BY CHRISTA LINCY

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has officially etched its name in the history books of Indian cinema. By reaching an India gross of ₹505.93 crore, it has now become the highest-grossing Hollywood film ever in the country. This milestone isn't just about the numbers; it reflects the massive buzz that has surrounded this project since its announcement, fueled by a relentless global marketing campaign and the immense popularity of the character in India. Globally, the film is performing on an entirely different level, with a worldwide collection standing at a staggering ₹16,000 crore, supported by an overseas gross of ₹9,675 crore. If we look at the second Monday performance, the film collected ₹7.60 crore in net earnings. This represents a 78.1 percent drop from the previous day's massive ₹34.70 crore. Such a dip is expected for a blockbuster of this scale after a heavy second weekend. On Day 12, the film was playing across 12,765 shows nationwide. This takes the total India net collection to ₹423.05 crore. The film saw 356.5K tickets booked on Sunday and 136.01K tickets on Monday through BookMyShow, bringing the platform's total to over 83.47 lakh tickets sold so far. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Breaking down the Day 12 numbers by language, the English version led the way with ₹4.00 crore in net earnings from 5,294 shows, maintaining a 14 percent occupancy. The Hindi version followed closely with ₹3.00 crore from 6,339 shows, notably holding a much higher occupancy of 63 percent. The regional markets contributed smaller amounts, with Tamil earning ₹0.40 crore across 650 shows at 20 percent occupancy, and Telugu bringing in ₹0.20 crore from 482 shows at 13 percent occupancy. Over the course of its 12-day run, the total net language split stands at ₹232.00 crore for English, ₹151.65 crore for Hindi, ₹22.60 crore for Tamil, and ₹16.00 crore for Telugu, with Kannada and Malayalam contributing ₹0.32 crore and ₹0.48 crore respectively. When looking at the occupancy details for English 3D on Day 12, the overall rate was 15.28 percent. The day started slow with 11.22 percent in the morning and rose to 17.67 percent by the evening. In major regions, Chennai and Hyderabad saw the highest English occupancy at 28.5 percent and 26 percent. For the Hindi 3D version, the overall occupancy was 12.27 percent, with night shows performing best at 15.25 percent. In the North, Pune showed a solid 15 percent occupancy for the Hindi format, while the National Capital Region and Mumbai stayed around the 11 to 12 percent mark. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) National cinema chains have played a vital role in this record-breaking run. For the second Monday, PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis collectively sold around 54,600 tickets, generating a total gross of roughly 1.8 crore. PVR led the charge with approximately 30,700 tickets, contributing about 1.1 crore to the total. INOX followed with nearly 17,000 tickets for a gross of around 0.5 crore, while Cinepolis rounded off the numbers with roughly 6,900 tickets and a gross of about 0.2 crore. These chains held more than 6,100 shows across 1,270 venues, maintaining an overall occupancy of nearly 4.5 percent. On the international front, North America continues to be a stronghold for the web-slinger. According to data from Venky Box Office, the film earned $45 million on Sunday alone, pushing its North American total to a massive $655 million. With a total of 190,398 shows tracked across India so far, the film is clearly not just a flash in the pan but a long-term player.

BY JITU JANGIR

Monday, August 10, 2026, airing live at 8 p.m. ET on Netflix Raw emanated from Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia and aired starting at 8 p.m. ET on Netflix. It was a big night for the Bloodline saga, as Jey Uso defeated Solo Sikoa in a high-stakes Bloodline matchup, IYO SKY teamed with Sol Ruca for a victory over Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez, and Penta advanced in the World Heavyweight Title No. 1 Contender's Tournament with a win over Laredo Kid. Elsewhere, Austin Theory dominated Akira Tozawa, Dragon Lee upset Dominik Mysterio, Big Cass continued his rampage, and Stephanie Vaquer and Becky Lynch both returned to set their sights on Women's World Champion Liv Morgan. Jey Uso and Solo Sikoa face-to-face (Bloodline Stipulation) The show opened with Solo Sikoa mocking The Usos, taunting that he was standing right there in Norfolk. That brought out Jey Uso's music, and Jey made his way to the ring, asking Sikoa if he really wanted to do this and telling him he needed Sikoa to fall in line with The Bloodline. Sikoa fired back, asking Jey how "falling in line" had worked out for him, pointing out that Jey looked like he'd fallen off instead — despite being a former World Heavyweight Champion, a former Men's Royal Rumble winner, and the man who beat GUNTHER at WrestleMania. Sikoa flatly refused to come back to the family, telling Jey that everyone in Virginia loved where he was at right now. Jey told Sikoa to be quiet, reminding him who he was talking to and reminding him that it was Jey and Jimmy Uso who raised and fed him — everything Sikoa had, he had because of them. Jey then challenged Sikoa to a match and fired off a warning shot. Sikoa ducked it, turned to check on the fans behind him, then accepted the challenge — telling Jey that once he beat him, The Bloodline could leave him alone for good, and fired back his own warning shot at Jey. World Heavyweight Championship No. 1 Contender's Tournament: Penta def. Laredo Kid This one kicked off the bracket that will determine who challenges Roman Reigns for the title on the Sept. 14 edition of Raw. Laredo Kid pushed the former Intercontinental Champion throughout the match, but a missed aerial attack allowed Penta to deliver a crushing Mexican Destroyer for the victory. With the win, Penta advances to the semifinals, where he'll await the winner of the bout between Psycho Clown and La Parka. Analysts going in considered Penta the favorite to eventually win the whole tournament and challenge Reigns at AAA Triplemanía in Mexico City. It's a strong start for Penta as WWE leans into the AAA crossover storyline. Austin Theory def. Akira Tozawa Tozawa was looking for payback after The Vision's vicious beatdown of Otis a few weeks earlier, hoping to get some measure of revenge against Austin Theory. Instead, Theory closed the match out with an Off Switch that nearly sent Tozawa's teeth flying. Immediately after, as The Vision prepared to pile on for a post-match beatdown, Oba Femi rushed the ring to stop it and once again squared off face-to-face with Bron Breakker before officials separated them. This continues the simmering issue between Femi and Breakker, hinting at a future confrontation. Becky Lynch & Stephanie Vaquer Confrontation / Liv Morgan Segment Both returning stars made their presence felt as Stephanie Vaquer came to the ring, told the fans she'd missed them, and said what she'd missed most was striking fear into Liv Morgan while railing against The Judgment Day, only for Becky Lynch to interrupt with a stare-down. The tension between the two carried into the night's chaos when The Man and La Primera both attempted to take out Women's World Champion Liv Morgan, but ended up getting in each other's way, allowing Morgan to escape. This sets up a fascinating three-way dynamic between Lynch, Vaquer, and Morgan heading toward the title picture. It's clear both former champions want a shot at Morgan's title, but their rivalry with each other may complicate that pursuit. Dragon Lee def. Dominik Mysterio Dominik came in with a chip on his shoulder after being excluded from the World Heavyweight No. 1 Contender's Tournament, looking to take his frustrations out on Dragon Lee. It was Lee, though, who brought the intensity, as both luchadors battled in the air before the match was ultimately decided on the ground with an Operation Dragon, extending Mysterio's losing skid. The post-match was where things got ugly, as Big Cass continued his rampage on Raw by assaulting both Dragon Lee and Je'Von Evans. Evans had rushed out to try to save Lee from Cass but paid a steep physical price for it. Sol Ruca & IYO SKY def. Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez The mystery-partner storyline for Sol Ruca was resolved when IYO SKY emerged as her partner, immediately shaking the confidence of The Judgment Day. Rodriguez and Perez dominated the early part of the match, but SKY and Ruca eventually took control through high-flying offense. The finish saw Ruca drop jaws with an impressive Pop Rox reversal into a superkick that set up the match-ending Sol Snatcher. Notably, Danhausen had also offered to team with Ruca against The Judgment Day earlier in the show, adding a comedic subplot to the build. Jey Uso def. Solo Sikoa Later in the night, "Main Event" Jey Uso officially promised to beat Solo Sikoa and deliver him to World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns — following through on the stipulation set earlier. When the match itself got going, Sikoa came out firing, "backing it up" Rikishi style in an homage to their father, taking the wind out of Jey early. But just as it looked like Sikoa might find his way out of the trap, Jimmy Uso crashed the match and set up Jey for a Spear and Uso Splash combination that sealed Sikoa's fate. With the win, Jey makes good on his vow from earlier in the night, and Solo is now set to be delivered to Roman Reigns — deepening the Bloodline civil war heading into the fall.

BY SACNILK TEAM

Here is the Hindi movie Batwara 1947 box office collection which is a Drama Period Thriller film. This film is directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and produced by . ## Batwara 1947 stars , Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal, Karan Deol in key roles. ## Batwara 1947 Review ## Batwara 1947 Review: What Public Has To Say About This Movie ## Batwara 1947 Box Office Collection Day Wise | All Language DayIndia Net Collection Day 1 [1st Friday] ₹ - Cr * may earn Total ₹ - Cr ## India Net Collection ₹ - Cr ## Worldwide Collection ₹ - Cr ## Overseas Collection ₹ - Cr ## India Gross Collection ₹ - Cr ## Batwara 1947 Budget: ₹ 1 Cr * Approx ## Batwara 1947 Verdict: Coming Soon ## Batwara 1947 Screen count ## India: - * expected ## Overseas: - * expected ## Worldwide total: - ## Release Date: 14th August 2026 ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood Box Office Collection, Stay tuned to us.

BY SACNILK TEAM

Here is the Hindi movie Awarapan 2 box office collection which is a Romantic film. This film is directed by Nitin Kakkar and produced by . ## Awarapan 2 stars , Emraan Hashmi, Disha Patani, Shabana Azmi in key roles. ## Awarapan 2 Review ## Awarapan 2 Review: What Public Has To Say About This Movie ## Awarapan 2 Box Office Collection Day Wise | All Language DayIndia Net Collection Day 1 [1st Friday] ₹ - Cr * may earn Total ₹ - Cr ## India Net Collection ₹ - Cr ## Worldwide Collection ₹ - Cr ## Overseas Collection ₹ - Cr ## India Gross Collection ₹ - Cr ## Awarapan 2 Budget: ₹ 1 Cr * Approx ## Awarapan 2 Verdict: Coming Soon ## Awarapan 2 Screen count ## India: - * expected ## Overseas: - * expected ## Worldwide total: - ## Release Date: 14th August 2026 ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood Box Office Collection, Stay tuned to us.

BY JITU JANGIR

Paul Wight has pointed to Stone Cold Steve Austin as one of the major reasons traditional wrestling heels became harder to maintain, arguing that Austin’s popularity fundamentally changed the way audiences viewed villainous characters. While appearing on Planet Tyrus, Wight discussed how the wrestling business has evolved and reflected on the changing role of heels and babyfaces. He specifically brought up Austin’s legendary run during the Attitude Era, explaining that the WWE Hall of Famer was technically positioned as a heel at one point, but his actions made him hugely popular with fans. Wight said: “I blame Stone Cold for killing heels in wrestling. Because he was—because he did—he was supposed to be the bad guy, but kicking your boss’s ass, he touched the heart and minds of every person.” Wight's comments came while discussing how modern professional wrestling is increasingly influenced by social media, short-form videos and crowd reactions. He argued that wrestlers today can become more focused on creating moments designed for social media rather than allowing a complete story to unfold inside the ring. Earlier in the discussion, Wight criticized the modern emphasis on quick clips and audience engagement, saying that wrestling can sometimes become about getting a reaction rather than telling a complete story. He explained that the traditional dynamic was much simpler: a heel was supposed to be booed, while a babyface was supposed to be cheered. However, Austin's immense popularity blurred that distinction. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion also acknowledged the circumstances surrounding Austin's rise. He noted that the rise of the New World Order had already changed the traditional babyface-versus-heel formula, meaning Austin's character was part of a broader evolution in professional wrestling.

BY JITU JANGIR

Chelsea Green closed out SummerSlam weekend as a champion, outlasting a chaotic multi-woman ladder match to climb up and pull down the interim women's title — a win that capped a WWE run stretching back to her 2014 debut and came after years of near-misses, injuries and being repeatedly passed over for bigger opportunities. The match saw Green battle through a field that included Charlotte Flair and Jade Cargill before the finish came down to who could brave the ladder itself, with Green beating the rest of the field to the top. Chelsea Green sat down with Nikki and Brie on "The Nikki & Brie Show" and opened up about a night she says played out nothing like she expected. Green admitted she assumed nerves would take over once the moment finally arrived. "I thought I would be nervous when this moment came," she said, "I thought I would be so nervous." Instead, she said she felt unusually calm walking to the ring: "I felt very at peace. I was like, whatever happens, happens." She described losing herself in the entrance itself, saying the walk to the ring felt less like a wrestling match and more like a performance. "I do feel like I kind of blacked out," Green said, "It was like it felt like my concert." She said she spent the early moments soaking it all in — talking with fellow competitor Tiffany Stratton and waving to her parents at ringside. That calm didn't last. Green said the emotion built steadily as the match wore on, because she knew what was coming. By the time she was dangling from the ladder as Charlotte Flair and Jade Cargill took the match's final bump, she said the feeling shifted entirely. "I felt like electric," she said. "I felt just like the whole crowd started like rumbling ... this is our moment." Green raced to the top of the ladder at what she called "record speed," saying she hauled herself up out of pure urgency. Part superstition, part disbelief, she said she didn't want to give anyone a chance to change her fortune. "If I don't get up there and climb that ladder and grab that title down, they could change the finish," she said. "This is all these thoughts going on. I'm like, no, not today." She said the significance of the moment hit her before she'd even unhooked the title, describing years of sacrifice flashing through her mind at the top of the ladder. Green pointed to more than a decade in the business — roughly "12, 13 years" — during which she said she missed close friends' weddings and the births of their children, missed her own father's wedding, broke bones, and underwent heart surgery. "So much has led me to like scurrying up that ladder," she said. Green also revealed that WWE Superstar Bayley reached out afterward, amazed by how fast she'd climbed. "Bayley texted me the other day and said, 'Girl, I've never seen someone climb a ladder so fast,'" Green recalled. Looking back, Green said the reality of the moment surpassed even her most hopeful daydreams about it. "It was even better than I had dreamt of," she said, adding that for years she'd quietly accepted the title shot might never come. "It was so far-fetched," she said. "I hope this happens. I wish it would happen, but like it probably won't — and I've come to terms with that, too." She said she could hear everything happening around her in the moment — including her mother's voice from the crowd. "I heard it all," Green said, "and I was actually upside down and a referee was ... saying sweet nothings to me as I was upside down." She added that she still doesn't know which referee it was, but praised the encouragement referees give wrestlers mid-match, calling it a meaningful and often overlooked part of the business. Even hours later and running on no sleep, Green said she was determined not to let the feeling slip away. "I'm still on cloud nine. I'm riding a high," she said. "I'm trying to make the most out of every single second."

BY CHRISTA LINCY

BookMyShow interest counts have become a reliable gauge for measuring ground-level hype in India. A high interest count often translates into massive advance bookings, and the latest data suggests that Yash's upcoming film, Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups, is currently on a record-breaking path. Ever since the trailer was released, the film has witnessed a significant spike in its interested count, which has now crossed the 800,000 mark. With approximately 15 days left until its theatrical release on August 26, 2026, it is expected to challenge the all-time records very soon. The buzz surrounding Toxic is particularly high because it marks Yash’s return to the big screen after the global success of KGF Chapter 2. Historically, Yash has shown an incredible ability to drive digital engagement; KGF Chapter 2 currently holds the third spot on the all-time list with 2.1 million interests. Given the current pace, Toxic is expected to comfortably enter the elite club of films with over 1 million interests before it hits the screens. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) To put these numbers into context, let us look at the current leaderboard of films that have managed to cross the 1 million interest mark on the platform. These films represent some of the biggest cinematic events in Indian history, with South Indian films largely dominating the top spots. 1. Vikram: 2.3M 2. Valimai: 2.2M 3. KGF Chapter 2: 2.1M 4. Pushpa 2: The Rule: 2M 5. Salaar: 1.8M 6. RRR: 1.7M 7. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion: 1.5M 8. Leo: 1.4M 9. Kalki 2898 AD: 1.2M 10. War 2: 1.1M Looking at this list, you can see that the competition is fierce. Kamal Haasan's Vikram and Ajith Kumar's Valimai remain the top two, but sequels like Pushpa 2 have also shown massive pre-release momentum. For Toxic to enter this top 10 list, it needs to surpass the 1.1 million mark currently held by War 2. Considering it has already secured over 800,000 interests and is seeing a daily surge following the trailer's positive reception, it is highly likely that the film will clear this gap within the next week.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

Akshay Kumar is reuniting with director Neeraj Pandey for the upcoming RD Burman biopic. According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, the actor has signed on for an extended cameo in the film, which features Farhan Akhtar in the lead role. This collaboration marks another project for the actor and director duo who have previously worked together on several acclaimed films. In a move that feels quite poetic, Akshay Kumar will be portraying the legendary Superstar Rajesh Khanna on the big screen. This casting is particularly special because Rajesh Khanna was the father-in-law of Akshay, and the makers felt he was the perfect choice to bring that era back to life. The dynamic between Rajesh Khanna and RD Burman was iconic in Indian cinema, and the production team is keen on recreating that chemistry for the modern audience. Given the family connection Akshay shares with Twinkle Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, he was considered the most obvious and fitting choice for the part. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The film is being produced under the banner of Excel Entertainment and marks another significant collaboration for Neeraj Pandey. Sources indicate that Akshay is extremely excited about playing this role, as he has always been a big fan of his late father-in-law. The actor has reportedly allotted ten days to shoot his portions, and the project is expected to officially hit the floors in October 2026. This adds another high-profile project to Akshay already busy slate and reunites him with the director who helped him deliver some of his most acclaimed performances. Apart from the lead and this special cameo, the makers are currently in the process of casting several other actors to play key figures from that golden era of the film industry. The RD Burman biopic is being designed as a sprawling tribute to the musician's life and his relationships with the superstars of his time. With Farhan Akhtar playing the lead and Akshay Kumar stepping into the shoes of Rajesh Khanna, the project is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated cinematic events of the coming years. As the production gets ready to start later this year, more updates regarding the supporting cast are expected to follow.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, August 10 - The Indian box office witnessed another fascinating week as Hollywood continued to dominate the conversation, led by the historic run of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The Tom Holland-led Marvel blockbuster not only maintained its extraordinary momentum in its second weekend but also created history by becoming the highest-grossing non-Indian film ever in the country, surpassing Avatar: The Way of Water. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) At the same time, Lokesh Kanagaraj's acting debut DC: The Bloody Valentine delivered a surprisingly strong start, giving the weekend another talking point despite arriving with a much smaller footprint. Brand New Day was already rewriting the record books after its phenomenal opening week, and the second weekend only strengthened its position. The film collected around 96+ crore gross over its second weekend, taking its India gross to nearly 497 crore and comfortably surpassing Avatar: The Way of Water, which had finished with around 477.50 crore. The achievement makes Spider-Man: Brand New Day the first Hollywood film to breach the 500 crore gross mark in India. What makes Spider-Man's run even more impressive is the sheer consistency after its record-breaking opening. The film opened with around 72.50 crore gross on Thursday and went on to cross 300 crore net within just four days. It remained exceptionally strong in the second weekend, scripting history for Hollywood. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) While the Marvel movie dominated the box office, DC emerged as the surprise performer of the week. The Arun Matheswaran-directed Tamil action thriller, starring Lokesh Kanagaraj and Wamiqa Gabbi, opened at 5+ crore gross on Friday before jumping to 8+ crore on Saturday and 11 crore on Sunday. Its three-day India gross therefore stood at 24+ crore, representing a strong weekend for a film arriving without the scale or nationwide penetration of the major Hollywood blockbuster. The contrast between the two films makes the week's box-office story particularly interesting. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is operating at a completely different commercial level, breaking the biggest Hollywood records in the country and crossing 500 crore gross at an unprecedented pace. DC, meanwhile, has shown that a regional film with a distinct identity can still punch above its weight when audience interest translates into strong weekend growth.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Bengaluru, August 10 - Kannada superstar Yash's Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is gearing up for its much-awaited theatrical release, with the Geetu Mohandas directorial arriving on the big screen after multiple delays. The film is one of the biggest Indian releases and carries huge expectations, particularly with Yash returning to cinemas after the blockbuster KGF franchise. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) As per the latest reports, Toxic has a reported theatrical runtime of 3 hours and 11 minutes (191 minutes). The film has also reportedly received an A certificate, making it an adult-rated action entertainer, which was expected. While the runtime and certification are yet to be officially confirmed by the makers, the reported 191-minute duration makes Toxic another major Indian film to cross the three-hour mark. Interestingly, movies exceeding three hours are slowly becoming a norm for big-star theatrical releases. Filmmakers are increasingly opting for longer runtimes to accommodate larger stories, elaborate action sequences and multiple characters, with audiences also showing a greater willingness to sit through lengthy films when the scale and content justify it. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Toxic features Yash in the lead alongside Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth in pivotal roles. The film promises a dark and stylised action-drama set against a gangster backdrop, with Geetu Mohandas bringing her distinct visual style to the project. Produced by KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations, Toxic is scheduled to arrive in cinemas worldwide on August 26, 2026, in multiple Indian languages. With its reported A rating, three-hour-plus runtime and Yash headlining the film, Toxic is shaping up to be one of the more ambitious big-screen releases of the year.

BY JITU JANGIR

AJ Styles has spent more than two decades competing at the highest levels of professional wrestling, working across WWE, TNA, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Along the way, the former WWE Champion has developed a clear philosophy about what actually separates a great match from an ordinary one — and it has nothing to do with move counts. Speaking on The AJ Styles Show, Styles broke down his approach to match construction, explaining why he believes performers can get too caught up in packing their bouts with impressive sequences instead of asking a more fundamental question first. For Styles, the starting point of any match isn't "what can we do" — it's "what are we trying to say." "Let's not think about how many moves we can squeeze into this match," he said. Styles said the key is to keep one question at the center of the entire process, from the opening bell to the finish. "What's the story we're telling?" he said. "If we start doing that from beginning to end, the product's gonna elevate." Beyond structure, Styles emphasized that the best wrestling connects emotionally. It's not enough to execute a move correctly; the performer has to communicate what their character is feeling in that moment. "At the highest level, being able to communicate and make people feel what you're feeling is what it's all about," Styles said. That belief has taken on new significance as Styles steps into a backstage producing role within WWE, most recently working NXT matches and passing his experience on to the next generation of talent. Styles' comments double as advice for younger wrestlers trying to stand out early in their careers. In his view, performers can become so focused on cramming in impressive sequences that they lose sight of the bigger picture: connecting with the crowd. A wrestler can land every move cleanly, but if the audience doesn't understand the characters, the stakes, or the reason behind the action, something essential is still missing. Having performed at the top level across multiple promotions worldwide, Styles has seen how different wrestling environments approach the craft. Now, as he transitions into a behind-the-scenes role, that same philosophy is shaping how he mentors the wrestlers coming up behind him — not by teaching them how to hit a move, but by teaching them why it matters. For AJ Styles, greatness in the ring was never about doing more. It was always about telling a better story.

BY JITU JANGIR

Drew McIntyre's WWE comeback could have looked very different. After being released by WWE on June 12, 2014, McIntyre spent roughly three years rebuilding himself outside the company. He wrestled around the world under the name Drew Galloway and gradually developed into a far more established performer before WWE came calling again. When that opportunity finally arrived, however, McIntyre did not want to simply walk back into Raw or SmackDown. Speaking about his return during his conversation with Stone Cold Steve Austin, McIntyre explained that Triple H and William Regal had been following his career during his time away from WWE. “He'd been watching what I was doing, was kinda proud of what I'd achieved as a wrestler but, more importantly, how I'd grown as a man and where I was at,” McIntyre recalled. That phone call from Triple H was particularly meaningful because McIntyre knew he had earned another opportunity with WWE rather than simply being handed one. “And, you know, we both decided it was time to come back home,” McIntyre said. McIntyre Had His Mind Made Up. Once Triple H explained that the plan was for him to return through NXT, McIntyre did not need much convincing. In fact, the former WWE Superstar said he was effectively sold on the idea within the first few minutes. “I was coming back. I was sold within the first five minutes,” McIntyre said. But there was an important reason why NXT appealed to him. McIntyre believed the NXT audience consisted of the hardcore wrestling fans who had followed his career outside WWE. These were fans who knew what he had accomplished as Drew Galloway on the independent scene and could therefore understand how much he had changed since his first WWE run. McIntyre revealed that he was very clear with Triple H about where he wanted to begin. “I won't go to ‘Raw.’ I won't go to ‘SmackDown.’ I wanna go to NXT.” He continued: “That's the audience that know what I'm all about. They're the ones that are the hardcore fans. They're watching independent wrestling. They know who Drew Galloway is, Drew McIntyre is these days.” For McIntyre, returning through NXT was not about taking an easier route back to WWE. It was about proving that he deserved another opportunity. “I can be a leader there. That's where I wanna start out. I wanna prove myself there.” McIntyre's comments are particularly interesting because, at the time, Raw and SmackDown were traditionally viewed as the top destinations for WWE talent. However, McIntyre had a different perspective after spending years away from the company. He had already experienced the main roster during his first WWE run. Rather than immediately returning to the same environment, he wanted to establish the new version of Drew McIntyre in NXT.