Drew McIntyre ready to reign supreme at Clash at the Castle

• Glasgow will host SmackDown and then its first ever PLE on June 14 & 15 
• McIntyre will take on Damian Priest for world title he won & lost at WrestleMania
• The 39-year-old Scot is determined to put on a show for the home supporters

WWE is coming to Glasgow with two huge shows next weekend and although they are the first of their kind in Scotland, there will be a heavy dose of nostalgia for many of those in what will surely be a raucous crowd.

Two-time WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, the local hero from Ayr, is undoubtedly the star of the show as he takes on Damian Priest, for the title he so dramatically lost at this year’s WrestleMania, in the showpiece bout at next Saturday’s Clash at the Castle at the Hydro.

Mail Sport spoke exclusively to McIntyre this week and asked whether he’d ever imagined having the opportunity to fight in front of such a home support for a world title when he first started his wrestling career.

‘No, because this kind of thing just didn’t exist back then,’ said the 39-year-old. ‘I dreamt of becoming WWE champion and being in the main event at WrestleMania. I did that and I won.

‘But the idea of fighting in Scotland, it just wasn’t a thing. This is the very first time we are having a big PLE (Premium Live Event) in Scotland ever. I just never thought it would be a thing.

‘Now, to see WWE do all these international shows now, is very cool. But I still never thought it would be in Scotland.

‘Then, when I got the word, “Hey, we’re actually going to do one of our big events in Scotland – it’s going to be in Glasgow”. Well, that’s where I spent four years at University. That’s 30 minutes from where I am from in Ayr. I thought, “I don’t want to just be on that – I’m going to main event that thing”.’

Many kids in the UK would have had similar dreams to McIntyre when growing up. In the 80s and early 90s, like so many imports from the US, wrestling was a world full of magic and mayhem for schoolchildren.

Super-sized heroes like Hulk Hogan, the Macho Man Randy Savage, Andre the Giant and the Ultimate Warrior set imaginations racing as satellite television brought even more American culture into our living rooms and playgrounds.

Kids were already pretending to be the Karate Kid, Teen Wolf or Maverick, or going on adventures with the Goonies or Marty McFly, plucking their favourite 80s films from the local video store and playing them on repeat.

Back then, if you were lucky enough to have satellite television — or like me, a friend who was kind enough to record the shows on a VHS tape — you could also delve into the world of professional wrestling.

The athleticism and drama were captivating. The wrestlers were wild and wonderful. And soon we all wanted to be them.

Of course, we didn’t dare try the Tombstone – the Undertaker’s finishing move, which saw his stricken opponent leave the ring in a body bag – but body slams and clothes lines were played out in the back garden, with serious injury thankfully avoided.

Now, those kids are the parents and like the recent successful return of the game show Gladiators to British TV screens, wrestling is something that can be enjoyed from Gen X to Gen Alpha, and all those in between.

And now the kids want to be Drew McIntyre. The Hydro best prepare itself…

‘It’s going to be mental,’ admitted McIntyre. ‘I can’t even imagine how I am going to feel. I just need to keep myself together during my entrance – never mind the match itself.

‘I’ve had a few shows before in Scotland, in front of friends and family, but they weren’t televised.

‘The first Clash at the Castle was in Wales and people had travelled from all over the UK and it was very emotional.

‘This time, it’s actually in Scotland, it’s a PLE, it’s going to be broadcast live across the world to millions of people, it’s going to be amazing, not just for myself but to showcase the Scottish fans.’

Friday Night SmackDown airs live from the Hydro Glasgow, Friday, June 14. Tune in on TNT Sports

Clash at the Castle: Scotland airs live from the Hydro Glasgow, Saturday, June 15. Tune in on the WWE Network and TNT Sports Box Office.