Summary

Drew McIntyre, speaking with Chris Van Vliet ahead of WrestleMania 42, said he has no plans to wind down his WWE career now that he has turned 40. The former WWE Champion described himself as feeling physically strong and creatively fulfilled, drawing comparisons to LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo as examples of elite athletes still performing at the top level at the same age.

McIntyre also discussed his evolving mindset around setbacks and personal disappointments inside the company, saying he has learned to separate his personal frustrations from what is best for his character and the business.

Quote from Drew McIntyre

"I know my wife feels like it's gonna be a lot shorter than I probably feel it's going to be, especially with how I feel now and how creatively fulfilled I feel these days. But as long as I'm happy, as long as she's happy, and as long as the fans are happy with what I'm doing, I don't see any reason to slow down anytime soon, especially when I see guys getting up there in age right now and moving as well as they're moving right now, because we've just moved so far forward with athletes. Look at LeBron James or Ronaldo, for example, the same age as me, and they're just still at the top of their game."

McIntyre went on to address the disappointments he has experienced over the course of his career and how his perspective has shifted:

"There were a couple of moments where I was like damn, it sucks personally, but I can also look at the big picture these days. I've been knocked down enough times and fed a few disappointments sometimes where I didn't always deal with it the right way for the bigger picture and understanding, okay, the company needs this right now. How does this screw me up? It doesn't really. It actually works for the character, and as long as it works for the character, I can be personally disappointed, but professionally, I know we're still on the right track, and the fans are still going to be emotionally invested, and that's all that matters, because I've been in situations where they were not emotionally invested. And the worst thing in the world in pro wrestling is silence."

McIntyre at WrestleMania 42 and What Comes Next

McIntyre heads into WrestleMania 42 with a high-profile collision already confirmed, having an unsanctioned match against Jacob Fatu locked in for the show. His comments about creative fulfillment land at a significant moment, suggesting he is fully invested in the current direction rather than running out the clock.

His remarks about patience and trusting the bigger picture also speak to where he is on the roster. McIntyre has repeatedly been positioned at or near the top of WWE's card, and with Wade Barrett recently floating a potential in-ring meeting with McIntyre as something hard to turn down, interest in what comes next for him is not going away. A performer this vocal about having more to give is not one WWE is likely to move away from the main event picture anytime soon.

Sources

As reported by NoDQ.