Sheamus On Wrestlers Who Have Helped Him, Breaking Out, Feuds With Daniel Bryan & Big Show

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Once again, the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon will collide with the world of sports entertainment.

WWE Smackdown returns to Titletown Dec. 27 for its holiday tour with a list of high-profile superstars including Randy Orton, Kofi Kingston and Rey Mysterio. The night is highlighted by a steel cage match between legendary WWE superstar Big Show and newfound powerhouse Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship. Fox Cities Hub had a chance to speak with Sheamus, a 34-year-old Irishman, about his shtick, the physicality of WWE and the reason he doesn’t tan like many other superstars.

Since debuting on WWE television in 2009, after about four years in independent circuits and developmental territories, Sheamus has gone on to become WWE Champion, U.S. Champion and World Heavyweight Champion: a title he hopes to regain against the Big Show at the Resch Center.

P-C: You visited Green Bay for Smackdown in August. Did you get a chance to check out the city?
Sheamus: When we visit some of the cities, we drive in and we drive out the same day. It can be a pretty intense travel schedule, especially for TV, but hopefully this time when we come on the 27th we have a little bit of time to see the city. … I’ve definitely been out in Green Bay a couple nights. It’s a great spot, a great town. Actually it reminds me of home in Dublin; the weather is pretty similar as well. It gets a lot colder in the winter in Green Bay but the people definitely like to party and have fun and work hard and play hard.

P-C: The Sheamus character is an intense, hard working Irishman. Is that a shtick or is that really you out there?
Sheamus: It’s just me. I’ve always been very intense in what I do and I’m definitely intense when I want to do a job or I want to go to work. Every time I’ve worked, I’ve always wanted to give it everything I can and I try to bring an intensity that no one else can bring. I look for a good time and I look for a laugh, but when it comes to a fight, when my buttons are pushed in the wrong way, it honestly brings out a different side of me. Maybe it’s ’cause I’m Irish. Maybe it’s because I’m a redhead with a fiery temper, but that’s who you see. I’m not pretending to be anybody. That’s really who I am and I’ve become a lot more relaxed since I’ve first started. … I didn’t want to be one of those people who came into the WWE and went through a revolving door and was gone six months later. … I was determined to make an impact, to give everything I have, 110 percent. I hate to use that cliché but I think people respect that. They know every time I go out there I’m going to give everything I have. I think I’ve earned a little bit of respect in WWE universe and that’s why they stopped booing me and started cheering me, but they could easily turn on me again tomorrow. Boo me or cheer me, as long as I’m getting a reaction, that’s really all that matters.

P-C: It can be hard for a new superstar to break into the WWE. When did the fans start taking you seriously?
Sheamus: It was the first couple of months. I won the Breakthrough Battle Royal (in 2009) and just thinking about it now, I think it was when I became WWE champion. There was no choice but to take me seriously because I also had that tables match with John Cena and I think people were like, he’s never going to beat Cena and when I did everyone was like, what the hell? Everyone was just stunned. I think that’s when people realized this is going to be a major player here.

P-C: You began taking your sports entertainment career seriously in 2005. Were there any special moments or athletes in particular who took you under their wing during your run in the independent circuits?
Sheamus: The biggest match I had at that time in my career was against D-Lo Brown because he’s a former WWE superstar and that’s where I wanted to be, so that was a huge deal for me. I remember being pretty nervous. … When I went to England is where I started getting some great experience and a guy called Robbie Brookside who used to be William Regal’s old tag partner took me under his wing and kind of looked after me. He helped me along and it was just a great experience knowing him. … Me and Drew McIntyre were also best mates. We wrestled a lot in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and after every match we had, we tried to make each one better and better. We’d change it up and it was just a great experience and we kept pushing each other.

P-C: Right now you’re feuding with the Big Show, which ends up in a steel cage match at the Resch on Dec. 27. Do you prefer these specialty matches or are you more satisfied with a traditional match?
Sheamus: It’s all one to me. It definitely makes it interesting to fans, but whether it’s a steel cage match or a chairs match or something of that nature, I don’t mind as long as I can get that World Heavyweight Championship back. That’s all that matters to me and if that means a steel cage match, well I think I have a great chance of taking back my World Heavyweight Championship in Green Bay. I’m pretty excited. It’d be a nice late Christmas present for me.

P-C: You’re taking on the Big Show in Green Bay, but you also had a storied feud with Daniel Bryan this year. Which feud have you enjoyed more thus far?
Sheamus: I really liked the Daniel Bryan feud. We’ve had so many matches. Don’t get me wrong, the feud I have with Big Show has been unbelievable and a lot of fun and each feud is special because you learn and you grow from each one. It’s like you never stop evolving, you never stop getting better and you’ve got to keep pushing yourself. They’re two completely different opponents. I guess I’ve kind of enjoyed them equally, but with Bryan, the way it sparked off was a great experience because we had the emotion from the crowd. It’s hard to pick, man. This one with Big Show has definitely been an experience for me. I’ve gotten knocked out a couple times and I’ve lost my World Heavyweight Championship to him in that feud as well. He’s as physical as he’s ever been so it’s been great for both of us. Even though I lost, you can’t win them all.

P-C: You played rugby and football in your native country of Ireland. What’s more taxing on the body, those sports or WWE?
Sheamus: WWE, without a doubt. I’ve played rugby. I’ve played football. I’ve played soccer, I’ve done a lot of stuff but there’s nothing like what we do in the ring. You take bumps every night and you take falls and you keep going. … It’s much more physical than any other sport I’ve played back home. No knock on rugby or football ’cause those are hard hitting sports but when it comes to WWE, there’s a reason why a lot of top athletes who come from different sports like American football or whatever don’t last. It’s literally a lot harder than what they expect.

P-C: Most WWE superstars appear to go tanning and lather themselves with oil, but you don’t do that. Have you ever even tried tanning?
Sheamus: (laughs) I did when I was in Ireland. I shaved my head and tanned because I thought that’s what you were supposed to do to be a WWE superstar. Then I realized, why should I try to look like everybody else when I have a unique look myself. So I stopped doing that and just started being me. … Using all that oil and that fake tan and all that stuff ... It’s hard enough taking 20 minutes to get that hair of mine to stand up, so that would just really be too much for me. I’m glad I don’t have to tan and it definitely makes me stand out. It makes my character easily recognizable.

His fued with bryan was good. He would probably look weird if he were to tan now. Nice interview.

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