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After a grueling match with Bobby Lashley at Backlash and a follow-up defense in a tag team match against the All-Mighty and MVP on RAW, Drew McIntyre is still the WWE Champion. The Scottish Psychopath is in the midst of his first-ever run with the company's top prize and has racked up a number of impressive victories in his 70-plus day reign as Champion. This, of course, started with his win over Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36.
I had the chance to chat with Drew McIntyre before Backlash and he reflected on his journey to the main event of WrestleMania, which started at the Royal Rumble. McIntyre says he found out very late in the game that he would be walking away the winner, and even when he was told that, he didn't believe it would happen until it actually did.
"To find out that I was going to win the whole Rumble after eliminating Brock Lesnar, one it was a amazing. Two, I didn't believe anybody. You know things can change sometimes in our business. Not all the time, but sometimes change. So even when I was in there I didn't believe it was going to happen. So when it did happen you saw my legitimate reaction, because nothing is official until it's official."
The Rumble kicked off a months-long feud between Drew McIntyre and Brock Lesnar. Drew said he was extremely excited by the crowd reaction when he eliminated The Beast, but he admitted he did have a concern as the match wore on.
"Edge was returning at the end after a nine year absence from the company. People thought they'd never see him again. He returned at the Rumble and we've seen crowds turn on certain superstars if they don't get the winner that they wanted. So that was in the back of my mind, I guess, while I was out there. That wow... when Edge gets eliminated and it's Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns, they might just turn on the match."
However, when Edge was eliminated, the crowd didn't turn on the future WWE Champion. Drew McIntyre said the reaction when he tossed Reigns over the top rope to win the match was just as loud as when he eliminated Lesnar. That is a moment that McIntyre says meant the world to him.
Drew McIntyre wants a match with the Rated-R Superstar
Getting in the ring with the Rated-R Superstar was obviously something Drew McIntyre never thought he'd get to do again. While on my radio show for ESPN1530 in Cincinnati, McIntyre told me that he and Edge did wrestle a little bit early on in McIntyre's career, but they never had a big one-on-one match.
McIntyre naturally assumed that match would never happen after Edge was forced into retirement nine years ago. That was until the Royal Rumble anyway.
"You know Edge had this amazing career. I was thankful that I traveled the world with him. Learned a lot from him as a kid, but to see him back... of course the wheels started turning. And I thought to myself, 'Oh yea, we're going to have that big match.' And I'm absolutely ready for that big match now, you know, physically and mentally."
Unfortunately, Edge suffered a torn triceps muscle against Randy Orton in the "Greatest Wrestling Match Ever" at Backlash. He did undergo successful surgery but the rehab process could very well put him out of action for the remainder of 2020.
Regardless, when the Rated-R Superstar does make his triumphant return, Drew McIntyre will be waiting.
