In the opening segment of the go-home edition of RAW before Clash at the Castle, Drew McIntyre predictably opened up the show, but he didn't come out of the grates with some pre-written promo filled with pontification about his journey, his goals, or his ambitions.

No, McIntyre instead decided to shoot from the hip and deliver something candid, even if his future foe surely wasn't excited to hear what he had to say.

“I'm not focused on anything else right now, but right now, in five days at Clash at the Castle, who's ready for a new World Champion?” Drew McIntyre asked the RAW crowd in Ohio. “I'd say I'm excited to go one-on-one with Damian Priest, but wherever Priest goes, we know the Judgment Day is scurrying right behind them every single bloody time. And Priest, I don't give a d**n!”

Having heard enough, Priest marched out to shut McIntyre up, noting that he doesn't need the Judgment Day to be the World Champion.

“Drew, you got your shot at Clash, yet you're still out here making excuses. Last week, you said I made this personal. Why?” Damian Priest asked. “Because I made you look stupid playing your own game. No Drew, you just made this personal right now. You're out here telling these people that I need the Judgment Day to be champion; this title, it's not the Judgment Day's World Title. And this title that you're obsessed with, that you're looking at right now? You're forgetting about the man that holds it. Drew, on Saturday, I'm heading into your territory in front of your people, and I'm going to put you down. And as much as I love my crew, I don't need the Judgment Day or anyone else to be the champ. I'm champ because I'm Damian Priest.”

Is Damian Priest actually the champion because of Damian Priest? No, not really; he only won the belt because of outside interference, and few fans respect him as a serious threat worthy of calling himself El Champion. Fortunately, McIntyre was there to say what all of the fans were thinking and got cheered on as a result.

“It's a fine speech, but at this point, I don't give a d**n what you've got to say,” McIntyre declared. “I hope you enjoyed your time with the title because on Saturday, it belongs to Drew McIntyre. And the only bloody chance you have in the world are these idiots right here. ”

Clearly tired of McIntyre claiming he's nothing more than a propped-up champion who can't stand on his own two feet, Priest laid out a challenge for the night in order to set up a potential stipulation for Saturday: defeat Finn Balor in the main event and the Judgment Day will be barred at ringside at Clash at the Castle.

“You've gotta respect a man who's willing to dig his own grave,” McIntyre declared. “I'm going to beat Finn Balor, and I hope next Monday, you're man enough to shake my hand because on Saturday, I am going to embarrass you, humiliate you, and I'll be standing here next week World Heavyweight Champion!

Fortunately for McIntyre, he was able to defeat Balor in the main event and now gets to wrestle Priest one-on-one in Glasgow this weekend. If there was ever a situation perfectly designed to get a performer over, this has to be it, as McIntyre is now a 1-2-3 count away from putting a fairytale ending on a three-plus-year story.

Drew McIntyre inspired Piper Niven to pursue a spot in WWE.

Going from one Scottish wrestler gunning for a World Championship at Clash at the Castle to another, Piper Niven, Bayley's challenger this weekend, told Gregor Kyle of The Herald just how much the success of the “Scottish Warrior” has impacted her career, noting that his ability to not only arrive but thrive in the WWE Universe helped to inspire a whole new generation of professional wrestlers.

“My uncle used to tell me how there was a world record set for a bench press that couldn't be beaten. One year, one person did it. As soon as that record was broken, three other people went on to break it that year because they believed it was possible,” Piper Niven told The Herald. “Drew (McIntyre) made us believe it was possible for Scottish wrestlers to get to the WWE. Drew was the pioneer. He showed us there was a path, and as soon as you believe something's possible, that is the catalyst. That's what spurs people on. That's what gives people hope to keep pushing, despite all the obstacles and hurdles.”

Though McIntyre may have been the first Scottish wrestler to make it big in America as a World Champion in the WWE Universe, he is far from an outlier, as in the years since he became the “Chosen One,” a dozen other stars have made a similar jump too, from Niven to Gallus, The Unholy Union, and even Joe Hendry, the current talk of the IWC who is doing pretty incredible stuff over in TNA at the moment. And the best part? Many of these performers get to have full-circle career moments at Clash at the Castle this weekend, with McIntyre all but surely headlining the show in what could be the biggest moment of his wrestling career if he can come out on top.