Bret Hart Inspires Drew McIntyre's WWE Heel Turn

Drew McIntyre’s mood has noticeably changed recently on WWE TV, with the ‘Scottish Psychopath’ not as valiant as he has been in previous years.

From allowing Seth Rollins to take an extended beat down, to being noticeably snarkier on the mic, McIntyre’s change in personality has been noted by fans, with some thinking he has an air about him similar to that of Bret Hart in 1997.

According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, this is no accident, as McIntyre’s slow burn heel turn has been inspired by that of Hart in 97, when The Hitman’s facade dropped and he became a remorseless anti-American menace who was hated in the United States, but adored overseas. Meltzer suggests that Hart’s character of someone ‘logically correct but disliked as a result of it’ ties into McIntyre’s new persona.

McIntyre of course has been heel for the majority of his WWE career, from his early days as Vince McMahon’s ‘Chosen One’ in the late 2000s/early 2010s, to his main roster return and alliance with Dolph Ziggler in 2018 and beyond. He turned babyface in late 2019/early 2020 ahead of his Royal Rumble win and eventual reigns as WWE Champion.