Drew McIntyre doesn’t think every young wrestler has their priorities straight, and he believes too many are chasing fame before they’ve truly established themselves in the ring.
Speaking on Raw Talk, McIntyre clarified that this criticism wasn’t aimed at CM Punk. While he’d just spent plenty of time criticizing Punk, Drew made it clear Punk has always loved professional wrestling. Instead, he turned his attention to what he sees from parts of the newer generation.
“So, this is the kind of stuff I have to deal with, and people think I’m a bad guy. I’m not a bad guy. I didn’t change. The audience changed for people that are pieces of crap. Or people that just want to be famous.”
Drew McIntyre questioned why some wrestlers seem more focused on building social media followings and outside careers before they’ve fully developed as performers.
“Like, a lot of things I see now, all these TikToks and—what’s it called?—Twitches and whatever. I’m like, ‘Have you thought about getting good at wrestling first and then doing that stuff?’ Before I did the movie stuff, I got good at the wrestling first. I used the platform to get famous just as a side effect of being on television because you love wrestling—or you should love wrestling.”
When the interviewer asked if he was referring to Punk, McIntyre immediately shut that idea down. He reiterated that Punk genuinely loves wrestling before returning to his criticism of younger talent.
“No, no. He loved it. It’s not him with that one. He’s just a piece of crap. He loved wrestling. He’s just a genuine piece of crap who happens to be talented and Charles Manson-like.”
Instead, McIntyre said he’s talking about wrestlers who start thinking about Hollywood, music or other ventures after only a short time in the business rather than dedicating themselves to becoming better performers first.
“I’m talking about more of the newer generation, and maybe focus on your, you know, love of the game and getting good at wrestling first instead of just trying to get popular—the horse before the cart, or whatever the expression is.
“Just maybe focus on—maybe get good at this thing. And you can tell when someone doesn’t love it truly because they take about a year of giving it their all, and then they’re talking about things like going to Hollywood or music stuff, whatever. I was like, ‘Maybe focus on this first and then worry about all the other stuff.’ Again, I never thought about anything but this, and I don’t think about anything but this. And the other stuff will come once, you know, you get good at this one thing.”
McIntyre explained that wrestling has always required complete commitment from him. After more than two decades in the business, he believes success outside the ring comes naturally if someone first commits themselves to becoming the best wrestler they can be.
“You’ve got to keep—if you’re going to get good at something, keep that singular focus. And eventually the other stuff will come, your other passions will come, but you have to have the passion for this. Especially how long we’re on the road, how often we’re on TV, the stresses that come with it. But you have to have that passion or eventually it’s going to be obvious you don’t care. The last 26 years, 20 years in America at the top level, because at the core, I freaking love it.”
After 26 years in the business, McIntyre clearly isn’t interested in changing his mindset. He still believes passion for wrestling has to come before anything else, and if the rest of the opportunities are meant to come, they’ll follow naturally.
Do you agree with Drew McIntyre that wrestlers should focus on mastering the business before pursuing outside opportunities, or is it possible to balance both from the start? Let us know in the comments 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.
