Drew McIntyre details backstage reaction to WWE Championship win
After his recent WWE Championship win, Drew McIntyre got to experience a cool moment backstage with his peers and some members of his family.
McIntyre defeated Cody Rhodes in a Three Stages of Hell match on the January 9 episode of SmackDown to become the new WWE Champion. When asked what the reception in the locker room was like, McIntyre told TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast that fellow Scottish wrestlers Nikki Cross and Alba Fyre were there waiting to congratulate him. He received an ovation from the other talent backstage and also got to spent some time with his cousin, uncle and friend, who had made the trip to Germany for the show.
“It was pretty cool. Again, just trying to take it in, believing it was real. And everybody’s right there, and a couple of interviews had to be done right away,” McIntyre said. “Nikki Cross and Alba Fyre were right there, a couple of fellow Scots to congratulate me. And there was a lot of congratulations going on, but there was also, ‘Drew, we have to get this interview done right now.’ I believe it was SportsCenter. So we had to just get on the ball right away.
“It wasn’t until everything calmed down that I got to really let it sit in. And the coolest moment, this is my cousin’s favorite part, just by chance, my cousin, my uncle, and my friend came to Berlin the night before Glasgow just to see the show and hang out and catch up. And then they saw the title win. Once everything had calmed down, I went to the room, got myself together, called the Mrs. We went to catering, where a lot of the talent are, and everyone kind of like stood up and clapped. That was probably the coolest moment for me. It’s cool how the fans react positively, but when your peers kind of react in that kind of way, that’s the most important thing.”
McIntyre’s first televised title defense is set to take place at the Royal Rumble on January 31. It will be against either Randy Orton, Trick Williams, Sami Zayn, or Damian Priest, with those four competitors set to face off in a number one contender’s match at Saturday Night’s Main Event this weekend.
Rhodes (who is facing Jacob Fatu at SNME) could factor back into the WWE Championship picture soon. He’s already declared for the men’s Royal Rumble match.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.