Two months into his first WWE Championship reign, the 35-year-old Scottsman will go face-to-face with Lashley, a former champion in his own right, but this isn’t the same Lashley that WWE fans saw when he returned to the company in 2018. Lashley has a new no-nonsense attitude and manager MVP by his side, both of which make Lashley very dangerous, McIntyre admits.
“It’s going to be an absolute war. Lashley now is in a position where he can be himself. He has MVP by his side completing the package,” McIntyre told Newsweek Friday. “But MVP is an amazing speaker, and also not just a little guy staying on the side of the ring—he’s a big guy. So I can potentially be facing two superstars this Sunday.”
Newsweek caught up with McIntyre to talk about his upcoming match against Lashley, Paul Heyman’s influence on him, his reaction to Heyman’s new role on Monday Night RAW and more. This interview has been edited and condensed for the sake of clarity and length.
On Thursday, we learned that Paul Heyman is no longer the Executive Director of Monday Night RAW. What was your reaction to that news?
Paul Heyman has been somebody that has always helped in the career of Drew McIntyre, not just in his former position, but through my entire career, and guided me. That’s not going to change, the wheels of WWE keep turning. Paul Heyman isn’t going anywhere, and to be honest, after the news last night I’m thinking about the future and what we can possibly do with the character of Paul Heyman.
The last time we saw him on the show, he saw me beat Brock Lesnar. I beat Paul Heyman and took away his meal ticket and a couple of things can happen. Either Brock Lesnar is going to show back up and I can beat him in five minutes or three minutes and 17 seconds, or Paul Heyman can find some new superstars to come after Drew McIntyre. The prospect of having a mic battle with Paul Heyman and raise my game is very exciting for me while I continue to learn from him at the same time.
How much has Paul Heyman meant to the rise of Drew McIntyre as WWE Champion?
He’s always been an advisor to myself prior to my release the first time with the company, and all the way up to becoming champion. He understands Drew McIntyre and was a big reason I got to shine a light on my real personality. He’s been very instrumental in my development. I’m excited because, like I said, he’s not going anywhere, he’s still going to be an in-ring talent. So I’m buzzing to get to work on TV with Paul Heyman again.
Bruce Prichard will now be handling Heyman’s duties on Monday Night RAW. What’s your relationship with Bruce?
I’ve known Bruce Prichard since the first week I came to America. He was with the WWE creative team back then and it was a little different. There was no NXT or television show or any easy way to watch the future talent. When it was Ohio Valley Wrestling, the creative team will show up once every six months to check out talent. I didn’t notice, but it happened to be my first week and they needed a body in the ring. One of the heels at the time, I can’t remember who it was, needed someone to work with, so they told me to get in the ring and roll around a bit.
So I rolled around, cut a promo afterwards and I remember speaking with Bruce afterwards and he was very impressed, and shocked at my age. Oddly enough, the following week, I believe, I was on WWE television. So I got the opportunity to know him a little bit—outside the company we always chatted. Like Paul Heyman, he’s been around for a very long time and learned a whole lot and is always able to teach some important lessons.
You spoke about Heyman and what you can do in the ring, but we can’t look past this Sunday and your match with Bobby Lashley. What can you say about the match, especially given your history with Bobby?
It’s going to be an absolute war. Lashley now is in a position where he can be himself. He has MVP by his side completing the package, if anyone saw any weaknesses in his game. He’s very confident in speaking on the mic, very serious and to the point. But MVP is an amazing speaker, and also not just a little guy staying on the side of the ring—he’s a big guy. So I can potentially be facing two superstars this Sunday in one, with MVP on the outside, and two with Lashley, who is full “looking to prove a point” mode, and I am, too. I’m WWE Champion and the last big pay-per-view match was with Seth Rollins and it went really well and I was very happy with it. And every time I defend the title I want people walking away saying, “Man, that McIntyre match was something else.”
With Lashley and I, he’s such a different, unique superstar that this match will be different than myself and Seth Rollins. Both of us have a chip on our shoulders. We’re both very physical and I know it’s going to hurt a lot. I know I’m going to have welts after the fact. We’re both going to go to war with each other. And if Randy [Orton] and Edge are going to have the “greatest wrestling match” on the show, they can keep it, that’s fine, I hope they do it. But they are not going to steal that show because Lashley and I are going to, because it’s not going to be the “greatest wrestling match”—it’s going to be a fight and a war.
As the WWE Champion, do you have this pressure to elevate whoever you’re in the ring with, especially Lashley? Or does his work speak for itself?
I think we have an opportunity that anybody can benefit. We can help raise each other up, and that’s what it’s all about in this industry. When you work with someone, especially in a program, it’s not about one person—it’s about building everybody. And that’s my goal as champion. That’ll continue to be my goal, even though I’m technically on the build myself.
With the implications of me turning “good”—I never had a moment where I “turned good,” which wasn’t that long ago—I’m still educating people on who I am. I’m still on the rise, but at the same time, when I’m working with someone, I’m still looking to build them up.
When this is over and the match is done, I want every single person leaving better than they were before, and they become a star that people want to go and see. That’s where we’re in right now. We’re in a period of building stars for the future, so when people come to the arenas they are really going to know these characters.
Because considering the current climate we are in, there are no fans and it’s all based on the storytelling and the promos, and you are forced to pay attention to the characters and the ones that are good are taking advantage of getting their character over—look at Sonya Deville—who are really going to benefit down the line when fans come back.
It’s been about two months since you became WWE Champion, and you just mentioned this time giving performers time to get their characters over. Is there anything you’ve done to your performance during this time? What have the last two months been like for you?
Yeah, it’s been non-stop work. I knew since I won the title all the hard work truly begins. I’ve been working whenever I can [through social media], since that’s our main tour right now, since we don’t have a live audience to get more attention on the product, be it through online feuds with Tyson Fury and Colby Covington and Chris Sutton. Any way I can get eyes on the product. I’ve been doing media as often as I can and thinking of ideas outside the box to draw attention to WWE.
And also, at the same time, I’ve been learning a bit more about the company and how much goes into making the wheels turn in the WWE. It’s not just what you see on TV, it’s so much that goes on behind the scenes. So many different departments and I’m learning as much as I can about it right now. This is the position that I worked to get to for a long time, and I want to be as educated as possible while I’m in this position.
This past Monday, we saw you interacting with other superstars like the Street Profits and the Viking Raiders. Can we get a faction going?
Oh, I’d be all about it. The biggest thing for me is to laugh and be myself and not stand there with my chest out looking angry and upset the whole time when I’m living my dream. I’m able to just go out there and do what I feel and when you have the Street Profits going out there with that much energy, it’s infectious. You can’t help but start smiling and laughing and having a good time because it’s so entertaining.
And the Viking Raiders, even though they have this thing with the Street Profits, they get to show their personality and they’re having a good time with. it And even though it’s a running joke, Ivar is the one with the sex appeal and Erik… not so much. [Laughs] It’s all about the banter and having a good time. And maybe there will be a Celtic/Viking connection in the future with the Street Profits also.
You have to give Erik some tips. You’re a ladies man, right?
No, no, I’m old and married now. [Laughs]
Speaking of the Profits and Raiders. If you were involved with these decathlon events they’ve been doing the past few weeks, which events would you choose that you know you could beat them in?
Hmm. It’s hard to say with some of the physical ones because the Profits are extremely athletic. So it’ll have to be something like Squat or Deadlift. The Caber Toss from the Highland Games, when you take the 20-foot log and toss it and try to have it land straight up. I think I would have them at those events.
I’ve been enjoying those events. I know people have their opinions on it. The traditionalists may not be all about it, but the way I look at it is my wife, who is not the biggest wrestling fan in the world, or my friends who don’t always watch the product, they turn on and the first thing they see is those segments with the Vikings and the Street Profits, and they crack them up.
That’s the way I’m trying to think right now. Not just look at everything in wrestling and what goes on, but what is everyone going to pay attention to. And not just the wrestling fans, because I am one and can be blinded, being the huge wrestling fan that I am.
The Undertaker has been a big supporter of you as champion. How does it feel to get that support from him?
I just read the comments yesterday, to be honest, and it stopped me in my tracks. To read that he’s proud of me and how hard I worked, but the biggest thing that caught my attention was that he said I earned it. It really meant a lot to me, and as you see in The Last Ride documentary, he’s all about the passion for this industry and work ethic. And when he says something he means it.
I’ve been around him a lot, especially growing up around him, and it meant the world to me that he feels that way about me. And hopefully he feels good enough about me that he saves one of his last matches for Drew McIntyre.
Is there any moment or conversation you’ve had with the Undertaker that sticks out to you?
There’s so many. When I was a kid, Vince McMahon did tell me that you listen to the Undertaker and basically he was a mentor since I was 24 years old, and I did. I probably harassed more than he probably appreciated, and I think he mentions that I was there to pick his brain and it’s cool that he remembers that. So when I came back to the company, I loved to catch up with him and get his opinion because I admire him so much. But as a kid, I was a kid in the candy shop when I was told to listen to the Undertaker. I’m trying to pick his brain and sometimes it didn’t make sense.
I told this story a few times that when I asked him for any feedback he would explain to me, “Stop playing the wrestler, be the wrestler.” It was gobbledygook to me at the time and I was like, “I don’t understand, the Undertaker keeps giving me advice and he’s talking in riddles.”
But as time passes and you’re in the industry a bit and things start to be clear and lightbulbs start to go off, you’re like, “Oh my goodness, he meant that I was trying too hard.” I’m not relaxed, I’m trying to act the part, not be the part. It’s looking forced, that’s what he meant.
Well, hopefully after a few more years you’ll pass down some advice and they won’t come out like riddles.
Yeah, that’s my plan, that’s one of my favorite things to do. That’s why I wanted to come back to NXT when I returned to the company. Beside the fact that was the hardcore fanbase who maybe knew what I did outside the company, it was big for me to help bring people up and teach them some lessons, good and bad, from the mistakes that I made.
Going into Sunday, you have another title defense. What does it mean for you to remain champion?
Just everything. It means the world to me to be champion, to represent the company. I want to keep entertaining everyone and hopefully everyone is enjoying my work as champion and I want to continue doing it. I’m proud of the fact that wrestling and WWE needed someone to stand up during these times and that it was me.
I’m going to try to knock it outta the park every time—as long as everyone knows Drew McIntyre goes out there and gives you 100 percent. I’ll do that this Sunday and I want to keep this title until we get the fans in the building and I can walk out there as the first person. I don’t want any dark matches or anything before, the fans will be rabid to get into the building. These are the most passionate fans in the world. I really want to walk out there as champion and hear all of them give a response that I haven’t heard in a long time.
WWE Backlash will stream live Sunday, June 14 starting at 7 p.m. EDT on the WWE Network.
