"He doesn't have 'it' enough" - WWE legend claims Drew McIntyre would have failed in the Attitude Era (Exclusive)

Brian James, also known as Road Dogg, has given his brutally honest thoughts on whether Drew McIntyre would have succeeded in WWE’s Attitude Era.

The late 1990s/early 2000s is widely regarded as the greatest era in WWE history. James was part of the D-Generation X faction during that time. He also formed one of the most popular tag teams in wrestling with Billy Gunn.

Speaking on Sportskeeda’s “The Wrestling Outlaws” show, James was asked if two-time WWE Champion McIntyre would have had even more success two decades ago.

“No,” James replied. “Look, he doesn’t have ‘it’ enough. He’s a big dude that can go and he sounds like a beautiful big man – and he looks like that, too, by the way. It was a different deal in the Attitude Era. If you broke the curtain on a Monday Night RAW in the Attitude Era, you were on another level. And I’m not saying Drew hasn’t improved a hundred percent. The Attitude Era was something special.” [1:11-1:38]

Watch the video above to hear the WWE Hall of Famer answer the same question about Bobby Lashley.

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Vince Russo disagrees with Brian James’ take on Drew McIntyre

From a ratings standpoint, the Attitude Era was a huge success for WWE. Vince Russo, the company’s head writer in the late 1990s, played a vital role in helping RAW gain more viewers than rival show WCW Nitro.

The former writer is a fan of Drew McIntyre’s work and thinks he would also have been a major star in the Attitude Era.

“I disagree with Brian and I'll tell you why,” Russo said. “Because a guy looking at Drew, that’s the guy everybody wants to be. Let’s face it, bro, I know he’s married, but if he wasn’t married, you wanna be him or you wanna be with him.” [1:41-2:01]

Russo added that McIntyre’s current character lacks an “edge” compared to WWE’s top names from 20+ years ago. However, he believes the issue can be fixed with better writing.

“I don’t know Drew personally, so this could be a Drew issue or it could be a creative issue,” Russo continued. “I think what he lacks is an edge, and in the Attitude Era he would have been written with an edge. And with that edge and that look, I think he would have been a player.” [2:06-2:24]

While James understands Russo’s point of view, he still thinks The Scottish Warrior would have struggled to replicate his recent WWE success.

“I totally agree with your points and why you think those,” James added. “I have never been in the ring with him, but I’ve seen him work and I just think timing is very critical. I’m biased, obviously [toward the Attitude Era].” [2:28-2:45]

Do you agree with Brian James or Vince Russo? Would Drew McIntyre have succeeded in the Attitude Era? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!

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