By Liam Croft
Sheamus- he's not everybody's idea of a highly successful superstar. Sure, he's had a few runs on top of WWE, but many wouldn't consider him in the same league as the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar, to name just a few. However, Sheamus- real name Stephen Farrelly- is one of the most accomplished members of the active roster, and continues to display his versatility week after week.
Starting his journey to become a professional wrestler in 2002 under the name Sheamus O'Shaunessy, Farrelly suffered a severe neck injury early on in his career. Not to be deterred, he returned to in-ring competition 2 years later, drawing on Irish mythology to craft his Celtic Warrior image, still present in his persona today.
After a stint on the British independent scene, wrestling matches with the likes of Drew Galloway and The Smackdown Warrior- aka Mason Ryan, a match this contributor was lucky enough to witness in person- Farrelly had caught the attention of WWE. After appearing on a RAW segment on 2006, Farrelly was invited for tryouts, eventually debuting in FCW in 2007. After successfully winning the FCW Heavyweight Championship, Farrelly would not win any further gold before being called up to WWE's main roster in 2009.
WWE weren't shy about their confidence in the Irishman either- just 166 days after his debut as Sheamus, he captured the WWE Championship from none other than John Cena in a tables match, the third-shortest time to capture a world championship in WWE history and also making him the first ever Irish-born WWE champion. In the years that followed, Sheamus added several high profile victories to his resume, including wins over Randy Orton, Triple H, Chris Jericho and John Cena, the latter for the second time. Around the same time, Sheamus won the 2010 King of the Ring tournament, and for a brief stint carried a King gimmick as previous winners had done.
In the early 2010s, Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan for his first United States Championship. He went on to defeat Bryan yet again, this time for the World Heavyweight Championship, at Wrestlemania XXVIII after winning the 2012 Royal Rumble. After being a mainstay in the WHC picture for several years, Sheamus went on to win the US title for the second time, before undergoing surgery in late 2014 and being written off television.
Aligning himself with The Authority in 2015, Sheamus went on to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase to recapture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from Roman Reigns- this reign was short lived however, ending at just 22 days. At this point, it looked as though Sheamus was winding down in his career as a main eventer; he became involved in feuds as part of The League of Nations, an uninspired foreign heel stable that did little to further the careers of those involved. After the League split, Sheamus suffered losses to the likes of Rusev, Sami Zayn and Apollo Crews, being denied opportunities to participate at high profile spectacles like Money in the Bank as a result.
Sheamus' career resurgence came as a result of a feud with Cesaro. The two battled in a best of seven series, and when neither man could best the other, they were made tag partners by then-General Manager of Raw, Mick Foley. Contributing to their team at Survivor Series, Sheamus and Cesaro were the last men standing, and began to truly gel as a team. In December of 2016, Sheamus and Cesaro captured the Raw Tag Team Championship, Sheamus' first in his entire wrestling career, making him just one title- the Intercontinental Championship- short of winning WWE's Grand Slam. The team continues to be one of the most entertaining attractions on the Raw roster, and they were recently involved in TLC's headline match, proving Sheamus' capability as a main event talent has not dwindled.
It is my belief that Sheamus is entirely deserving of a spot in my top 10 favourites list. With a WWE career spanning just shy of a decade, Sheamus is a four time World Champion, has won the US and Tag Team Championships twice each, and to date is one of only 2 superstars in history to win King of the Ring, the Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank (the other being Edge.) His decorated career is unmatched by most of the current roster, as is his versatility in his place on the card and the ability to carry his position well regardless of where it is.
He may not have the same place in the world championship picture right now, but he'll always have a place in this contributor's top 10.
Liam Croft is a contributor to Official Wrestling and their regular podcast, "A Few Good Marks." You'll often find him playing mediocre guitar renditions of WWE themes, having heated discussions over Braun Strowman's status as a face or a heel or writing Paul Heyman into his Dungeons and Dragons campaigns.
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