Wade Barrett: “Drew McIntyre knows I would kick his ass”

Filed to GERWECK.NET:

Stu Bennett (aka Wade Barrett/Bad News Barrett)

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Full Transcript: https://411mania.com/wrestling/411-exclusive-interview-stu-bennett-wade-barrett/

Highlights:

His thoughts on Drew McIntyre becoming the first British world champion in WWE history: “Just to be clear, I’ve known Drew since I think 2005. I used to wrestle together with him in the UK. We both got hired by WWE on the same day. We still lived together in developmental. To this day, we’re very good friends. I congratulated him when he won the championship. We speak regularly. And yeah, still very tight with him. So, I’m thrilled for him, but let’s be honest, Drew McIntyre knows I would kick his ass. If I ever got came back into a ring with him, I would kick his ass, and he knows that. It’s that simple.”

On not working a full-time basis in wrestling ever again: “I don’t currently foresee myself going back as a full-time professional wrestler ever again because I’ve done that. I was completely burned out by the time by the end of it, and I had no life balance. I had no time for family or relationships or outside interests or anything like that. I feel like my life is a lot more enriched since I left, and I have various things going on with myself, more time to spend with my girlfriend, more time to travel, and do all those kinds of things. But certainly, I’m not shutting the door on being back in the wrestling ring in any capacity.”

His thoughts on the NXT UK brand: “I wouldn’t say it’s helped the UK scene. I would say it’s helped the wrestlers who have been signed, but outside of that, I don’t think it’s been beneficial. You’d have to look at the affect it’s had on some of the companies or some of the independents, the independent companies, who were thriving prior that versus now. So, I don’t think it’s been beneficial to the scene at all. I understand why WWE have done it. They want to have a stake hold there. It was not coincidental that NXT UK was brought out at the same time that WOS [World of Sport], which at the same time, was seen as a threat to WWE over in the UK. It wasn’t coincidental, however, it’s been portrayed by them, and I think we all know the truth behind that. Again, that’s business. I understand why they did it. I’m not casting them for doing that, but to portray it as beneficial to the UK as something benevolent is ludicrous. And as good as the product might, it’s certainly not something that’s helped the UK independent scene.”

On working with CM Punk again for Netflix’s Ultimate Beastmaster: “It was a lot of fun to shoot that. I hadn’t seen Punk in years at that point. We hadn’t communicated at all. But I remember seeing him, and I remember the first thing I said to him was that he looked 10 years younger. I know he was in a very tough position when I’d last seen him, he was being worked to the bone, and he was very unhappy, which is a position two years subsequent that I had gotten to myself. So, we had a good chat. When I saw him, it was nice to see him doing so well and so happy. We kind of had a post-WWE debrief together one night and spoke through a couple of issues I think we both had. But yeah, I was very happy to see him doing so well for himself. I know he’s got a very happy life at home now with his wife, AJ or April, and yeah, it was very good to see him in such a positive way after the last time I’d seen him was far from positive.”