WWE News: Why WWE Signed Drew McIntyre, Last Minute Deal Went Down?
Former TNA World Champion Drew McIntyre showed up randomly on Saturday night at WWE NXT Takeover: Orlando to the shock of many, and it appears we now know why WWE signed the Scottish Dragon to a big WWE NXT deal. It was not reported anywhere that McIntyre would be at NXT Takeover on Saturday, which made his presence quite a surprise. Usually, when someone shows up in the crowd, it makes sense as we hear when most any independent worker is in talks with WWE.
This time around, Drew McIntyre was able to escape the rumor mill and become a surprise for the show. It seems that we now know why no one knew anything. According to The Wrestling Observer, Drew McIntyre’s deal with the WWE came together at the last minute. That means he very well showed up to Orlando to talk with Triple H possibly that day or the day before signing with the company.
There had been interest in bringing him back since he left TNA earlier this year when the company did not offer him a deal that he felt he could work with. Most felt that Drew would stay on the indies and mostly work in Europe, where he had had a relatively good career where money was pretty good. He was especially notable for his work in ICW, which is reportedly in talks to be on the WWE Network.
The Observer reports the interest in bringing Drew McIntyre back stems from first and foremost, needing someone to replace Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura is reportedly headed to the main roster as soon as this upcoming week. The WWE also wanted him back due to his huge fan backing in The UK, and audience WWE wants to continue to get on their side to help sell WWE Network numbers.
The indication is that he will be working with both the WWE NXT and United Kingdom brands, once the UK brand is up and going. It is assumed the brand will be ready to go by the end of the year. Most feel that it would be smart to put Drew McIntyre on the main roster, since he does have a few championships from his time with the WWE years back, including a reign with the WWE Intercontinental Championship and even a WWE Tag Team Title reign.
However, McIntyre is only 31 years old. This means that WWE can use him on the WWE Network programs for a little while then bring him up later on when they feel they can not only replace him with someone, but also find a use for him that does not end up with him being a jobber in some sort of three man group that calls themselves a band, but doesn’t play one instrument between them. Of course, who would ever think of an idea like that anyway?
WWE is going to allow McIntyre to drop his WCPW Heavyweight Championship, so once their next taping comes up, McIntyre will most likely work his last independent match for a very long time. Reportedly, McIntyre signed a three-year deal to return to the WWE. This is quite a commitment, so he may have been promised a big role in his return to return for such a length of time. Usual contracts for WWE are two or three-year deals, but many take the two-year.
Triple H seems to have big plans for Drew McIntyre, which is good for him. Originally, WWE saw a lot of potential in McIntyre and even dubbed him “The Chosen One” with Vince McMahon himself getting behind him. You don’t get a better backing in the WWE, ever. Then as time went on issues occurred that caused all the hype to die off, and McIntyre fell back from what he could have become.
This led to McIntyre pretty much jobbing out the bulk of his last run with WWE. He would leave WWE a few years ago and head to work with TNA Wrestling and work on the indies at the same time, especially in Europe. He would win numerous championships, including the TNA World Championship. It was assumed that if he had another chance in WWE, he would make the most of it this time around. He now has a chance to prove that it seems.
[Featured Image By TNA Wrestling]
