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Drew McIntyre Comments on WrestleMania Match vs. Bobby Lashley, Clearing up Rumor That He Took a Shot at AEW, Leg Slapping, More

Here are some interview highlights from WWE’s Drew McIntyre talking to Forbes about everything going on in his career right now.

Facing Bobby Lashley for the WWE Title at WrestleMania 37:

“I am so excited about this match for a number of reasons. People are talking, that’s what I care about most. A few of the matches I was involved in, I was trying to pull people up—Randy Orton, obviously, I had to step up to him—but a few times I was trying to pull people up.”

“Right now, I’ve cemented my name this past year, Lashley has stepped up so much this year, we’re both [at the same level], people are talking about this match and that’s the most important thing. Whoever’s side you’re on, that’s cool, as long as you’re invested. This is two people who have worked their butts off, for almost 20 years apiece, to get to the top of the card; who were destined for greatness in our early years, left the company—worked so hard to get back to the company.”

McIntyre commented on why he likes a two-night WrestleMania on April 10 and April 11 this year:

“WrestleMania is amazing, but sometimes it’s a bit much. It’s huge, it’s a spectacle, it’s unbelievable, there’s no show like it on earth. But sometimes it goes about seven hours, and even the most passionate, loyal fan in the world gets a bit hoarse after maybe four or five hours. So, if you’re able to give everyone a whole weekend of WrestleMania—especially in the future, when we start traveling, and they’re just going to have an amazing weekend planned, and you get one night of a few hours of amazing action; then perhaps you want to do the second night of a few hours of amazing action—you get that energy from beginning to end. I think the two days really is a cool thing, and I hope we stick with it going into the future.”

When asked what night of WrestleMania he would like to be a part of, McIntyre hopes it will be similar to last year:

“If I had to pick where I wanted to be, I would obviously pick the last match of the second night just like last year. You can be the main event of Night 1, but the main event of Night 2 is the final, final match. That’s what people talk about. You’re looking to send people home with a smile on their face—or, the people watching at home end the night with a big smile on their face. I got the chance to do it last year, and I hope I get the chance to do it this year. Or, perhaps Lashley’s got crazy momentum, maybe they’ll be frowning after my moment.”

This past Monday on Raw, McIntyre delivered a line that made some people think he was taking a shot at AEW’s lack of an explosion at their Revolution PPV recently. McIntyre made it clear that wasn’t his intent:

“Everyone seems to think ‘writers are gonna put all this together,’ they don’t. Drew McIntyre’s out there, and I’ve got no idea what I’m gonna say and I kind of say how I feel. I went out there, I said that, and I [heard] ‘sparks fly’ come out my mouth. I didn’t think twice about it, I just rolled right through it, I said my whole interview and watched the match ringside—which was an awesome match. I came back, and somebody came up to me and said ‘I saw what you did there.’ ‘What did I do?’ And then they played it out to me and I went ‘Oh, yeah, that could be taken that way.'”

“Maybe subconsciously I made a joke…I don’t like that shot back-and-forth stuff, I don’t see the point it’s not good for business.”

McIntyre also responded to recent reports that WWE has banned leg slapping while doing moves in the ring and he spoke about how he does his finishing move, the Claymore Kick:

“For the general fans, if you’re good enough [at leg slapping] that you can do it—like a Shawn Michaels—then you’re not gonna catch it. It’s become so blatant at times, that I think you’ve got to pick and choose your moments. But, when it comes to the Claymore—let me explain how the Claymore works—people said to me ‘you’re slapping your leg,’ that’s not the case with the Claymore.”

“When I raise my leg, and kick forward, you’ve got a 6’6, 270-pound man jumping and kicking you. I’ve got a very strong shoulder, so when I’m throwing that kick and I also put some shoulder behind it, I’m just adding force. So, you see, it’s not really a leg slap for me, it’s just extra force.”

Drew McIntyre faces Sheamus this Sunday, March 21 at WWE Fastlane on Peacock and WWE Network.

You can check out Drew’s interview below.