WWE Missed Opportunities: A Look Back at Drew McIntyre

Welcome to the first edition of what will become a new fixture here on Bleacher Report, WWE Missed Opportunities.

Here we will take a closer look at Superstars, matches or storylines where WWE missed out on something that could have been special due to the direction the company chose to go.

Did WWE let go of a promising star? Did a match that seemed like it would be a classic fizzle out and become easily forgotten? If anything along those lines immediately popped into your head, you just might end up seeing it here.

In this edition, we are going to take a look at a former Superstar who many wrestling fans can agree should have become a much bigger star in WWE: Drew McIntyre.

McIntyre actually debuted in WWE in late 2007, but after a few matches he disappeared from television. This was the first indication that WWE didn't know what to do with him.

McIntyre went down to WWE's developmental territories, Ohio Valley Wrestling and then Florida Championship Wrestling, for more fine-tuning. After winning a couple of titles during his time there, he was brought back to the main roster in August 2009.

In typical WWE fashion, there was no mention of his previous run on television, though he was using the same ring name.

Complete with a snobbish attitude, McIntyre seemed perfect for the WWE at that time. WWE Chairman Vince McMahon even anointed him as the "Chosen One." It appeared that he was in line for a major run.

After a brief feud with R-Truth, McIntyre was able to pick up a win over Finlay, collecting a large feather for his cap. Finlay was a veteran of the business and a former WWE United States champion.

This all led to the 2009 Survivor Series, where McIntyre took part in a traditional five-on-five elimination match. Along with Sheamus and The Miz, McIntyre was one of the survivors in the match. He even scored two eliminations for his team.

This seemed to be the breakout moment for McIntyre.

Soon he was challenging John Morrison for the intercontinental title at the following pay-per-view event, Tables, Ladders & Chairs. McIntyre would win the match, capturing the title.

The intercontinental title seemed like it would just be a stepping stone to even bigger accolades for McIntyre. The way things were going, a place in the main event seemed well within grasp.

But that's when things got a little weird.

Despite holding the intercontinental title and an undefeated record, McIntyre struggled to qualify for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania 26. In fact, after two defeats McMahon all but handed him a spot.

This was incredibly bad booking, as it made McIntyre look very weak. However, it did help plant the seeds for McIntyre's most memorable feud....with SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long.

You read that right. McIntyre was put into a program with the show's top authority figure, where he would play off his close relationship with McMahon. It wouldn't have been so bad if WWE didn't make McIntyre into an annoying, whiny complainer, but that's the route it went.

In retrospect, this was the beginning of the end for McIntyre. Where did WWE plan to go with this?

The answer was basically nowhere, as there was never really any resolution to the McIntyre-Long feud. Long just did his best to make things difficult for McIntyre, and McIntyre used Vince to fix things for him. It was similar to a young man who always gets into trouble and calls on his father to bail him out.

Suddenly, McIntyre was put into a very random tag team with Cody Rhodes, but they actually won the tag team titles soon after forming a team. After a short title reign, McIntyre then went into an even more random storyline where he was pursuing WWE diva Kelly Kelly. Where did this come from?

WWE seemed to have really run out of ideas for the man that McMahon once touted as a "future world champion."

McIntyre got to a point where he was rarely used on television. Finally, WWE came up with something for him, though it was probably the worst idea yet.

Credit: WWE.com

It was decided that McIntyre would become part of a new stable known as 3MB, or Three Man Band. Along with Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal, the trio would claim to be a rock band, even though it was painfully clear they weren't.

This is where things got really bad for McIntyre. On top of the fact that this team rarely won a match, they suffered losses to just about everyone on the roster.

The low point came when McIntyre was actually defeated by El Torito in a one-on-one match.

How could McIntyre fall from where he was to being nothing more than comedy relief, losing basically every match he was in?

Many would point to a 2010 domestic incident he had ex-wife Taryn Terrell (former WWE diva Tiffany) in which the two were involved in a dispute in a hotel room. McIntyre's stock certainly dropped following that incident.

However, no one will ever know for sure. One thing that is certain is the fact that he fell out of favor with those in charge in WWE.

In June 2014, McIntyre was released from his contract, something that seemed inevitable for about four years. So why did WWE keep him around for so long with no plans for him?

That's another question that will likely never have a solid answer.

With McIntyre's ability, there was plenty more WWE could have done with him. In the ring, McIntyre had great heel mannerisms. He was a natural bad guy with the ability to get fans to despise him.

These are things of which WWE never fully took advantage.

As a former intercontinental champion, McIntyre had the track record to jump right back into the mix, but he would never get that chance. It had to be mystifying for some WWE fans.

Imagine how far McIntyre could have gone with the right person in his corner. Putting someone like Roddy Piper there in a managerial role could have done wonders for a young McIntyre.

Instead, most fans will only remember McIntyre for his time as a member of a cheap rock band or for begging Long for a job.

That's a shame.

McIntyre certainly fits the mold of a missed opportunity on the part of WWE. Unfortunately, the damage done to him during his time there was all but irreparable.