Untold Story Behind WWE Champion Drew McIntyre

You see despite signing for NXT on April 1st (the irony was lost on nobody) and debuting for them just four days later, Drew still had a number of bookings on the independent scene he wanted to uphold. WWE wasn't interested in any of these as, in their eyes, he was now far too big for them, and yet they were all still honoured. Precisely how that agreement was reached is known only to William Regal, Triple H, and Drew himself, but that the latter had to fight his new employers to not let anybody down is an open secret.

On the 9th he was in Belfast for OTT's Scrappermania, on the 16th he bowed out of ICW in a match against long-time friend Jack Jester, on the 23rd he bid farewell to Evolve in a match against Matt Riddle and, on the weekend of the 29th, he made his final ever appearances on the independent scene in a doubleheader for WCPW.

Backstage was an emotional place as, after nearly an entire year of cementing his reputation and legitimizing the company in the process, the future for everybody was uncertain. Nobody really knew how things would unfold from here, but to see one of the most honest, hardworking and reliable men in the industry take such a major step towards realising a lifelong ambition put a spring in that of everyone involved. This wasn't a sendoff for him, it was a celebration.

On the first night, Drew cleanly dropped his WCPW Championship to Martin Kirby in a choice that was a huge moment for longterm fans of the company. But the next night, in his last indy match, he had the choice of the entire roster for his opponent. He chose Cody Rhodes and, as all true professionals do, he went out on his back after a stellar 20-minute showing.

Cody, as he often does, took to the microphone to put his opponent over in victory. "You have very few friends in professional wrestling", he said. You have a lot of acquaintances but I am so lucky that two of my friends are here tonight. Wade Barrett and my former tag-team partner, who has worked his ass off, who has worked his fingers to the bone, to get back. Have no doubt, Drew McIntrye still is, the goddamn chosen one".