WWE's Black Thursday Releases: Where Are They Now?
1. Drew McIntyre
Where Is He Now: WWE Champion
If there’s anyone to serve as inspiration to the wrestlers who were released Wednesday, it has to be Drew McIntyre. His story is really well known by now, given all the vignettes and documentaries made in the lead-up to WrestleMania 36.
McIntyre was the “Chosen One” when he debuted in WWE, but he quickly fell out of favor and eventually was relegated to be part of jobber squad 3MB, where he remained until he was released in 2014.
From there, McIntyre (now going by his given name Drew Galloway) returned to the independents and won the ICW Heavyweight Championship, the Evolve Championship, TNA World Heavyweight Championship and What Culture Pro Wrestling Championship. Galloway went everywhere, competed at a high level and became a much sought-after wrestler.
That led McIntyre back to WWE via NXT, where he won the NXT Championship in 2017. His reign ended with a torn bicep in late 2017, but he returned to the main roster in 2018 alongside Dolph Ziggler. The duo won the Raw Tag Team Championship, but lost them two months later. For the next year, McIntyre shuttled between strange alliances, such as with Bobby Lashley and Baron Corbin to oppose The Shield.
But everything fell into place in 2020, with WWE finally ending the start/stop pushes and get behind McIntyre, who won the 2020 Royal Rumble, and then challenged and defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36 earlier this month.