Today's wrestling has tendrils reaching far beyond weekly TV shows, with storylines occasionally playing out on podcasts and social media. Drew McIntyre appeared on "Busted Open Radio" last week and was particularly candid about his feelings on the wrestling business. He said some recent time away allowed him to put things into perspective and opened his eyes to how much he's given to wrestling without reciprocation. McIntyre ended his rant by dropping the mic and leaving the "Busted Open" crew in stunned silence. Whether it was a work or not, AEW commentator Jim Ross said he felt compelled to reach out afterward.
"I've known him since he got started," Ross said on his "Grilling JR" podcast. "I've commiserated with him on many occasions. He had some marriage issues back in the day and so forth. I sent him a tweet that, 'I'm always here for ya... if you just want to shoot the breeze, talk, I'm available."
Despite working for competing promotions, Ross emphasized that certain relationships transcend business, and felt he had one of those with McIntyre. Recalling a post-WrestleMania party where the two got to know each other better, Ross said he respected McIntyre's journey and how much work he put in to get there.
"I'm proud of his success," Ross said. "He's reliable.He's durable. And hopefully all his issues if there are any. Hell, he might've been working us all. If so, they got me."
Having taken some time away both to sell Hell in a Cell injuries and mourn the loss of a loved one, McIntyre recently returned to WWE to ignite a new feud with Sami Zayn. McIntyre triumphed over Zayn at Saturday Night's Main Event, but the pair brawled again on the following episode of "Raw,"with McIntyre also teasing something with Seth Rollins.
