WWE Raw: Drew McIntyre is more than just a sidekick

Since returning to WWE’s main roster, Drew McIntyre has only ever been used as a sidekick. In reality, he’s worth much more than lackey material.

After spending just under three years away from the company, Drew McIntyre returned to WWE under the NXT brand. Although his time there was somewhat brief at seven months – time cut short due to injury – he would return to the main roster the following April, but in contrast to his NXT run, it wasn’t as a singles star.

The former NXT Champion returned to the main roster serving as a muscle man for Dolph Ziggler. The two dominated Raw’s tag team division – even holding the Tag Team Titles at one point – for the better part of 2018 before splitting by the year’s end. Even when his partnership with the Zig Man was done, McIntyre was in a stable with Baron Corbin and Bobby Lashley shortly afterwards.

In the build-up to WrestleMania, McIntyre briefly spent time on his own for his feud with Roman Reigns. The Chosen One didn’t spend much more than a month on his own before he began serving as Shane McMahon’s onscreen muscle and proverbial lackey; a role that McIntyre continues to settle in as recently as last night’s Raw.

WWE’s insistence on giving him a mouthpiece every step of the way leaves me to believe – and worry – that they just don’t have faith in Drew McIntyre’s mic skills. If that truly is the case, then that, unfortunately, seems to have hurt his chances of being featured prominently as a singles star.

This is merely unmitigated speculation on my part, as I’m not sure why they could possibly ever come to that conclusion. The promos he’s cutting on Raw currently have always been rightfully imposing for the Scottish Psychopath character that WWE are trying to push. Even his NXT promos, while not quite as memorable as his main roster promos, were delivered better than those uttered by most WWE Superstars these days.

Maybe it’s the accent or Drew’s voice in general that’s turning WWE off, but if promos are truly the problem that soured WWE on a solo McIntyre run, then that is truly a shame. Especially considering that it was his promo work that made me a fan of McIntyre to begin with.

I wasn’t watching WWE between 2008 and about late 2013, so I missed McIntyre’s original run as The Chosen One. Apart from the dying days of 3MB, my first real exposure to McIntyre was in his days on the indies as Drew Galloway between 2014 and 2017; specifically when looking at his work in EVOLVE, ICW and WCPW (now Defiant Wrestling).

During his WCPW run, McIntyre suffered a legitimate, fatal neck injury during a match against then-WCPW Heavyweight Champion and current NXT UK Superstar, Joseph Conners. Three months later, McIntyre would return to confront Conners in one of the most raw, emotional promos of his career and, frankly, in all of wrestling.

Whenever I hear the name Drew McIntyre, more often than not, this promo is the first thing that springs to mind. It’s promos like these that made me realize that McIntyre is capable of being a top star no matter what stage – big or small – he decides to settle on.

In just about every promotion he stepped foot in prior to returning to WWE, he became a World Champion and made a big impact wherever he was. It wasn’t just because of his chiseled physique, his intimidating scowl, or even his tremendous in-ring wrestling ability. All of that is fine and dandy, but it was his promo ability on the mic that helped him skyrocket to the top of every card he wrestled on.

McIntyre’s promos – whether he was a babyface or a heel – were always unapologetically authentic, unflinching in delivery and always exuding in charisma. The guy can talk. He could always talk and to suggest he doesn’t know how to talk on the mic would be a mistake.

There seems to be a disconnect between the Galloway of old and the McIntyre of new, at least from WWE’s viewpoint. Maybe it’s because he wasn’t as heavily scripted on the independent scene as he is in WWE or maybe it’s because his current WWE run sees him playing a character WWE have manifested for him, rather than the extension of his true self as he played on the indies.

Whatever the reason may be, it doesn’t seem like WWE are seeing the same star potential that I and so many people witnessed from him prior to his WWE return, but I hope they do soon.

My hope is that sooner rather than later, Drew McIntyre cuts the chains strapped onto him by Shane McMahon and starts being booked to be his own man, because if there’s one thing these old promos should teach anyone, it’s that McIntyre has a wealth of potential as a solo star without any need for a mouthpiece. He’s certainly worth more on his own and is better than just being everyone’s sidekick.