WWE Raw: Drew McIntyre Is Somehow Better Than Advertised

Formerly known as “The Chosen One”, Drew McIntyre returned to the WWE Raw roster during the Superstar Shakeup last week. Although it’s been early, McIntyre has already made it clear that he isn’t just as good as advertised. He’s better.

Maybe it was a case of too much, too soon. Who knows? Who cares? The reasons for Drew McIntyre failing to grab the proverbial brass ring during his first run with the WWE are wholly irrelevant, because the only thing that matters is the fact that he’s grown into one of the scariest wrestlers on the roster today.

Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Bobby Roode are all former NXT Champions with serious credentials outside of the WWE to have been called up to the main roster since 2017. As impressive as those three are, there’s something distinct about McIntyre that makes it seem like he could actually be the one to taste world championship gold first.

McIntyre looks like a wrestler. That sounds lame as hell, but it’s a sentiment that is echoed by so many people who send me tweets during episodes of WWE Raw. He doesn’t just look lean and in-shape or impressively thick. McIntyre has the physique of someone who could crack your skull open with a swift strike or pick you up and throw you effortlessly.

Since returning to the WWE, McIntyre has become one of the most mesmerizing athletes, blending power and grace in a way that allowed him to have insane matches with all types of opponents. Ricochet (outside WWE), Andrade “Cien” Almas, Roderick Strong, and others have felt his wrath in the ring.

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There’s no doubt that he and Dolph Ziggler are poised to deliver some of the best tag team wrestling in the WWE (and the world, if we’re being honest) together. And when they eventually split up, we’re headed for a program that will be incomparably superior to Ziggler’s feuds with Nakamura and Roode.

Being great in the ring is one thing. Being able to stand out as a star on an increasingly loaded WWE main roster is another. Last night on Raw, McIntyre stood out. When Ziggler proclaimed that he and McIntyre are “The Show” and, therefore, don’t have to worry about stealing it, he wasn’t lying.

McIntyre’s promo was the promo of the night, and it wasn’t even close. Hell, it was one of the best promos I’ve heard this year, because it likely came from a true place. He said his words with purpose, with emotion, and with a command of the microphone that rivaled that of Samoa Joe.

The fire inside of McIntyre is obvious, and one quick glance into his eyes when he speaks is blinding. As badly as anyone in this business, McIntyre wants to prove that he’s the best, and the fact that this is apparent to the audience makes everything he says and does all the more powerful. This mentality is contagious, and when Ziggler spoke alongside McIntyre last night, you could tell that just by associating with McIntyre, new life was injected into the former World Heavyweight Champion.

Before he hit the Raw roster, I think most wrestling fans had some idea who McIntyre is. They knew his story, knew he improved in the ring, could see the physical changes, and heard about how he rebuilt himself by becoming stronger and more focused mentally.

But I don’t think they could quite grasp just how much he improved, especially in the way he carries himself. McIntyre may be a heel now, but his poise and the conviction in his voice makes him a tailor-made top babyface. And while it’s likely presumptuous to even speculate, it makes him a real candidate to win a world title…even that ever-so-coveted and ever-so-elusive Universal Championship.

In some ways, NXT call-ups run the risk of falling short of the hype, through no fault of their own. Because for as brilliant as these performers are, it’s just that much harder to stand out on the main roster, particularly since these new call-ups aren’t portrayed as the focus of the show, whereas they were the face of NXT as champions.

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McIntyre, however, feels like he could be a different case. He’s been here before, and he’s fallen short before. The determination in his every step – or mere glare into the camera – is palpable. For maybe the first time, McIntyre feels like an NXT call-up who won’t be bemoaned by the fans as somebody who didn’t feel special, simply because no matter what WWE decides to do with him, McIntyre will make himself feel special.