In a recent interview on Cheap Heat, Drew McIntyre shared some behind-the-scenes details about his WrestleMania 38 entrance, where he wielded a sword as part of a memorable moment in his match. McIntyre revealed that initially, they had attempted a similar spot with the sword for a SmackDown event, but it didn’t work out as planned, so they decided to shelve it.
However, when preparing for his match against Corbin at WrestleMania 38, McIntyre felt the need to add something extra to the match to make it more memorable. He approached Vince McMahon with the idea of incorporating the sword spot, despite the previous unsuccessful attempt. Vince was cautious about it, reminding McIntyre that a botched moment at WrestleMania would be remembered by millions of viewers and not in a good way. However, McIntyre was determined to give it a shot and assured Vince that he could pull it off.
“We did try to do the rope spot for a SmackDown, during the day I tried and it didn’t work so we just shelved it. Leading up to WrestleMania a couple of years ago, I was facing Corbin, I was like ‘We need something else, there’s not enough steam put into this match. We need a moment for people to remember.’ For this WrestleMania, I was frustrated considering I was [challenging for] the title a year prior and I went to Vince (McMahon) and asked him, I was like, ‘Hey, that spot we did, I think I can pull it off.’ He was like, ‘If you can do it, we can work on it but you don’t want a WrestleMania moment where you swing a sword at the ropes, what happened last time? It doesn’t work. Millions of people [will] just watch you bounce the sword off the rope, that’s not exactly the top babyface to have.’”
On the day of WrestleMania, McIntyre practiced with the sword team backstage, trying to hit a rope tied around the ring post with the sword. He initially struggled to get it right, hitting the rope correctly only about six out of ten times. This led to some concern, considering the magnitude of the event, and McIntyre worried that he might end up looking like a fool.
Despite the risks, McIntyre decided to go ahead with the spot during the match. During the actual moment, his opponent, Madcap Moss, played a crucial role in ensuring the success of the spot. He moved out of the way at the last second, allowing McIntyre to hit the rope at the right angle, and the sword went through not just one, but two ropes, creating an impressive visual.
“We got to the day of Mania. I’m backstage practicing with our sword team, they’ve got a rope tied around the ring post pulling it as tight as they can. I’m trying to hit it, it’s not about power, it’s about technique and you have to [hit] that rope at the right angle. I was getting about six out of ten and I was getting worried close to the match, [it was] a little concerning. It’s WrestleMania, tens of millions of people are watching across the world and I’m gonna look like a buffoon. They basically gave me the option to take the risk and [asked me] if I wanted to do this or not, I said, ‘Damn right I wanna do it. If not, I’ll laugh it off somehow.’ Madcap was great and did it in a way where I wasn’t running and swinging it, I was controlled as possible. He moved out of the way at the last second to give me the perfect positioning for the best chance of success and thank goodness it didn’t just go through the top rope, it went through the second rope and almost through the third rope. It looked awesome and it was a great visual, I did the pose afterward.”
In the end, the spot turned out to be a success, and McIntyre’s entrance with the sword added a memorable and exciting element to his WrestleMania match. The risk paid off, and McIntyre was able to create a lasting moment that fans will remember for years to come.
What are your thoughts on Drew McIntyre’s decision to incorporate the sword spot in his WrestleMania 38 entrance?
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