Drew McIntyre

This is an article I’ve been mulling over for a few days…

Drew McIntyre has been picked out, onscreen at least, as Vince’s Chosen One. However, so far, it doesn’t seem to be working, and I’ve been wondering why. It’s a good angle to use, an unusual angle (at least, I can’t think of many more who’ve had the same treatment in WWE onscreen), and yet Drew just doesn’t seem to be connecting with it. Cena was picked out as a Vince ‘Golden Boy’ in 2005/2006, when he was at his most unpopular, and he got there with Superman booking. It made fans resent him, even uber-heels like Angle and Jericho couldn’t stop the jeers, so, surely logic would suggest, doing a similar story on purpose with a heel much more openly, should make the guy absolutely hated.

The ‘Chosen One’ gimmick is one I actually like, and given to the correct guy, it could be great. However, WWE are doing such a half-arsed job of it, it’s difficult for Drew to succeed. Case in point: his role in MITB. If Vince had personally chosen him, why give him the qualifier against a former World Champion in Kane? Losing his unbeaten streak to Kane made no sense at all, then to follow it up with another loss to glorified jobber in Matt Hardy the following week also did nothing for him or the gimmick. So, the final week to qualify, he gets put up against a nobody and steamrollers him to qualify. If he’s Vince’s Chosen Golden Boy, why wasn’t this done to start with? For me, it makes more sense to give him an early ‘easy route’, rather than facing Kane. Then, in MITB itself, I’ve have booked every other wrestler to team up on him at the start, do all their finishers and leave him selling in the corner of the ring. Instead, he was part of the match and only really taken out of it when he crotched himself on the top rope. He was one of the few wrestlers to have any kind of a storyline going in to that, and they did nothing with it all.

So fair enough, he didn’t win MITB, but him not winning could have been booked into the story much better. Which then leads me on to his IC title run. If he’s the ‘Chosen One’, why didn’t Vince put him up for the World Title? He won the IC at the TLC pay-per-view back in December, beating John Morrison, a guy for whom an extended IC run would really have helped him. Instead, he gets 2 months, before dropping it to Drew in a nothing, throwaway feud. Surely, shoving Drew straight in to the World title picture would have made more sense? He shouldn’t win it, but using him as a third man in a triple threat against Undertaker and Batista in their chairs match, take an absolute pounding, and then still receive a push would, I reckon, been much better than giving him the IC belt.

There are other little bits that could also help – at the Rumble, give him another World Title shot in another triple threat with Taker and Mysterio, have him take the pin and then enter the Rumble at Number 30 (to be eliminated straight away). Give him a place in the Elimination Chamber match, without having to qualify and have a backstage skit with Vince telling Teddy that Drew will be the last guy in.

He’s now lost the IC title to Kofi, which is a good move, in my opinion. Drew needs to start a fued with anyone the fans actually care about, and Kofi does seem to be popular. I should also say that I liked the way he dropped it, by acting like he was bigger than the show, only for Teddy to fire him and then be over-ruled by Vince. The letter was a nice touch, but I think Mr. McMahon needs to be re-introduced as an onscreen character to reinforce Drew as the Chosen One.

Drew has a great smug grin – at this stage, I’d go all out as him being Vince’s Chosen One to the extent that he wins MITB at the forthcoming PPV… and then loses. I’d then bring Vince out to declare a no-contest, thus giving Drew the case back, and have him try again a couple of weeks later for the same effect. I’d tie this in to the previous storyline of Teddy being on ‘probation’ which seems to have been forgotten about, effectively forcing Teddy to do what Vince tells him. Then whenever there’s some kind of Number 1 contender match / beat the clock challenge etc, Drew gets an easy ride and the other wrestlers start to really resent him.

I think the Chosen One gimmick could work, and work well. It has the possibility of really pushing Drew, he has a natural air of arrogance and smugness that fits the role well. I just think WWE really need to force this angle down our throats, rather than the half-arsed way they’ve been going about it so far. It could lead on to a face turn further down the line when Vince realises Drew isn’t living up to expectations, or Drew finally winning the big one (assuming he grows into the role, of course). I’d also stop Drew from promo-ing for the time being, and use Vince as his mouthpiece – Drew ‘hiding’ behind him with that smug grin on his chops would be enough to make the role much more effective.

Thoughts?

I think that the WWE just keep changing their minds with Drew, and it has hurt him, because he just doesn't seem to have the right direction. It doesn't help that it's been reported a few top stars don't want to work with him because he isn't a very good worker.

The whole losing the streak only to get it back again and then the big story of getting into the Money in the Bank only for nothing to come of it. And then getting fired, only to come back in a small backstage segment, getting back the title, only to lose it anyway, it's very confusing booking.

I don't think Vince would bring back the Mr. McMahon character so soon, if he ever does. I think though that through letters and stuff he can still provide that push for Drew, I think Drew needs one big storyline, to really push him and the idea of being the Chosen One, and he hasn't had that yet, and I don't think there are any faces big enough for him to work off, except Mysterio- who is supposed to be taking time off, and Undertaker- who almost always comes out top at the end of the feud.

You're absolutely right in WWE changing their minds, but at this stage, Drew needs a popular face - Undertaker would be out of his league, I like having Rey face the guys who can work because Rey has been one of WWE stand-out performers in the past 18 months, so I'd keep Rey away from him.

I know he's not been on-screen for a while and Vince reportedly thinks he's too old now, but Finlay could be perfect for Drew in a feud. Finlay is massively under-rated, is capable of making virtually anyone look good (Batista gives Finlay a hell of a lot of praise in his book), and Drew could benefit from the feud. Hell, include Vince and Hornswoggle, and have Drew absolutely annihilate the dwarf (easy heat, but a proper cuntish, heely thing to do). Failing that, Christian would seem the next obvious answer...

Grecian, you have a great point. Finlay would be a good person for him to play off for a moment. But in the long run, and imo, he need more matches that involve "real" competition, not only in the ring, but with gimmicks as well. Maybe they should run with the "Chosen One" thing, but forget IC and go for the real gold. That could cause some real controversy.

I think the reason people haven't really bought into it is because its coming across as a bit to obvious, I think the reason people turned on Cena is because although he was being shoved down our throats, he wasn't done so in order of storyline, he was done so because Vince could see the dollar signs he made/makes, with Drew its different, I don't mind the storyline, infact I actually really like it, I'd just rather see him not be so obvious, it just screams "Vince wants us to boo"

The problems for me started in the Money In The Bank qualifying match with Kane, he lost, yet McMahon expunges the loss from the history books, I'm sorry, but if he is the "Chosen One" then why was he booked against someone like Kane in the first place? I did like the way he eventually qualified, fighting a complete jobber, thats how it should have been done in the first place, nice and subtle, it would still have been easy to see but not so overly obvious.

I'd also have liked to see Drew just pipped at WrestleMania and whoever threw him off the ladder, lets just say Matt Hardy, then find himself being given a very harsh treatment from 'above' although, again, I'd not have Drew mentioned at all, I'd just have Matt (or whoever) keep complaining that "something stinks" or "this isn't fair" and "This is BS, you know it and I know it"

After a while it would become more obvious as to why Drew gets so many easy breaks while anyone who gets in his way suddenly finds themselves with problems and in situations they otherwise wouldn't be in.

I really like the Chosen One gimmick, always have, played right it can work so well, I'm just not sure whether Drew is good for it, I'd have preferred to see Drew as this edgy character who is constantly on the brink, a little like Early Piper, they could use the 'Scotsman' in him as a reason for his fiery character, I think Dolph Ziggler might have been better suited to being The Chosen One

i agree with Ziggler for 'the chosen one' gimmick either him or Swagger either of them i think would have been better than Drew

Yes, agreed Hodge, well, as far as Swagger's concerned. Ziggler, imo, can bite it. I would hate to be on the recieving end when he pulls the sweat from his hair and throws it on his opponent. To me, that's just sick.

wfbud420 wrote:

Yes, agreed Hodge, well, as far as Swagger's concerned. Ziggler, imo, can bite it. I would hate to be on the recieving end when he pulls the sweat from his hair and throws it on his opponent. To me, that's just sick.

Where do i start wit this comment lol ?

Someone shouldnt be held back cause he uses a certain "Greasy" brand of hair products lol . Its a good look for him and one glance you can tell he is heel!

As for Drew i love the stroyline or gimmick as the chosen one and the reading letters from his "pal" mc mahon hwoever when he renders results like v kane around i think then it draws the line between heel and making him look weak

The Wrestling Observer is reporting that original creative plans called for WWE Smackdown star Drew McIntyre to continue his undefeated streak all the way until he received a run with the World Title. However, it's now being reported that McIntyre has fallen out of favor with several WWE officials as he is said to be a high maintenance performer and he is not getting over as a heel the way WWE had initially hoped. As a result of this, the World Title run went to Jack Swagger instead of McIntyre

you make a good point but i just think he's not that good! Jack Swagger and Sheamus are far better wrestlers who have been pushed and they really needed to get a better wrestler to be 'the chosen one' as it is a good storyline

I wanted Vince to have his character return on screen and say Drew has dissapointed him too often and he has chosen a new favourite, namely Swagger (this would be just after Swagger having lost the title) and it would set up a fued between Swagger and Drew

I think the Chosen one Gimmick is really good but as already said he needs a good, long fued, and the only one I would use with him is Christian.