Drew McIntyre isn’t afraid to throw WWE’s creative plans out the window when he thinks something isn’t working — even if it means getting an earful from Triple H backstage. The Scottish Warrior has admitted that changing his promos on live television has landed him in trouble, but he’s not planning to stop doing it.
While speaking on the Raw Talk podcast, McIntyre opened up about how WWE’s creative process works under Triple H and how much freedom he has when delivering promos. According to Drew, writers help establish the storyline and its direction, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to stand in front of thousands of fans and read whatever somebody puts on a piece of paper.
McIntyre explained that WWE’s creative team works closely with talent to develop storylines, with Triple H overseeing the overall direction. However, he believes wrestlers who understand their characters should have a major say in how those stories are told.
“These days, it’s very much a collaboration and has been for a few years now with myself personally anyway and generally across the board. If you know your character, you can work with the writers, etc., and get the character into the story. But it’s very important to me to make sure the creative matches what I’ve got going on in my head. Like the writers, the creative team, Triple H leading the creative team, they kind of set out, here’s the story, here’s what we’re thinking, here’s who we’re thinking you’re going to work with and this is where we’d like to get to.”
Drew said that while WWE might have a destination in mind, the process of getting there is something he helps shape every week. He also made it clear that nobody needs to tell him what Drew McIntyre would say because, well, he’s Drew McIntyre.
“Then it goes week to week. Like how we get there, that’s kind of a collaboration. Like when I go out there and I’ve got an interview in the microphone, I’m not getting handed a piece of paper that says here’s what you’re saying. Here’s all the words you’re saying because that’s what Drew McIntyre would say. Because my response, which I’ve said in real life, is no, you wouldn’t. What do you mean? I’m Drew McIntyre. I know what I would say.”
McIntyre explained that he’ll go back and forth with WWE’s writers to make sure everything sounds believable. If he doesn’t believe what he’s saying, he doesn’t expect the audience to buy it either.
“So, we have to go back and forth about what we want in the paper, where we’re going next, and make sure it’s in line with what’s in my head. Because if I don’t believe it, sure as hell, the fans are not going to believe it. They can see in your eyes, even if they don’t know or they can’t articulate it subconsciously, they’re like, you feel it. I don’t believe this and I have to believe it. So, they believe it. So, we very much work together every step of the way to create, you know, the storylines of where we’re going and make sure we’re getting the right emotional reaction.”
But here’s where things get interesting. McIntyre admitted that even after WWE’s creative team agrees on a plan, he sometimes changes everything in front of the live audience. Depending on how Triple H feels about those decisions, Drew either gets congratulated backstage or finds himself in trouble.
“Then on top of that, you’re in front of a live crowd. Sometimes they don’t react to the stuff on the paper and I’m very much the big ad-libber and sometimes it gets me a big slap on the wrist when I get to the back or a high five like good move out there.”
And apparently, dealing with an angry Triple H isn’t exactly a pleasant experience. McIntyre said he knows the difference between returning backstage to a happy boss and walking into a situation where Triple H isn’t thrilled with what just happened.
“It’s one thing Triple H is waiting for when he’s angry but if he’s happy it’s a very good feeling but when I’m out there if the 20,000 people aren’t digging what I’m saying I’ll listen and I’ll take a different direction and sometimes it’s the opposite of what we talked about because it didn’t feel right out there.”
McIntyre explained that his willingness to change direction comes down to one thing: the fans. Unlike actors working on a movie set, WWE Superstars get immediate feedback from thousands of people, and Drew believes ignoring that reaction is a mistake.
“I’ll see what’s happening. The crowd react the right way. They’re giving you real time feedback. It’s not like acting or whatever where there’s no sound or whatever telling you they’re doing it right. It’s like you’re doing it wrong because they’re not reacting. So I’ll go a different route. I’ll go a different route. I’ll get back. We’ll talk about it.”
This isn’t the first time McIntyre has addressed his freedom on the microphone. Ringside News previously covered how McIntyre was granted more freedom with his WWE promos during his championship run, with Paul Heyman playing a major role in giving him more control over what he said on television.
McIntyre has also praised Triple H’s approach to WWE creative, explaining that the current system gives established performers more opportunities to develop their characters and take chances.
The difference now is that McIntyre is admitting those chances don’t always go over well with the boss. He knows WWE has a plan, but if thousands of fans aren’t buying what he’s selling, he’s willing to change course and deal with Triple H afterward. Sometimes he gets a high five, and sometimes he gets chewed out. Either way, Drew seems perfectly comfortable taking that gamble if it means getting the reaction he wants.
Do you think Drew McIntyre is right to change his WWE promos when the crowd isn’t responding, even if it means getting in trouble with Triple H? Or should wrestlers stick to the creative team’s original plans? Let us know what you think and leave your feedback in the comments section below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
