Drew McIntyre rose up from the independent scene to the top of the game (Picture: WWE)
WWE superstar Drew McIntyre has come a long way from nearly starting riots on the independent scene.
The 39-year-old wrestler – who was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame for Scotland at Rangers’ Ibrox Stadium on Thursday afternoon – has been reflecting on the two decade journey that has seen him rise to the top of the game.
Speaking at the ceremony 48 hours before challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship at Clash At The Castle in his homeland, Drew exclusively told Metro.co.uk: ‘It’s genuinely mental going into the Scottish Wrestling Hall of Fame as the only active Scottish wrestler who’s ever been inducted.’
It’s well deserved for a man who was credited as his induction as lifting up the entire Scottish and UK scene, making events like this weekend’s show at the OVO Hydro arena possible.
While Drew has always dreamed of this day, he came up at a very different time for independent wrestling in the UK, and he has recalled one show south of the boarder in England when things took a wild turn.
At just 17 years old, he attacked the ‘local hero’ on a show, which sparked fury from those in attendance as they tried to tears him and his manager to pieces.
Drew is the newest member in the Hall of Fame (Picture: Alistair McGeorge/Metro.co.uk)
He received the honour as WWE descends on Glasgow for Clash At The Castle (Picture: Alistair McGeorge/Metro.co.uk)
‘We had run to the back and we like hid in a back room and they told us you have to see here do not leave until we get a police escort,’ he laughed.
‘We had to wait for a police escort to get out of town, and then go back [home] for a while – and that was one of my earliest shows that I did!’
The Scottish Warrior has come a long way (Picture: WWE)
Drew will face Damian Priest this weekend (Picture: WWE/Craig Ambrosio)
Even the early training sessions were tough before those first shows, with Drew left ‘black and blue’ as he learned how to run the ropes and dreamed of becoming the next ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin or Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
‘I’d be sitting there after my first lesson like “Oh no, this was it, this was the dream,”‘ he recalled worrying at the time. ‘”What if I’m not going to be World Heavyweight Champion in the future?”‘
He added: ‘I questioned myself, but thankfully I’m stubborn beyond belief and I just refused to give up.’
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
This weekend, Drew goes into the Hydro aiming to become a four-time world champion if he can beat Damian Priest in front of a hometown crowd.
He smiled: ‘Now to return all these later to the Hydro with WWE for the first PLE in Scotland, and main event for the world title – going for my first world title – is just mental.’
Friday Night SmackDown airs live from the Hydro Glasgow, Friday June 14th, tune in on TNT Sports. Clash at the Castle: Scotland airs live from the Hydro Glasgow, Saturday June 15th, tune in on the WWE Network and TNT Sports Box Office.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.