Drew McIntyre
Andrew McLean Galloway IV is a Scottish-American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre, and is the current Undisputed WWE Champion in his third reign.
Galloway began his career in 2001 in the United Kingdom with Scottish promotions British Championship Wrestling and Insane Championship Wrestling, and also performed in Ireland with Irish Whip Wrestling, all under his real name stylized as Drew Galloway; he is the inaugural ICW World Heavyweight Champion. He signed a development contract with WWE in 2007, took on the ring name Drew McIntyre, and was sent to its developmental territories Ohio Valley Wrestling and Florida Championship Wrestling after appearances on both SmackDown and Raw. Using the moniker "The Chosen One", he returned to SmackDown in 2009, winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship and the WWE Tag Team Championship alongside "Dashing" Cody Rhodes. He would then be relegated to lower-card status until he was released from his WWE contract in 2014.
Between 2014 and 2017, he worked once again under his real name in several independent promotions across the world, as well as returning to ICW, where he won the ICW World Heavyweight Championship for a second time and was inducted into the ICW Hall of Fame in 2018. He made his debut for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2015, becoming a one-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion and one-time Impact Grand Champion. He also performed in Evolve, where he was a one-time Evolve Champion and two-time Evolve Tag Team Champion. He was also a one-time Open the Freedom Gate Champion due to Evolve's partnership with Dragon Gate USA. Galloway also appeared in Pro Wrestling Guerilla between 2015 and 2016.
Galloway returned to WWE in 2017, once again as Drew McIntyre, and was assigned to NXT, where he won the NXT Championship once. Upon returning to WWE's main roster in 2018, he has since won the Raw Tag Team Championship alongside Dolph Ziggler, the 2020 Men's Royal Rumble match, the 2024 Men's Money in the Bank ladder match, three WWE Championships, and the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XL.
He is the first and only British and/or Scottish world champion in WWE history and the 31st Triple Crown champion.
Early life
Andrew McLean Galloway IV was born in Ayr on 6 June 1985. He grew up in nearby Prestwick, where he studied at Prestwick Academy. He considered being a professional football player when he was younger, playing for the youth club Prestwick Boys, normally in defensive positions. When he was 10 years old, Galloway read a magazine named X Factor, which focused on conspiracy theories and ghost stories; this prompted him to write a letter to the FBI under the Freedom of Information Act, to which the FBI responded by sending him a file with several documents. A fan of professional wrestling as a child, he started training at the age of 15, and his parents agreed to support him as long as he gave the same amount of focus to his studies. He agreed and earned a master's degree in criminology from Glasgow Caledonian University in 2006, also briefly attending Birmingham University during his exchange year.Professional wrestling career
Independent circuit (2001–2007)
Galloway began training as a wrestler at the Frontier Wrestling Alliance's Academy at the age of 15 after his family moved to England and settled in Portsmouth. Although he was trained by the promotion's operator Mark Sloan along with Justin Richards and James Tighe, he also cites the promotion's established wrestlers helping out with training, including Doug Williams, Paul Burchill and Alex Shane.In 2003, Galloway made his debut for the inaugural show of British Championship Wrestling, operating in the Greater Glasgow area. While there, he trained under Colin McKay and Spinner McKenzie, then developing the character of "Thee" Drew Galloway, a cocky narcissist. His first match, which took place at February's No Blood, No Sympathy: Night 1, saw him lose to Stu Natt. He picked up his first win on the second night in a tag team match alongside Wolfgang, defeating Blade and Stu Pendous. By December, Galloway was managed by Charles Boddington, who aided him in his first significant success and managed him for the next four years.
Later that year, Galloway had a series of matches against American veterans. In June, he lost to The Honky Tonk Man and later that month lost to Marty Jannetty and Highlander, with Sabotage on his side. In November, at the aptly titled Lo Down, Galloway main-evented against D'Lo Brown in a match which ended in a double countout. He then had a brief series of feuds as in March 2005, he defeated Jay Phoenix but their rematch in November, officiated by Mick Foley, ended in a no contest. In May 2006, after their lengthy feud in Irish Whip Wrestling, Galloway lost then won in successive matches against long-term rival Sheamus O'Shaunessy.
In November 2006, Galloway and Lionheart defeated BCW Heavyweight Champion Highlander and Wolfgang at Live in East Kilbride, after Galloway pinned Highlander. At December's No Blood, No Sympathy IV event, Galloway defeated Highlander in an "I Quit" match with Conscience as the special guest referee to win his second BCW Heavyweight Championship. He held the title through 2007, with successful defenses against the likes of Martin Stone, Allan Grogan and Lionheart, before vacating the title when he relocated to the United States in September.
After gaining momentum in Scotland, Galloway began wrestling dates across the Republic of Ireland with Irish Whip Wrestling. After losing to "SOS" Sheamus O'Shaunessy on 27 August 2006, Galloway defeated O'Shaunessy to win the IWW International Heavyweight Championship.
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE (2007–2014)
Beginnings (2007–2009)
Galloway signed with WWE in 2007 and made his official debut on 12 October 2007 episode of SmackDown! under the modified ring name of Drew McIntyre. Accompanied by his on-screen mentor Dave Taylor, McIntyre defeated Brett Major with a roll-up, establishing himself as a villainous character. At the beginning of 2008, McIntyre was separated from Taylor and moved to the Raw brand, making his official debut on 6 January episode of Heat as a face, defeating Charlie Haas.In September 2007, McIntyre went to Louisville, Kentucky for Ohio Valley Wrestling and later, he was sent to the new farm territory, Florida Championship Wrestling. In FCW, he won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship with Stu Bennett and the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship.
Intercontinental Champion (2009–2010)
McIntyre returned to the main roster on 28 August 2009 episode of SmackDown, attacking R-Truth. One month later, he received a push when WWE chairman Mr. McMahon promoted him as a "future world champion", going by the nickname "The Chosen One". After defeating R-Truth on 4 October at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view McIntyre participated at Survivor Series on The Miz's team for the traditional Survivor Series elimination match on 22 November, where he, The Miz and his former rival Sheamus were the surviving members on their winning team.Being the only SmackDown superstar to survive against Team Morrison, McIntyre defeated John Morrison for the Intercontinental Championship at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on 13 December. He retained the title against Morrison on 1 January 2010 episode of SmackDown and Kane on 21 February at Elimination Chamber, using underhanded tactics. His televised undefeated record ended in a Money in the Bank qualifying match against Kane on 26 February episode of SmackDown, but Mr. McMahon forced SmackDown's general manager Teddy Long to expunge the loss. This happened again with Matt Hardy before McIntyre qualified for the ladder match by pinning an unsigned wrestler. McIntyre failed to win the Money in the Bank match on 28 March at WrestleMania XXVI, his first WrestleMania appearance. McIntyre continuously attacked Hardy until he was stripped of his title by Long on 7 May episode of SmackDown and fired for the purposes of the storyline. However, McMahon decreed he be reinstated as champion the following week, undermining Long's authority and developing tension between McIntyre and Long.
At Over the Limit on 23 May, McIntyre lost the Intercontinental Championship to Kofi Kingston—who had won a tournament to determine the new champion, ending his reign at 161 days. However, he still used his relationship with McMahon to bully Long, publicly humiliating and forcing Long to lie down for him for their match. At Fatal 4-Way on 20 June, McIntyre failed to regain the title from Kingston after Long took over as the referee and refused to make the three count, allowing Hardy to attack McIntyre, leading to Kingston winning the match. On 21 June episode of Raw, The Nexus attacked McMahon, which removed him from television for a prolonged period and ended McIntyre's preferential treatment. After losing to Hardy on 25 June episode of SmackDown, Long informed McIntyre that his work visa had expired and that he would be deported back to Scotland immediately. This storyline had a basis in reality, since Galloway's visa had indeed expired and he was taken off television. He returned two weeks later and was re-instated after being made to beg Long.
Tag Team Champion and losing streak (2010–2012)
On 19 September, McIntyre and Cody Rhodes won the WWE Tag Team Championship in a five-team tag team turmoil match at Night of Champions, allowing them to appear on both brands. McIntyre and Rhodes successfully defended the titles twice against The Hart Dynasty before losing them at Bragging Rights on 24 October to The Nexus, after which they dissolved their partnership the following week.At Survivor Series on 21 November, McIntyre participated in a 5-on-5 traditional Survivor Series tag team match as a member of Team Del Rio against Team Mysterio. He was the final man remaining on his team before being eliminated by Big Show. McIntyre entered the 40-man Royal Rumble match at the titular event on 30 January 2011, but was eliminated by Big Show. At Elimination Chamber on 20 February, he participated in the SmackDown Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by Kane.
On 26 April, McIntyre was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 2011 supplemental draft. On 15 December episode of Superstars, McIntyre defeated Justin Gabriel, earning him a contract with SmackDown. He began wrestling on SmackDown on 30 December and resumed his tense relationship with general manager Theodore Long, who put pressure on McIntyre to win matches to justify his contract. McIntyre subsequently began an eight match losing streak going into the new year, after the last of which, Long fired McIntyre within the storyline. A week later, McIntyre was reinstated by guest general manager John Laurinaitis and ended his losing streak by defeating Hornswoggle. He was subsequently included on Laurinaitis' team in the 12-man tag team match at WrestleMania XXVIII on 1 April, helping to earn Laurinaitis control of both Raw and SmackDown. He continued to lose matches and was confined to Superstars and house shows, but still made appearances on Raw and SmackDown, albeit in squash matches.
When WWE rebranded its developmental territory, FCW, into NXT, McIntyre was inserted into the Gold Rush Tournament to crown the inaugural NXT Champion, where he lost to the eventual winner Seth Rollins in the quarterfinals on 1 August episode of NXT. McIntyre also participated in a number one contender fatal four-way elimination match on 7 November episode of NXT, but was eliminated by Bo Dallas.