Drew McIntyre Discusses The Fear Inherent To Reinvention, WWE Departure

Leaving WWE can be a terrifying prospect for wrestlers, and in that way, Drew McIntyre can relate to how brave Cody Rhodes had to be to stake out his claim outside the company.

"It's scary at first," McIntyre told "Under The Ring," describing WWE as a security blanket. "Cody believed inside [he was] capable of more. But for me, I was kinda forced to step outside to see if I was capable of more." 

McIntyre was released by WWE in 2014 and worked in the independent circuit, including for EVOLVE Wrestling. Rhodes and McIntyre took different paths, with Rhodes wrestling for televised promotions like Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, before eventually betting on himself and helping found All Elite Wrestling, while McIntyre continued working for EVOLVE and also had a stint in TNA Wrestling (now Impact Wrestling), where he held the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

McIntyre says that wrestlers need an all-consuming passion for the business if they hope to succeed outside WWE, and that's what he shared with Rhodes. McIntyre, like Rhodes, took fans on his journey of self-discovery through social media, helping build his brand and learn to carry himself like a champion outside the ring.

"I left [WWE] a boy and returned a man," McIntyre explained.

McIntyre says he watched Rhodes take what McIntyre did outside WWE "to the next level," but both men realized they had unfinished business in WWE. McIntyre returned to the company in 2017 quickly becoming "NXT" Champion, while Rhodes returned at WrestleMania in 2022 and was main-eventing WrestleMania the very next year.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Under The Ropes" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.