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Drew McIntyre has been the WWE Champion since WrestleMania 36, where he defeated Brock Lesnar in a matter of minutes to become the first British World Champion in WWE history.
Although it didn't take place in front of a roaring audience like he would have dreamed of, it didn't stop Drew McIntyre from going up to a 100% and staying that way throughout the year. Speaking to GQ Magazine, Drew McIntyre described the days leading up to his match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36 and the emotions he felt when he walked to the ring:
"I go up to 100 per cent as soon as my music hits and I’m in the zone, everything is easy from then on. There was no one in the world but me and Brock at that time. He came into the ring and I stared him down. I wasn’t listening to anyone, not even the referee. He had to push me and get my attention a couple times because I was so in the zone and thinking to myself: ‘This is it. This is a real fight and I’m going to fight Brock Lesnar for the title.’
Describing Brock Lesnar's achievements outside of the squared circle, Drew McIntyre explained that his favorite part was the visual of Brock Lesnar and himself staring down before their match got underway.
When Drew McIntyre defeated Brock Lesnar, his first thought was "‘Holy crap. I did it. I’m the WWE champion". Going further, he explained what it was like and the rush of emotions despite the lack of a crowd:
"When I won, the feeling of fighting Brock goes away and I’m just thinking: ‘Holy crap. I did it. I’m the WWE champion.’ There wasn’t a soldout audience roaring my name, it was complete silence. Usually when you win something the only time you get a moment’s silence is when you get back to the hotel. On this occasion there were no people going crazy, but it was a huge rush of emotions as I had this private moment with the title. I was just staring at it and thinking of everything I’ve been through.
Would Drew McIntyre's WWE title reign had played out differently in a non-COVID reality?
Given that we're now in the COVID-era of WWE, one can only wonder how different things would have been should crowds have still been present. In a lllikeliness, Drew McIntyre would get a solid run, but the crowd reactions would be an audible measurement of how over he is as the World champion.
It's not known how the fan reaction would change, but Drew McIntyre has largely had enjoyable matches and an overall enjoyable run with the WWE title. There can certainly be no denying his legitimacy.
