When Drew McIntyre defeated Brock Lesnar on Sunday at WrestleMania 36 to become a first-time WWE Champion, this marked the culmination of a redemption saga that started nearly six years ago, when he had concluded his first run with the company as one-third of a lower-card faction. And as he related in a recent interview, it was late in this run when he and Lesnar first crossed paths, with “The Beast” suggesting at that time that the Scotsman was way too good to be losing matches while working a comedy gimmick.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso in an interview published earlier in the week, McIntyre looked back at his first meeting with Lesnar, which took place on an April 2013 episode of Monday Night Raw . Back then, the newly-crowned WWE Champion was teaming with Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal in the comedy stable 3MB, a trio of wannabe rock stars who dressed the part but didn’t come anywhere close to playing musical instruments, or even singing.
“I remember it well,” McIntyre recalled. “Brock was not long back at that point from UFC. He pulled me aside, and he straight-up asked me, ‘Why are you involved in this?’ He was so confused, but he saw something in me and believed in me. It’s pretty crazy, all these years later, I was the guy to take the title from him at WrestleMania .”
Additionally, McIntyre touched on Lesnar’s reputation as a generally taciturn, unfriendly individual backstage, describing the former UFC heavyweight champion as someone who “doesn’t like people too much.” He did clarify, however, that Lesnar chooses not to “do business” with wrestlers whom he feels aren’t pulling their weight, but tends to be more open with performers whom he genuinely respects.
“To have earned his respect means a lot.”
. @DMcIntyreWWE KICKED OUT AT 1!!!! #TheBeast can’t believe it!!! #WrestleMania @BrockLesnar pic.twitter.com/U4eI3phh2c
— WWE (@WWE) April 6, 2020
As recalled by GiveMeSport , McIntyre’s big win at WrestleMania 36 also fulfilled WWE chairman Vince McMahon’s prediction from over a decade ago that he would one day become a world champion. Initially given the moniker “The Chosen One,” McIntyre instead floundered in the lower- and mid-card scene, ultimately losing far more often than he won during his time in 3MB. He was then released in June 2014, kicking off a three-year span where he enjoyed success as an independent wrestler. He returned to WWE in 2017 and spent some time in NXT before re-debuting on the main roster one year later.
With his big win over Lesnar now in the books, it’s still unclear who may step up next as a long-term rival for McIntyre as he defends his WWE Championship. He is, however, fresh off his first successful title defense — a win over Big Show on this week’s episode of Raw , as noted by Cageside Seats .
