As a pro wrestler, Drew McIntyre is one of WWE’s biggest and brashest villains.

But away from the ring the Ayrshire grappler has a hero close to his heart – his late mum Angela.

Watching his mother get on with life despite suffering from the rare brain condition cerebellar ataxia inspired him to keep going with his own, seemingly unlikely dream of becoming a wrestling star.

“I guess her example is what pushed me to do the unattainable,” says Drew, who has held the WWE’s world and heavyweight championships three times.

Growing up in Prestwick, at a time when the main Scottish connection to WWE came in the kilt-wearing but actually Canadian shape of ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper, making a living grappling Stateside seemed unlikely.

“Everybody thought I was insane, but I was adamant that I would be the first person signed from Scotland to WWE,” he told BBC Scotland News, ahead of stepping into the ring at this weekend’s Royal Rumble – one of the company’s flagship events, with a crowd of more than 60,000 expected.

“My parents at least believed in me enough that the agreement was they’d support this crazy dream enough as long as I stuck in at school, which I did.”

Drew spent four years at Glasgow’s Caledonian University earning a degree in criminology while cutting his teeth in Scottish promotions such as Insane Championship Wrestling.

However, away from the bumps, blood and brawls, it was mum Angela – who died from cancer in 2012 aged 51 – who provided Drew with motivation.

“She was my biggest fan,” he says.

“She was living a normal life, working in Littlewoods and suddenly she couldn’t walk properly (through cerebellar ataxia).

“She was told perhaps she’d never live a normal life. She fought through, she met my dad and had my brother and I.

“When she became sick the cancer didn’t slow her down. Just observing her growing up, and everything she went through all the way to the end of her life, keeping her chin up and keeping a positive attitude, had an effect on me.

“If I’ve got a superhero for a mum this wrestling dream’s easy.”

Now he is one of the biggest names in a company that recently debuted on Netflix in a massive money deal.

Having tangled with popular wrestlers such as CM Punk – in a feud where Punk even donned a Celtic top to annoy well-known Rangers supporter Drew – he dials up his on-screen persona when discussing his hopes for his character in 2025.

Wrestler-turned-actor John Cena has announced a farewell tour to run throughout the year, and Drew hopes to work with him.

“On the microphone he has historically been king and if you check the awards I’ve won in the past year, when it comes to the microphone I’m the king now,” he brags.

“I want to go toe to toe with him like I did CM Punk, and I crushed Punk, and then I’ll get him in the ring. I’ll shake his hand and say thanks for all he’s done, but get out – this is my world now, go entertain us in Hollywood.”

It wasn’t the easiest ride to the top.

After initial success when signing with WWE in 2007 aged 21, his career stalled.

In 2014 he was let go, only to rebuild his career with a World title-winning stint in the smaller Total Nonstop Action promotion.

By 2017, he was hot property, returning to WWE and this time establishing himself as a main event player, winning the Royal Rumble’s famed over-the-top rope battle royal in 2020 and main eventing Wrestlemania the same year – albeit in front of no fans due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He feels his current persona – an outspoken heel who claims to “speak the truth” to popular wrestlers – can be more nuanced than some past acts in an industry not known for subtlety.

“There’s a certain view of wrestling, and even within wrestling, that it needs to be very black and white, good vs evil” he admits.

“Some of us are more forward thinking and going ‘why, that’s not how life and that’s what humans are’. Look at all these other shows and they’ve got a limited number of episodes per season and they develop these complex deep layered characters and deep layered storylines. There’s no excuse that we can’t do that.”

Drew feels he’s developed off screen too. Now married and living in Nashville, Tennessee, he is proud dad Andrew has seen “how far I’ve come as a person, because I was an absolute mentalist when I was younger.”

He’s equally pleased with the amount of Scottish talent now working in WWE, including former women’s tag team champions Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre.

Last year he headlined the Clash at the Castle event at the OVO Hydro, with thousands of fans watching him fall short of the World title in the main event.

However if he has his way, it could be Hampden hosting the squared circle in the future.

“The next step is that stadium show in Scotland. It can be neutral ground, it doesn’t have to be Ibrox, we can do it at Hampden or Murrayfield.

“The final goal will be Wrestlemania – they’ll probably want it in London, but I’d be happier if it came to Scotland.”

His next return home will come in March, again at the OVO Hydro, for an episode of TV show Raw.

It offers a chance to enjoy things he misses living in America – and also to celebrate in distinctive style.

“I miss family and friends the most, by far,” he says.

“After that, the banter – it’s a very different sense of humour over here. There are certain words that are terms of endearment back home, and I cannot stop saying them as I’m Scottish.

“If I get a win on Raw I’ll celebrate with Buckie, and then see family and friends.”