Drew McIntyre on Triple H Came Up With ‘I Prayed For This’ Promo Line, How Triple H Changed WWE’s Approach To Hollywood, His Belief Elijah Holyfield Has Big Things In His WWE Career Future, & Vince McMahon Rejecting His Pitch To Use His Sword To Cut Off “Someone’s Arm”

A recent episode of the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast featured Drew McIntyre as the guest. One of the topics discussed included McIntyre’s thoughts about his memorable “I prayed for this” promo line during his feud with CM Punk after Punk suffered an injury in the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble match was WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” Levesque’s idea.

“I knew talking to Triple H during the day that this is going to be so good. I had an idea and it was too much. It would have offended a lot of people, which I’m very good at. He helped me reel it back, and then Hunter himself came out with the line, which I ended up using because I had such an extreme version, and he dialed it back and the way he said it and the cadence of how it’s to be said. He said it like that, and I got so excited. He’s obviously a savant when it comes to this business. Sometimes though he comes out with [things]; I went, how do you think of that? But it was like, that is genius, and oh my god, that is going to be so good. I know as a fan, I would lose my mind. Didn’t think I’d be seeing it to this day for everything, no matter what. It’s sports, it’s outside of wrestling, it’s constantly me pointing, ‘I prayed for this, and it happened.’ But I knew in that moment when Hunter delivered the line back to me by toning me down a little bit. I went, wow, that is genius. Because I’m going to use that exact tone. The promo itself, I was being sympathetic, I believe, because Punk had got injured, and I understand what it’s like to have things taken away from me, and I’ve been injured before, and I’ve lost in my life in the ring and out of the ring, and I can get real personal. But I hate that son of a bitch, and I’m going to say it in the exact same tone all the way through till people go, wait, what? His face goes, what? I drop his ass. So yeah, that’s cool. I mean, those promos, that feud, they voted it the best feud of the 2020s.”

McIntyre also gave his thoughts about Levesque’s role in changing WWE’s approach to the Hollywood industry for WWE talents branching out in acting.

“In the past, things have come up that have been brought to management that have been shut down. Like, ‘Hey, we need you here. We need you on the show.’

“These days, both the lads see it as, ‘Hey, if this is good for you and your brand, you want to do it, that’s awesome.’ And if it works for our brand, if it helps everybody, if it gets more eyes on the product, they’re all about it.”

McIntyre also gave his thoughts about former WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon’s approach when it came to WWE talent getting acting roles in Hollywood.

“Vince [McMahon] was very much like, ‘I need you here.’

So you really needed people like the bigger stars to advertise on the live events to sell those tickets, and I get it. Whether it was some big opportunities, I won’t say some names, but the biggest names of all time.

But as I say, Nick [Khan] and Paul [Levesque] are very much of the mindset, if it makes sense, if it helps everybody and helps your brand, which in turn helps our brand, because I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

McIntyre also gave his thoughts about his belief that NXT developmental talent Elijah Holyfield has a bright future for his career in WWE. Holyfield co-starred with McIntyre in the Agent of Shadows short film by WWE and ReelShort.

“Everybody’s excellent. I was genuinely — not surprised — but pleasantly surprised with a lot of the guys’ performances throughout. I had a couple of one-on-one sequences with Elijah Holyfield. He looks great. I’ve honestly never seen him work. Like, hopefully he can get it done in the ring. But his presence, he’s got a great, great face. He’s got an aura about him. Solid, built like a brick you-know-what. And he was excellent in the stuff we did together. So I see big things in the future for him, if he can put together a half decent match.”

McIntyre also gave his thoughts about the new short film that he worked on alongside others within WWE.

“It’s fun, It’s a really fun watch. Hopefully everyone goes into it with that idea. Like, I’m about to have a little fun watch. You might be surprised about the romantic elements, the comedic elements, and at the center there is heart. And it is a very fun watch.”

McIntyre also gave his thoughts about his sword named Angela that he would bring with him to the ring for his matches and how he had pitched the idea to McMahon to use his sword to dismember a fake arm on someone only for McMahon to reject it.

“I stuck it in the ring, and I stuck it in the table, Pearce’s table. But finally, I also pitched to the big man himself. I was like, ‘Hey, you know Saving Private Ryan?’ Vince had never seen Saving Private Ryan, so I explained…

Saving Private Ryan, Didn’t know what I was talking about, but also I speak fast when I’m excited. Half the time, he’s like, ‘Oh yeah, yeah, sure Drew.’ But I was like, in Saving Private Ryan, they use actors, like amputees, etc. They lop off the limbs they’re actually missing. Very realistic. I think at Mania or something, we should have a fight sequence where we end up backstage, then we hit the pre-tape where I swing the sword at somebody. Whoosh, arm comes off. Finally, I use the sword, pay it off. It’s bothering me. I’m a stickler for details. That’s why I use social media the way I use it to tie stories together if I don’t think they’re tied together enough, and I’m a stickler for details. I’ve had the sword for so long. I have to stab someone. Finally, all those years later, Agent of Shadows, Drew McIntyre is going to go shanking. I’m stabbing some people. The Drew McIntyre guarantee. I finally use the sword!”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com 1 & 2, F4WOnline.com 1 & 2