 fans, Drew did the job. This was the peak of the promotion. Drew was already on his way as a worker. That ICW fans received the casting of Drew so seriously was the first indication that he could become a bonafide star.
Just shy of a decade later, amid a boom of its own, Drew feuded with CM Punk in one of the best programmes in the modern history of WWE. Drew was never more over as Punk’s trolling tormentor. Drew’s intense pleasure of Punk’s suffering was magnificent heel work in an era so lacking in it. Drew’s use of Twitter was also excellent. While it helped that he had so little competition - many wrestlers had left the toxic, pointless platform - Drew still had to be good at it, otherwise he’d be accused of being a Temu Becky Lynch. Drew was very good at it; posting a photo of himself alongside Punk’s real-life rival Jack Perry was a hilarious and incredibly bold touch. (In an ironic twist on that feud, Galloway was once injured by a Future Shock DDT in a WCPW match with Joseph Conners.)
Drew developed his “out of pocket” personality - that which was forbidden under Vince’s ultra-scripted regime - in Scotland. He performed on a show for Aberdeen-based indie outfit WrestleZone held two days after the anniversary of the Battle of Newburn. On August 28, 1640, a Scottish Covenanter army defeated English forces. Several centuries later, Galloway, still pissed at his WWE release, cut a wild promo. It’s just as well Aberdeen is northern and remote; it might have seriously upset any English people who made the cold trip up north to the Grey City.
Drew made his return to WWE on April 1, 2017, when he was spotted sitting in the front row at NXT TakeOver: Orlando. In his return match, he defeated Oney Lorcan on the April 12 edition of the Network show. It was infinitely better than anything he’d ever done in his previous stint.
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