Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dave Bautista greatly influenced current WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre. The latter began his first run in WWE in 2007, debuting on SmackDown as a young, talented wrestler from Scotland. Former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon introduced him as a “future world champion,” giving him the nickname “The Chosen One.”
Despite this strong start and huge endorsement from McMahon, McIntyre faced several ups and downs during his early years. In 2009, he won the Intercontinental Championship, showcasing his potential. However, due to a lack of character development, McIntyre lost momentum as emerging stars rose through the ranks.
In his final years, McIntyre joined the comedic faction 3MB alongside Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal, which led to his relegation to lower-card roles. WWE released him in 2014, ending his first run with the promotion. After leaving WWE, McIntyre made a significant impact on the independent scene and built a strong reputation.
He returned to WWE in 2017 and quickly rose to the top, becoming one of the promotion’s biggest stars. Although he faced tough times during his first run with the promotion, he had the support of Dave Bautista during those challenges. Recently, McIntyre revealed that Bautista served as a mentor for him in his early WWE days.
Drew McIntyre reflects on WWE legend Dave Bautista’s mentorship
WWE legend Dave Bautista, who has achieved great success in Hollywood, stars in the latest film The Killer’s Game. The movie also marks the debut of former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Drew McIntyre. Speaking in a Reddit AMA, McIntyre revealed how Bautista served as a mentor to him during his WWE career.
“Yeah he is! Naturally introverted, much like myself, in fact a lot of us wrestlers are. When I first met him I thought he didn’t like me because he was so quiet, but then he started mentoring me when I was a youngster but it was more than that he really kept an eye out of me and clued me up on how to navigate the WWE,” the Scottish wrestler stated. “Now he’s doing the same as I step into this new world. All round great lad.”
Recently, Dave Bautista revealed that he helped secure Drew McIntyre’s role in The Killer’s Game. He explained that director J.J. Perry was looking for an actor with a Scottish accent who could convincingly portray an intimidating character. Upon Bautista’s recommendation, McIntyre was soon considered for the role.
