Andrew McLean Galloway IV better known as Drew McIntyre was born on 6 June 1985 in Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland. He is the elder of two sons of Andrew Galloway III (also called Andrew Sr.) and Angela. His parents raised the family in a working class environment in Ayrshire. Angela Galloway had been diagnosed in her teens with cerebellar ataxia, a progressive neurological disorder. Drew has one younger brother, John Galloway.
McIntyre grew up in the small coastal town of Ayr, where he and his brother were raised by their parents. From early childhood he was fascinated by professional wrestling. He recalls first seeing televised wrestling at about age five or six, watching at relatives’ houses on late-night programs, and being “totally mesmerized” by the larger than life characters.
His early wrestling heroes included Bret “The Hitman” Hart, whom he later described as his favorite fighter and inspiration. By age 11 he was more determined than ever to become a wrestler, even as many of his friends in Ayr moved on to sports like rugby or football.
As a teenager, McIntyre balanced his schooling with growing ambitions in wrestling. He attended Glasgow Caledonian University and earned a degree in criminology. At the same time he began formal wrestling training: by about age 15 he was traveling from Ayr to a wrestling school in Portsmouth (a 12 hour journey each way) to train. His parents supported him fully in these efforts, even as he continued his studies. McIntyre has said that even after graduating with his criminology degree, “wrestling was still the thing” for him.
| Facts | Details |
| Full Name | Andrew McLean Galloway IV |
| Ring Name | Drew McIntyre |
| Date of Birth | 6 June 1985 |
| Birthplace | Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) |
| Profession | Professional Wrestler |
| WWE Brand | SmackDown |
| Nickname | The Scottish Warrior |
| Father | Andrew Galloway III (Andrew Sr.) |
| Mother | Angela Galloway |
| Siblings | One younger brother (John Galloway) |
| Education | Degree in Criminology (Glasgow Caledonian University) |
| Debut | 2001 |
| Net Worth (2026) | Not publicly disclosed |
| Reported WWE Salary | $550,000 base (plus bonuses & royalties) |
Drew McIntyre’s journey reflects resilience and discipline—from early struggles and his 2014 WWE release to rebuilding his career globally and returning as a multiple-time world champion and leading figure in WWE. Drew McIntyre (Andrew Galloway) is a Scottish-born WWE superstar, currently a top-tier performer on the SmackDown brand. Standing 6ft 5in tall, McIntyre is noted for his powerful, technical in-ring style and commanding presence. He has headlined many of WWE’s biggest events and is a multi-time world champion.
In WWE he held the company’s top titles, including multiple WWE Championship reigns and the World Heavyweight Championship. McIntyre is historically significant as the first and only British (Scottish) performer to win a WWE World Championship. Known by the nickname “The Scottish Warrior,” he has engaged in major rivalries with other top stars (for example Roman Reigns and CM Punk).
He is widely recognized as one of WWE’s leading workhorses. His career has been punctuated by high-profile championship wins, marquee matches, and a reputation for overcoming setbacks to reach main-event status.
McIntyre’s professional career began as a teenager in the UK independent scene. He started training to wrestle at age 15 and debuted in 2001 under his real name Andrew “Drew” Galloway.
In Britain he competed for regional promotions – notably winning the inaugural Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW) World Heavyweight Championship – and also worked in Ireland (for Irish Whip Wrestling) and other European indie shows.
His success on the independents led to a developmental contract with WWE in 2007. Under WWE’s system he received further training in Ohio Valley Wrestling and Florida Championship Wrestling. He was then rebranded as “Drew McIntyre” and began appearing on WWE television, marking the formal start of his career with the company.
After his WWE developmental work, McIntyre debuted on the main roster in 2009. He was initially pushed as a rising star; WWE Chairman Vince McMahon famously dubbed him “The Chosen One” during this period.
Early in his first WWE run, McIntyre captured key secondary titles. He won the WWE Intercontinental Championship in 2009 and soon afterward teamed with Cody Rhodes to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. These title victories marked McIntyre as a player with main-roster momentum.
In 2010 he continued in the tag division and also appeared as a solo competitor. However, after 2010 his role began to decline. By 2012 he had joined the comedic stable 3MB (with Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal), and over the next two years he suffered a series of losses.
Despite flashes of his natural intensity, McIntyre was largely relegated to undercard status. By mid-2014 WWE released him from his contract, ending his first run in the company.
After leaving WWE in 2014, McIntyre returned to wrestling as “Drew Galloway” on the independent circuit, which rejuvenated his career. He returned to ICW (in Scotland) and once again became ICW World Champion, even being inducted into that promotion’s Hall of Fame in 2018.
He also worked internationally – most notably signing with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, later Impact Wrestling) in 2015. In TNA he reached the top of the card, winning the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in 2016, becoming the first-ever Scottish-born TNA World Champion.
On the independents he captured various titles and honed his skills. Reflecting on that period, McIntyre later noted that he deliberately stayed extremely busy in wrestling: “I was the busiest professional wrestler in the entire world…to come back to WWE one day and fulfill that potential.”
His work on the independents caught WWE’s attention again, and in late 2017 McIntyre re-signed with the company. He began in WWE’s NXT brand, and quickly won the NXT Championship, defeating Bobby Roode for the title in January 2017.
He later explained that “the time was right to come back home and fulfill that destiny,” referring to his return to WWE. By late 2018 he was promoted to WWE’s main roster, ready to rebuild the momentum he had generated overseas.
Back on WWE television, McIntyre steadily climbed to the main event ranks. He formed a partnership with Sheamus on Raw (they briefly held the Raw Tag Team Championship together), but his breakthrough as a singles star came in early 2020.
McIntyre won the 2020 Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Roman Reigns to secure a title shot at WrestleMania. At WrestleMania 36 (April 2020) he faced WWE Champion Brock Lesnar in the main event; McIntyre defeated Lesnar to capture his first WWE Championship.
After the match he reflected on his journey: the “19 years of ups and downs… all being made worth it when I beat Brock Lesnar and raised the WWE title.” This long-awaited triumph firmly established him at the top of the company.
McIntyre’s first WWE title reign lasted through much of 2020. He defended against challengers such as Randy Orton and Seth Rollins. In April 2021 at WrestleMania 37, McIntyre’s WWE Championship reign ended when he lost the title to Randy Orton.
Following that, he spent late 2021 and 2022 mostly in tag-team and midcard roles (notably holding the Raw Tag Team titles with Sheamus). However, he soon re-entered the world-title picture.
In 2024 McIntyre again reached the top. At WrestleMania XL (April 7, 2024) he defeated Seth Rollins to win the new World Heavyweight Championship. Immediately after that victory, Damian Priest used his Money in the Bank briefcase to defeat McIntyre for the title.
Undeterred, McIntyre won the 2024 Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match, giving him another guaranteed title opportunity. He cashed in that contract the same night against Priest, but a surprise attack by CM Punk caused him to lose the match.
Despite that setback, McIntyre quickly rebounded. He defeated Punk in a No Disqualification match at SummerSlam 2024 (with Seth Rollins as special referee), finally ending their heated feud.
In early 2026 McIntyre again ascended to the pinnacle. At the January 9, 2026 episode of SmackDown, after winning a grueling Three Stages of Hell match that night, he dethroned Cody Rhodes to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship.
In that match McIntyre delivered a decisive Claymore Kick to Rhodes, seizing the title. This latest title win made McIntyre a multiple-time champion at WWE’s highest level and set him up as one of the main event stars heading into WrestleMania 42.
Drew McIntyre’s WWE career has been defined by intense rivalries with elite opponents like Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and CM Punk, showcasing his resilience, championship pedigree, and consistent presence in main-even Throughout his career, McIntyre has clashed with many of WWE’s top stars. His WrestleMania 36 match against Brock Lesnar marked a defining rivalry early in his second WWE run.
He also battled Roman Reigns in high-stakes champion-vs-champion matches (including Survivor Series 2020). In the mid-2010s he feuded with Randy Orton; their rivalry spanned multiple years and included Orton costing McIntyre his WWE title at WrestleMania 37.
More recently, McIntyre engaged in one of his most prominent feuds with CM Punk, trading attacks on television throughout 2024. Their conflict culminated in a violent No Disqualification bout at SummerSlam 2024, where McIntyre finally pinned Punk.
Other significant rivalries have included contests with Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, and Cody Rhodes – the latter being the marquee opponent from late 2025 into 2026. (Against Rhodes, McIntyre lost the Undisputed Title and then regained it, emphasizing their back-and-forth rivalry.) In each case, these rivalries have involved championship implications or major event stipulations, underlining McIntyre’s status as a main-event competitor.
McIntyre’s list of accomplishments is extensive. He has won multiple world championships: he is a multi-time WWE Champion (capturing the WWE Title first in 2020 and again in 2026) and a one-time World Heavyweight Champion (2024).
He also won the men’s Royal Rumble match in 2020, earning the WrestleMania title shot that led to his first WWE Championship. In 2024 he won the Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
Beyond those world titles, McIntyre has held several other WWE golds. Early in his career he was a one-time Intercontinental Champion and a two-time Raw Tag Team Champion (once with Dolph Ziggler, once with Sheamus).
He also won the NXT Championship once in 2017. Outside WWE, he won the TNA (Impact) World Heavyweight Championship once (becoming the first Scottish-born wrestler to do so) and held the United Kingdom/European titles in independent promotions like ICW.
He is recognized as WWE’s 31st Triple Crown Champion, meaning he has won a world title, a secondary singles title, and a tag title in WWE. Notably, McIntyre is the first performer from Great Britain (and Scotland) ever to win WWE’s top world title.
These accomplishments – world championships, Rumble and Money in the Bank victories, plus all the secondary and tag titles – establish McIntyre as one of WWE’s most decorated wrestlers. He has headlined multiple pay-per-views (including two WrestleManias) and is widely respected for his in-ring work and leadership.
In recent years McIntyre has remained a fixture in WWE’s main-event and upper-card scene. In 2021 he spent time on the Raw brand (even being drafted there in late 2023) while pursuing championship opportunities.
He and Sheamus held the Raw Tag Team Championships in 2020–2021 before McIntyre refocused on singles competition. By 2022–2023 he was again moving into world title contention – culminating in his WrestleMania 40 World Heavyweight Title win in 2024.
After SummerSlam 2024 he spent late 2024 and 2025 feuding with CM Punk and then with members of the Bloodline faction.
In late 2025, McIntyre entered into a rivalry with Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes. He challenged Rhodes for the Undisputed title; after briefly losing a title match, McIntyre ultimately regained the Undisputed WWE Championship in January 2026 on SmackDown.
This put him in position for a championship defense at WrestleMania 42. Throughout 2021–2026, McIntyre has been frequently featured on WWE television, often in championship matches or featured storylines.
He continues to compete as one of WWE’s principal champions and challengers, demonstrating both his longevity and his status as a top heel or face in today’s roster.
Throughout all these years, McIntyre has consistently displayed experience and skill. He has spoken publicly about leading by example as champion: “I’m not ready to be one of the top guys, I’m ready to be the top guy…I’m the guy to push forward, and carry the company forward,” he said after winning the WWE Championship.
His work ethic and dedication remain evident as he defends the company’s biggest titles and appears in prominent storylines. As of early 2026, McIntyre holds WWE’s highest championship again and shows no sign of slowing down, cementing his reputation as one of the company’s elite performers.
As of 2026, his net worth is not publicly disclosed, and no figure has been officially verified by major financial authorities. His income is derived from his WWE contract and related activities: he is employed by WWE with a reported base salaryof $550,000, supplemented by performance bonuses and royalties on WWE-branded merchandise. He also earns from commercial endorsements, for example, he has served as the face of Under Armour’s Project Rock apparel line. Specific payment amounts and overall earnings from these sources have not been publicly revealed. Drew McIntyre’s real name is Andrew McLean Galloway IV. He used his real name early in his career before adopting his WWE ring name.
He began training as a teenager and made his professional debut in 2001. His early career took place on the UK independent wrestling scene.
Yes, Drew McIntyre is a multiple-time WWE Champion. He first won the title at WrestleMania 36 in 2020 by defeating Brock Lesnar.
His primary finishing move is the Claymore Kick. It is a running single-leg kick that has been central to many of his victories.
Yes, WWE released him in 2014. He returned in 2017 after rebuilding his career on the independent circuit and in Impact Wrestling.
He won the TNA (Impact Wrestling) World Heavyweight Championship in 2016. He also held championships in independent promotions like ICW.