Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June, 1985) is a Scottish professional wrestler. As of April 2017, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring nameDrew McIntyre.
Andrew McLean Galloway IV was born in Ayr on 6 June 1985.[3][4] He grew up in nearby Prestwick, where he studied at Prestwick Academy.[5] He considered being a professional football player when he was younger, playing for the youth club Prestwick Boys, normally in defensive positions. When he was 10 years old, Galloway read a magazine named X Factor, which focused on conspiracy theories and ghost stories; this prompted him to write a letter to the FBI under the Freedom of Information Act, to which the FBI responded by sending him a file with several documents.[6] A fan of professional wrestling as a child,[7] he started training at the age of 15, and his parents agreed to support him as long as he gave the same amount of focus to his studies.[8] He agreed and earned a master's degree in criminology from Glasgow Caledonian University.[4][8]
In 2003, Galloway made his debut for the inaugural show of British Championship Wrestling (BCW), operating in the Greater Glasgow area. While there, he trained under Colin McKay and Spinner McKenzie,[2] then developing the character of "Thee" Drew Galloway, a cocky narcissist.[9] His first match, which took place at February's No Blood, No Sympathy: Night 1, saw him lose to Stu Natt.[10] He picked up his first win on the second night in a tag team match alongside Wolfgang, defeating Blade and Stu Pendous.[11] By December, Galloway was managed by Charles Boddington, who aided him in his first significant success and managed him for the next four years.
Later that year, Galloway had a series of matches against American veterans. In June, he lost to The Honky Tonk Man[12] and later that month lost to Marty Jannetty and Highlander, with Sabotage on his side.[13] In November, at the aptly titled Lo Down, Galloway main evented in a double countout match against D'Lo Brown.[14] He then had a brief series of feuds, as in March 2005, he defeated Jay Phoenix[15] but their rematch in November, officiated by Mick Foley, ended in a no contest.[16] In May 2006, after their lengthy feud in Irish Whip Wrestling, Galloway lost then won in successive matches against long-term rival Sheamus O'Shaunessy.[17][18]
In November 2006, Galloway and Lionheart defeated BCW Heavyweight Champion Highlander and Wolfgang at Live in East Kilbride, after Galloway pinned Highlander.[19] At December's No Blood, No Sympathy IV event, Galloway defeated Highlander in an "I Quit" match with Conscience as the special guest referee to win his second BCW Heavyweight Championship.[20] He held the title through 2007, with successful defenses against the likes of Martin Stone, Allan Grogan and Lionheart, before vacating the title when he relocated to the United States in September.[3]
After gaining momentum in Scotland, Galloway began wrestling dates across the Republic of Ireland with Irish Whip Wrestling (IWW).[9] After losing to "SOS" Sheamus O'Shaunessy,[21] on 27 August 2006, Galloway defeated O'Shaunessy to win the IWW International Heavyweight Championship.[22]
Galloway signed with WWE in late 2007 and made his official debut on 12 October 2007 episode of SmackDown! under the modified ring name of Drew McIntyre. Accompanied by his on-screen mentor Dave Taylor, McIntyre defeated Brett Major with a roll-up, establishing himself as a villainous character.[23] At the beginning of 2008, McIntyre was separated from Taylor and moved to the Rawbrand, making his official debut on 6 January episode of Heat as a face, defeating Charlie Haas.[24]
In September 2007, McIntyre went to Louisville for Ohio Valley Wrestling and later, he was sent to the new farm territory, Florida Championship Wrestling.[25] In FCW, he won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship with Stu Bennett,[26] and the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship.[27]
Intercontinental Champion (2009–2010)
McIntyre in a match against Finlay in November 2009
McIntyre returned to the main roster on 28 August 2009 episode of SmackDown, attacking R-Truth.[28] One month later, he was pushed when WWE chairman Mr. McMahon promoted him as a "future world champion", going by the nickname "The Chosen One".[29] After defeating R-Truth on 4 October at Hell in a Cell[30] McIntyre participated at Survivor Series on The Miz's team for the traditional Survivor Series elimination match on 22 November, where he, The Miz and his former rival Sheamus were the surviving members on their winning team.[31]
Being the only SmackDown superstar to survive against Team Morrison, McIntyre defeated John Morrison for the Intercontinental Championship at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (TLC) on 13 December.[32] He retained the title against Morrison on 1 January 2010 episode of SmackDown and against Kane on 21 February at Elimination Chamber, using underhanded tactics.[33][34] His televised undefeated record ended in a Money in the Bank qualifying match against Kane on 26 February episode of SmackDown,[35] but Mr. McMahon forced SmackDown's general manager Teddy Long to expunge the loss. This happened again with Matt Hardy[36] before McIntyre qualified for the ladder match by pinning an unsigned wrestler.[37] McIntyre failed to win the Money in the Bank match on 28 March at WrestleMania XXVI, his first WrestleMania appearance.[38] McIntyre continuously attacked Hardy until he was stripped of his title by Long on 7 May and suspended for the purposes of the storyline.[39] However, McMahon decreed he be reinstated as champion the following week, undermining Long's authority and developing tension between McIntyre and Long.[40]
McIntyre lost the Intercontinental Championship to Kofi Kingston—who had won a tournament to determine the new champion—at Over the Limit on 23 May, ending his reign at 161 days.[41] However, he still used his relationship with McMahon to bully Long, publicly humiliating and forcing Long to lie down for him for their match.[42] At Fatal 4-Way on 20 June, McIntyre faced Kingston in a rematch for the title. During the match, Long took over as the referee and refused to make the three count when McIntyre had the match won. A vengeful Matt Hardy then attacked McIntyre, leading to Kingston winning the match and retaining the championship.[43] On 21 June episode of Raw, The Nexus attacked McMahon, which removed him from television for a prolonged period and ended McIntyre's preferential treatment.[44] After losing to Hardy on 25 June episode of SmackDown, Long informed McIntyre that his work visa had expired and that he would be deported back to Scotland immediately.[45] This storyline had a basis in reality, since Galloway's visa had indeed expired and he was taken off television.[46] He returned two weeks later and was re-instated after being made to beg Long.[47]
Tag Team Champion and losing streak (2010–2012)
On 19 September, McIntyre and Cody Rhodes won the WWE Tag Team Championship in a five-team tag team turmoil match at Night of Champions, allowing them to appear on both brands.[48] McIntyre and Rhodes successfully defended the titles twice against The Hart Dynasty.[49][50] At Bragging Rights on 24 October, McIntyre and Rhodes lost the titles to The Nexus (John Cena and David Otunga) and dissolved their team.[51] On 21 November, at Survivor Series, McIntyre participated in a 5-on-5 traditional Survivor Series tag team match as a member of Team Del Rio against Team Mysterio. He was the final man remaining on his team before being eliminated by Big Show.[52] McIntyre entered the 40-man Royal Rumble match at the titular event on 30 January 2011, but was eliminated by Big Show.[53] At Elimination Chamber on 20 February, he participated in the SmackDown Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by Kane.[54]
On 26 April, McIntyre was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 2011 supplemental draft.[55] On 15 December episode of Superstars, McIntyre defeated Justin Gabriel, earning him a contract with SmackDown.[56] He began wrestling on SmackDown on 30 December and resumed his tense relationship with general manager Theodore Long, who put pressure on McIntyre to win matches to justify his contract. McIntyre subsequently began an eight match losing streak going into the new year,[57] after the last of which, Long fired McIntyre within the storyline.[58] A week later, McIntyre was reinstated by guest general manager John Laurinaitis and finally ended his losing streak by defeating Hornswoggle.[59] He was subsequently included on Laurinaitis' team in the 12-man tag team match at WrestleMania XXVIII on 1 April, helping to earn Laurinaitis control of both Raw and SmackDown.[60] He continued to lose matches and was confined to Superstars and house shows, but was still able to make several appearances on Raw and SmackDown, albeit in squash matches.
When WWE rebranded its developmental territory, FCW, into NXT,[61] McIntyre was inserted into the Gold Rush Tournament to crown the inaugural NXT Champion, where he lost to the eventual winner Seth Rollins in the quarterfinals on 1 August episode of NXT.[62] McIntyre also participated in a number one contender fatal four-way elimination match on 7 November episode of NXT, but was eliminated by Bo Dallas.[63]
Galloway, under his real name, made his first post-WWE appearance on 27 July 2014, returning to work for Mark Dallas at Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW) for the first time in seven years and beginning a feud with Jack Jester.[75] On 2 November at ICW's "Fear & Loathing VII" event at The Barrowlands, Galloway defeated Jester in the main event to become a two-time ICW Heavyweight Champion.[76] Galloway made his first international ICW title defense in Denmark on 20 December in a double championship triple threat match against Dansk Pro Wrestling Champion Michael Fynne and Chaos, where he both retained the ICW title and gained the DPW Heavyweight Championship.[77] Galloway competed in his final match of 2014 in a surprise appearance at ICW's "Space Baws 5: Bill Murray Strikes Back" by answering the challenge of Lewis Girvan, who had been goading Galloway for a match. Galloway defeated Girvan to retain the ICW Heavyweight Championship. Following the match, he announced his intention to make the title a world championship by continuing to defend it internationally.[78]
On 9 February, after retaining the title against Matt Hardy in a match for the Family Wrestling Entertainment promotion in New York, he subsequently renamed it the ICW World Heavyweight Championship.[79] On 28 March, Galloway made his first defense at BarraMania in Scotland as "World Champion", defeating Joe Coffey. On 5 April, Galloway successfully defended the ICW title against Doug Williams at a Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW) show in England.[78] On 11 April, Galloway defeated Grado to retain the world championship; after the match, both men were attacked by returning former champion Jack Jester.[80] The following night, Galloway suffered his first loss in ICW since his return, where he and Grado lost to Jester and Sabu after Grado was pinned.[81] On 18 April, Galloway defeated Jester and Grado in a triple threat match to retain the championship, before having it stolen post-match by Sabu. The following night, at "Alex Kidd in London" at KOKO, Galloway regained possession of the belt and retained it in an Elimination Three Way Dance against Sabu and Jester.[78] Galloway finished the "Insane Entertainment Tour" by defeating Mikey Whiplash in the main event of "Flawless Victory" on 2 May to retain the ICW World Heavyweight Championship. On 16 October, at a Maximum Wrestling show in Germany, Galloway successfully defended the ICW World Championship in a triple threat match against Apu Singh and Chaos, in which Chaos' UEWA European Heavyweight Championship was also on the line.[82]
When ICW started out, nobody believed in it and nobody believed in me except for one person (Galloway). ... He, without a shadow of a doubt, led the charge, always had my back ... in the wrestling business and out of it. Anytime ICW needed him, he came calling (just like he did tonight).
—Mark Dallas, ICW Hall of Fame Induction of Drew McIntyre/Galloway (Biggest Fight Club Taping Ever)[83]
At Shug's Hoose Party 2, Galloway turned heel along with Jester and ICW General Manager Red Lightning, aligning to form The Black Label. With Jester's help, he successfully defended the championship against Big Damo in the main event. Galloway successfully retained his world championship against Rhino, Joey D and Kris Travis throughout the rest of the summer. As part of the "Road to Fear & Loathing" tour, Galloway retained the ICW title against Rampage Brown, Doug Williams, Matt Daly and Coach Trip. On 15 November, Galloway lost the title to Grado at Fear & Loathing VIII.[84] Galloway returned to ICW in February 2016 for the UK & Ireland tour, scoring wins over Mark Coffey, Noam Dar and BT Gunn, but losing a match against Chris Renfrew for the ICW World Heavyweight Championship.[78]
Galloway was out of action from August until November due to a back injury, but appeared on ICW shows in non-wrestling roles to further his feud with Mark Dallas. On 19 November, Galloway announced his departure from ICW due to the severity of his injuries, reconciling with Dallas before attacking him and revealing it to have been a rouse.[85] On 1 February 2018, Galloway was inducted into the ICW Hall of Fame.[86]
On 8 August 2014, Galloway debuted for Evolve, defeating Chris Hero for the Evolve Championship.[88] At Evolve 33, he lost a Champion vs Champion match against the DGUSAOpen The Freedom Gate champion, Ricochet.[89] Galloway continued to defend the Evolve Championship at independent events in the United States against the likes of Caleb Konley, Stevie Richards, Devin Thomas, Jimmy Rave, Victor Sterling and Rich Swann (on Evolve iPPV at Evolve 34),[90] internationally in Scotland against Kid Fite, Johnny Moss, Big Damo and Andy Wild, and in England over reigning NWA World Tag Team ChampionDavey Boy Smith Jr.[78] On 9 January 2015, Galloway renamed his title the "Evolve World Championship".[91] Galloway made his first successful defense as world champion the following night against Ricochet at Evolve 37.[92]
At Mercury Rising 2015, Galloway defeated Johnny Gargano for the Dragon Gate USAOpen the Freedom Gate Championship in a Title vs Title match, retaining the Evolve Championship to become a double champion.[93] Galloway made a series of defenses of both titles between 4 and 6 April 2015 in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland, defeating Marty Scurll, Doug Williams and Joe Hendry, Tron and Luther Valentine in a fatal-four way match.[78] At Evolve 43, Galloway made his first standalone defense of the DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Championship, defeating Biff Busick.[94] At Evolve 44, Galloway defeated Roderick Strong to retain the Evolve Championship.[95] On 10 July, Galloway lost both the Evolve World Championship and the Open the Freedom Gate Championship to Timothy Thatcher; he had been the longest reigning Evolve champion in history and set the record for most successful title defenses.[96] At Evolve 46, after defeating Trent Barreta, he was attacked by The Premiere Athlete Brand, but afterwards, uncharacteristically attacked Andrea, threatened SoCal Val and assaulted a referee. Galloway was suspended from EVOLVE,[97] but returned at Evolve 51, defeating FIP World Heavyweight Champion Caleb Konley.[98] At Evolve 52, he failed to regain the Evolve Championship from Thatcher.[99]
Between 22 and 24 January 2016, Galloway and Gargano entered a three-day tournament to crown the inaugural Evolve Tag Team Champions, defeating Catch Point (Drew Gulak and T. J. Perkins), The Bravado Brothers, and Chris Hero and Tommy End in the finals to win the tournament and championship.[100][101][102] At Evolve 59, they lost the titles to Gulak and Tracy Williams; after the match, Galloway claimed that he spent his entire title reign as Evolve champion bringing legitimacy to Evolve, only for WWE and more specifically NXT to come and squash everything he did, while also claiming the company's working relationship with WWE was compromising independent wrestling. Galloway then turned on Gargano by attacking him and Ethan Page,[103] whom he defeated at Evolve 60.[104] Galloway aligned himself with other WWE stars, including Ethan Carter III,[105] defeating Gargano and TJP in a street fight at Evolve 62 with help from Hero, who joined their group and claimed that Cody Rhodes would be joining.[106] At Evolve 63, Galloway defeated Page in an "Anything Goes" match.[107] At Evolve 64, a match between Galloway and Gulak was rescheduled as an Evolve Tag Team Championship main event match between Catch Point and Galloway and the returning Chuck Taylor (now under the name "Dustin"), in which they won the titles, making Galloway the first ever two-time Evolve Tag Team Champion.[108]
At Evolve 65, Galloway defeated Gargano.[109] Dustin and Galloway made their first Evolve Tag Team Championship defense at Evolve 67 on 20 August 2016, teaming with EC3 against Fred Yehi, TJP and Ethan Page (replacement for Tracy Williams) in a no disqualification six man tag-team match, which they lost after EC3 was pinned, also resulting in a title change. Galloway also built a feud with former partner Rhodes and veteran announcer Joey Styles, after they both refused his invitation to join his "crusade".[110] On 13 November, while Galloway was out with an injury, their replacement, Hero, lost the Evolve Tag Team Championship. However, it was announced that, despite supposed champions Catch Point holding the physical belts, Evolve continued to recognize Galloway and Dustin as the Evolve Tag Team Champions.[111]
In August 2015, Galloway debuted for Preston City Wrestling (PCW), trading victories with Noam Dar. Galloway returned to PCW in February 2016, entering the "Road to Glory" tournament, defeating Martin Kirby, Mr. Anderson and Noam Dar, before losing to Rampage Brown in the finals.[78] In March 2016, Galloway entered the Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) "16 Carat Gold Tournament", but lost to Axel Dieter Jr. in the semi-finals.[113] On 25 June, Galloway main-evented the first HD iPPV in European Wrestling history when he returned to PCW at their "Tribute to the Troops 3" show,[114] receiving his championship opportunity in a triple threat match with Sha Samuels and Noam Dar, but lost after Samuels submitted Dar.[78]
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2015-2017)
The Rising and singles run (2015–2016)
On 29 January 2015, Galloway made a surprise debut under his real name for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling during the tapings of Impact Wrestling as a face in Glasgow, Scotland, coming to the aid of TNA British Boot Camp season 2 competitor Grado and entering a feud with The Beat Down Clan.[115] Galloway competed in his first official match for TNA on 6 March, answering the Beat Down Clan's challenge and defeating Kenny King.[116] On 27 March episode of Impact Wrestling, he formed the stable "The Rising" with Eli Drake and Micah.[117] On 10 April episode of Impact Wrestling, The Rising defeated The BDC by disqualification when a masked man (Homicide) ran out and attacked Galloway.[118] At Hardcore Justice on 1 May, Galloway defeated Low Ki in a Steel Pipe on a Pole match.[119] At Slammiversary on 28 June, Galloway competed in the King of the Mountain match for the vacant TNA King of the Mountain Championship in a losing effort.[120] On 1 July episode of Impact Wrestling, The Beat Down Clan defeated The Rising in a 4-on-3 handicap match, forcing The Rising to dissolve.[121]
On 15 July episode of Impact Wrestling, Galloway won a 20-man battle royal to face Ethan Carter III for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship later that night, but lost after his former The Rising teammate Eli Drake attacked him.[122] Galloway lost to Drake at No Surrender on 5 August but won a No Disqualification rematch at Turning Point on 19 August.[123][124] On 16 September episode of Impact Wrestling, Team TNA (Galloway, Bobby Lashley, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards and Bram) defeated Team GFW (Jeff Jarrett, Eric Young, Chris Mordetzky, Brian Myers and Sonjay Dutt) in a Lethal Lockdown match to oust GFW from TNA when Galloway pinned Myers after a Future Shock DDT onto a trash can.[125] On 23 September episode of Impact Wrestling, after winning a five-way elimination match against Bram, Lashley, Richards and Edwards; Galloway became the number one contender for Ethan Carter III's TNA World Heavyweight Championship.[126] At Bound for Glory on 4 October, Galloway competed in a three-way match for the world title, which was won by Matt Hardy.[127] During October and November, Galloway participated in the TNA World Title Series for the vacant title, which he qualified to the round of 16 by defeating Bram, Rockstar Spud and Grado. However, he failed to advance past the round of 8 after he was defeated by Lashley, thus being eliminated from the TNA World Title Series.[128]
Galloway entered a short-lived storyline with Kurt Angle; on 8 January 2016 at TNA One Night Only: Live, Galloway and Angle competed in a 3-Way TNA World Tag Team Championship match, which The Wolves won.[129] On 12 January episode of Impact Wrestling, Galloway lost to Angle.[130] Galloway earned a future TNA World Heavyweight Championship match by grabbing the briefcase that contained said title shot in the 2016 Feast or Fired match.[131] They faced off in a rematch in Manchester, England on 9 February episode of Impact Wrestling, which Galloway won. After the match, he bowed before Angle, showing respect due to it being part of Angle's farewell tour.[132]
TNA World Heavyweight Champion and departure (2016–2017)
On 15 March episode of Impact Wrestling, Galloway cashed in his Feast or Fired briefcase on Matt Hardy to capture the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in his career, thus becoming the first-ever Scottish-born TNA World Heavyweight Champion.[133] He made his first successful title defense on 29 March episode of Impact Wrestling against Jeff Hardy.[134] On 5 April episode of Impact Wrestling, Galloway defeated Matt Hardy in a rematch to retain the title.[135]
At Sacrifice on 26 April, Galloway overcame rib injuries inflicted from having been repeatedly speared by Lashley to retain his title over Bound for Gold winner Tyrus.[136] On 17 May episode of Impact Wrestling, Galloway won a lumberjack match against Lashley, who was at the time the number one contender, by disqualification after he was dragged from the ring and assaulted by the heel lumberjacks, thus retaining his championship.[137] Galloway lost the title to Lashley at Slammiversary on 12 June, ending his reign at 89 days.[138] Galloway was twice unsuccessful in regaining his championship from Lashley due to the involvement of Ethan Carter III, leading to an unsanctioned fight at Destination X on 12 July which ended in a no contest.[139]
Galloway was one of the eight men to enter the Bound for Glory Playoff tournament to challenge for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Bound for Glory. On 22 July episode of Impact Wrestling, Galloway defeated Bram in the first round of the tournament but was eliminated from the semi-finals by Mike Bennett following interference from Moose and a third inadvertent collision with EC3.[140] On 25 August episode of Impact Wrestling, after losing to EC3 for a world title shot against Lashley at Bound for Glory, Galloway attacked special guest referee Aron Rex, turning heel in the process.[141] Galloway then joined the qualifying tournament for the inaugural Impact Grand Championship. After defeating Braxton Sutter in the quarterfinals and Eddie Edwards (via split decision) in the semi-finals, he was scheduled to face Rex in the finals at Bound for Glory to crown the first Grand Champion, but due to an injury he was replaced by Edwards.[142]
On 8 December episode of Impact Wrestling, Galloway made his return by interrupting the Impact Grand Champion Moose and criticising the company.[143] On 19 January 2017 episode of Impact Wrestling, Galloway defeated Moose to win the Impact Grand Championship.[144] Galloway retained the title against Moose in a rematch at Genesis on 27 January and Mahabali Shera on 9 February episode of Impact Wrestling.[145][146] On 26 February, Galloway confirmed that he had parted ways with TNA.[147] He lost the championship back to Moose via split decision in a second rematch on 2 March episode of Impact Wrestling.[148]
On 1 April 2017, Galloway, once again billed as Drew McIntyre, was shown on-screen sitting in the front row at NXT TakeOver: Orlando.[154] It was later confirmed in an exclusive interview with ESPN that he had re-signed with WWE, and would perform in its developmental territoryNXT.[155] On 12 April episode of NXT, McIntyre made his NXT re-debut as a fan favorite, with new entrance music and displaying mannerisms he had developed on the independent circuit, defeating Oney Lorcan.[156] On 19 July episode of NXT, McIntyre defeated Killian Dain to become the number one contender for the NXT Championship,[157] which he won by defeating Bobby Roode at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III on 19 August. After the match, McIntyre was attacked by Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly, and the debuting Adam Cole.[158]
On 4 October episode of NXT, McIntyre successfully defended the title against Roderick Strong.[159] The following month, McIntyre began a feud with Andrade "Cien" Almas, leading to general manager William Regal scheduling a championship match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames on 18 November.[160] The night before that event, McIntyre defeated Adam Cole to retain the title, with Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee at a house show in San Antonio, Texas.[161] The title defense eventually aired on the WWE Network on 3 January 2018.[162] McIntyre lost the NXT Championship to Almas at WarGames, marking his first loss in NXT and ending his reign at 91 days.[163] It was then revealed that McIntyre suffered a torn bicep towards the end of the match.[164]
On 3 December episode of Raw, McIntyre and Ziggler's alliance ended after McIntyre claimed that Ziggler was "a means to an end to get him into a prominent position". This led to an impromptu match between the two, which Ziggler won after interference from Finn Bálor, thus giving McIntyre his first pinfall loss since his return to the main roster.[174] At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on 16 December, McIntyre lost to Bálor after interference from Ziggler.[175] On 31 December episode of Raw, McIntyre defeated Ziggler in a steel cage match, ending their feud.[176] At the Royal Rumble on 27 January 2019, McIntyre entered the Royal Rumble match at number 16 but was eliminated by Ziggler.[177]
McIntyre in August 2019
At Fastlane on 10 March, McIntyre, Baron Corbin and Lashley lost to The Shield.[178] The next night on Raw, McIntyre viciously assaulted Roman Reigns before his match with Corbin, leading to a falls count anywhere match with Dean Ambrose later that night, which McIntyre won.[179] On 18 March episode of Raw, McIntyre challenged Reigns to a match at WrestleMania 35, which Reigns accepted the following week.[180][181][182] At WrestleMania on 7 April, McIntyre lost to Reigns.[183] On 21 April, at The Shield's Final Chapter, McIntyre, Corbin, and Lashley again lost to The Shield.[184] On 6 May episode of Raw, McIntyre interrupted Reigns and demanded a WrestleMania rematch, which Reigns accepted and won by disqualification. After this, McIntyre became the enforcer of Shane McMahon.[185] At Stomping Grounds on 23 June, McIntyre again lost to Reigns despite interference from McMahon.[186] On 14 July, McIntyre and McMahon lost to Reigns and The Undertaker in a No Holds Barred tag team match at Extreme Rules, ending their feud.[187] Following the event, McIntyre ended his association with McMahon.
In August, McIntyre competed in the King of the Ring tournament, but was eliminated in the first round by Ricochet.[188] On 21 October episode of Raw, he was revealed as a member of Ric Flair's team at Crown Jewel on 31 October,[189] but they lost to Team Hogan.[190] At Survivor Series on 24 November, McIntyre made up part of Team Raw in a losing effort to Team SmackDown in a 5-on-5-on-5 Survivor Series match, also involving Team NXT.[191]
WWE Champion (2020–2021)
At Royal Rumble on 26 January 2020, McIntyre won the Royal Rumble match, earning himself a championship opportunity at WrestleMania 36, turning face in the process. In the match, McIntyre eliminated six participants, including WWE ChampionBrock Lesnar, who he challenged for the title the next night on Raw.[192][193] On Night 2 of WrestleMania on 5 April, McIntyre defeated Lesnar in the main event to capture the WWE Championship.[194] He made his first successful title defense against Big Show on the same night, which was televised the following night on Raw.[195]
After retaining the title against Keith Lee on 4 January 2021 episode of Raw,[210] a rematch between McIntyre and Orton on 11 January was cancelled after McIntyre tested positive for COVID-19.[211] He retained the title against Goldberg at Royal Rumble on 31 January.[212] At Elimination Chamber on 21 February, McIntyre successfully defended the title in an Elimination Chamber match against Orton, Sheamus, Jeff Hardy, Styles and Kofi Kingston.[213] After the match, he was attacked by Bobby Lashley and The Miz, who cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase (that he got reinstated due to a loophole in the contract), performing the Skull-Crushing Finale to pin McIntyre and win the WWE Championship, ending his second reign at 97 days (96 days as recognised by WWE).[214] At Fastlane on 21 March, McIntyre defeated Sheamus in a No Holds Barred match.[215] McIntyre then failed to regain the WWE Championship from Lashley at Night 1 of WrestleMania 37 on 10 April,[216]WrestleMania Backlash on 16 May in a triple threat match also involving Braun Strowman,[217] and at Hell in a Cell on 20 June inside the namesake structure.[218]
On 18 July at Money in the Bank, McIntyre competed in the namesake ladder match, but failed to win the briefcase after being attacked by Jinder Mahal, Veer, and Shanky.[219] At SummerSlam on 21 August, McIntyre defeated Mahal with Veer and Shanky banned from ringside.[220] As part of the 2021 Draft, McIntyre was drafted to the SmackDown brand.[221] At Crown Jewel on 21 October, McIntyre faced Big E for the WWE Championship, but lost.[222] On 21 November, at Survivor Series, McIntyre was the captain of Team SmackDown, but he was eliminated via countout and his team lost the match to Team Raw, with Seth Rollins being the sole survivor.[223]
Championship pursuits and feud with CM Punk (2021–2024)
In December, McIntyre started feuding with Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss, defeating Moss at Day 1 on 1 January 2022.[224][225] McIntyre participated in the Royal Rumble match at the namesake event on 29 January, but was the last competitor eliminated by eventual winner Brock Lesnar.[226] At Elimination Chamber on 19 February, McIntyre defeated Moss again in a Falls Count Anywhere match. During the match, he performed an inverted Alabama Slam, which resulted in Moss landing directly on top of his head, but he was able to continue the match.[227] At Night 1 of WrestleMania 38 on 2 April, McIntyre defeated Corbin and became the first person to kick out of his finisher, the End of Days, ending their feud.[228]
At Royal Rumble on 27 January 2024, during the Royal Rumble match, McIntyre legitimately injured CM Punk's tricep after a botched landing of his signature Future Shock DDT.[247] The injury was turned into a storyline between the two, as McIntyre continuously mocked Punk for causing his injury.[248] At Elimination Chamber: Perth on 24 February, McIntyre won the Elimination Chamber match by last eliminating Orton, earning another rematch against Rollins at WrestleMania XL.[249][250] On Night 2 of WrestleMania XL on 7 April, McIntyre defeated Rollins to win the World Heavyweight Championship. After the match, Punk attacked McIntyre, allowing Damian Priest to cash in his Money in the Bank contract on McIntyre, ending his reign after only five minutes and forty-six seconds.[251] He failed to regain the title from Priest at Clash at the Castle: Scotland on 15 June and Money in the Bank on 6 July after interference from Punk.[a][252][253] McIntyre and Punk then had a trilogy of matches, the first at SummerSlam on 3 August with Rollins as the special guest referee where McIntyre defeated Punk,[254] the second at Bash in Berlin on 31 August where McIntyre lost in a strap match,[255] and the third and final match at Bad Blood on 5 October, where McIntyre lost to Punk in a universally acclaimed Hell in a Cell match, ending their near ten-month trilogy feud.[256] The latter match also marked McIntyre's second match to be rated five stars by Dave Meltzer.[257]
Various feuds (2024–present)
McIntyre in February 2025.
On 2 December episode of Raw, Jey Uso was attacked by a mystery assailant backstage. Later that night, McIntyre returned after a brief hiatus, attacking Zayn after his match with Rollins.[258] The following week, McIntyre revealed himself to be the one behind the backstage attack on Uso, before attacking Zayn,[259] who McIntyre defeated on 14 December at Saturday Night's Main Event.[260] At the Raw premiere on Netflix on 6 January 2025, McIntyre lost to Uso.[261] At Royal Rumble on 1 February, McIntyre entered at number 17, but was eliminated by Damian Priest.[262] On 7 February, it was announced that McIntyre was transferred to the SmackDown brand, and later that night, he defeated Jimmy Uso and LA Knight to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match at the namesake event on 1 March.[263][264] At Elimination Chamber: Toronto, McIntyre was the first man eliminated by Priest, after which he attacked Priest and caused his elimination.[265]
Professional wrestling style and persona
McIntyre uses a running single leg dropkick called the Claymore as his finisher.[4] The move was created accidentally during a match when McIntyre was attempting a big boot, but since the leather pants he was wearing were too tight, he had to kick up with the other leg to avoid ripping them, knocking himself out in the process.[266] After the match, a road agent told him to figure out how to use the move again without killing himself.[267] He began using a countdown upon the execution of the move during a house show, which stuck after fans participated in the countdown.[268] McIntyre also uses a double underhook DDT called the Future Shock (originally called the Scot Drop),[28] and a headbutt called the Glasgow Kiss.[269]
In his early years on the independent circuit, he developed a narcissistic character and used "The One and Only" as his theme song.[4] Shortly after his main roster debut in WWE, McIntyre was labeled "The Chosen One" by Vince McMahon, who believed he was a future world champion.[29] His character took a more comedic turn upon joining the 3MB faction in 2012, as he continuously lost matches.[270]
During his feud with CM Punk in 2024 McIntyre received a boost on social media for his "hater" mannerisms, using online platforms such as X to enhance his feuds and embracing the role of a "keyboard warrior" through online trolling and increased promo rate.[271] His heel turn in the fall of 2023 has been praised for his interactions with several top stars within more layered storyline callbacks that have his character "speaking his truth" despite being the villain.[272]
Galloway became engaged to American professional wrestler Taryn Terrell in July 2009,[287][288] while both working for WWE and they married in Las Vegas in May 2010.[289][290] They divorced in May 2011.[291] Galloway met doctor Kaitlyn Frohnapfel at a bar in 2013 and they married on 10 December 2016.[4] They currently reside in Nashville, Tennessee, having previously lived in Tampa, Florida.[292]
Galloway's mother, Angela, died on 3 November 2012, at the age of 51 after suffering from cerebellar ataxia.[4][293]
Galloway is a supporter of Scottish football club Rangers.[8][294]
On 2 June 2023, Galloway announced that he had become an American citizen.[295]
↑ Stephens, David (15 October 2012). "Raw Results – 10/15/12". WrestleView.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
↑ Hemmings, Jamie (9 May 2021). "Drew McIntyre on becoming an author and embracing his authentic self". Slam! Wrestling. Archived from the original on 20 June 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2023. McIntyre just released his autobiography, A Chosen Destiny: My Story on May 4, 2021. The book, written with Sarah Edworthy, is out now from Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
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