Stephen Farrelly (born 28 January 1978) is an Irishprofessional wrestler. He is signed toWWE, where he performs on theRaw brand under thering nameSheamus.
Farrelly was inspired to become a professional wrestler by watching British wrestling onWorld of Sport and American wrestling via theWWF.[15] Following advice given to him byBret Hart,[14] he began training atLarry Sharpe's Monster Factory wrestling school in April 2002,[8] alongsideTank Toland andCliff Compton.[14] Six weeks later, he officially debuted as afan favorite against Robert Pigeon under the nameSheamus O'Shaunessy. After hitting an opponentin the groin, he gained the nickname of the "Irish Curse"[13] (a reference to a slang term supposedly denoting a man's inability to perform sexually after consuming an excessive amount of whiskey).[17] He soon suffered a serious neck injury afterbotching ahip toss,[14] sidetracking his career for two years.[8]
In May 2004, still using the ring name Sheamus O'Shaunessy, Farrelly returned to wrestling at the newly openedIrish Whip Wrestling (IWW) school inDublin. He then made his debut match for thepromotion at theirMount Temple show on 9 July, facing Mark Burns in a winning effort.[9] He went on to win abattle royal the following month.
Sheamus O'Shaunessy after retaining the IWW International Heavyweight Championship in November 2005
O'Shaunessy spent the rest of the year engaged in a rivalry with Vid Vain after losing to his tag team partner Joey Cabray the same night he won the battle royal. On 22 and 23 October they traded wins,[18][19] leading to O'Shaunessy recruiting help from CJ Summers to help defeat the tag team on 24 October.[20] O'Shaunessy was still unsuccessful to defeat Vain in singles action the following day.[21] Despite these losses, his impressive showings earned him a place againstAlex Shane in a guest match for theFrontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA) British Heavyweight Championship.[22] Although he put on a proficient exhibit and came close to win, his friend Red Vinny interfered in the match and cost him the championship.[9]
In March 2005, he avenged this loss by teaming withRaven to defeat Shane and Vinny.[23] This victory was part of a winning streak over the end of March where O'Shaunessy wrestled twice a day on 24, 25, 26 – including an 11-man Rumble win – and 27 March with a standard tag match and a ten-man tag team match.[23][24][25][26] This series of victories, aside from one loss bydisqualification to Vain,[25] put him to a good form for the one-day tournament held inCounty Kildare to crown the inauguralIWW International Heavyweight Champion. On 28 March, O'Shaunessy put an end to his main rivalries when he defeated Vinny and then Vain in the quarter and semi finals, respectively.[27] He met Darren Burridge in the final match and won to become IWW's first champion,[citation needed] but had to compete again in an evening show in Dublin, defeating Burridge and Vinny once more in a tag match alongside Vain.[28]
O'Shaunessy's first successful title defence came against Burridge the following month[29] but Burridge would not let his grudge rest, continuing to attack O'Shaunessy and finally costing him the title during a match againstD'Lo Brown on 29 May.[9][30] O'Shaunessy earned revenge in July by defeating Burridge in a grudge match,[31] though lost to him in anarm wrestling contest the following day.[32] Still, he continued on his quest to regain the title[9] by winning a contendership three-way match against Vinny and Red Viper in August[33] setting him up to regain the International Heavyweight Championship in October from Brown inNewcastle upon Tyne inEngland.[34]
After defending his title againstVampiro[35] and Viper,[36] O'Shaunessy found himself embroiled in a new feud with risingScottish wrestling star "Thee"Drew Galloway, whom he later admitted was his toughest opponent.[37] On 28 January 2006, he received his first championship match, evolving their rivalry from previous non-title contests.[38] The rivalry quickly took on a patriotic flavour, with Galloway's blue colours of Scotland clashing O'Shaunnesy's green colours of Ireland, mirroring theOld Firmfootballderby betweenRangers andCeltic, respectively.[39] This football allusion became particularly prominent when the two met again at Verona Football Club again for the title, though the match changed into aLumberjack match, the result and champion remained the same.[40]
With Galloway defeated, O'Shaunessy continued to dominate by again defending his title against Vampiro on 17 March.[41] Galloway earned himself atwo out of three falls match against the champion the following day, however, which O'Shaunessy won two falls to one;[42] the next day produced the same result[43] in a match O'Shaunessy claimed was his best on theindependent circuit.[37] With Galloway briefly answered, O'Shaunessy took on the newcomer Pierre Marcaeu and defeated him in two successive title matches only to find Galloway had earned another shot.[44][45] With their rivalry intensifying, Galloway's next challenge to O'Shaunessy was given the stipulation of aLast Man Standing match. O'Shaunessy retained the title,[46] as he also did in June with the same stipulation.[47] Finally, on 28 August, O'Shaunessy lost the IWW International Heavyweight Championship in a singles match to Galloway in what would be his last appearance with the promotion.[48][49]
British promotions (2005–2007)
As well as wrestling in Ireland, O'Shaunessy occasionally traveled toGreat Britain to make appearances on theBritish independent circuit. In April 2006, he was brought intoWales' Celtic Wrestling promotion as a contender for their top title but was defeated by the champion, Chris Recall.[50] Later that year in November, he was employed byLondon's LDN Wrestling to appear on theirCapital TV show where, after quickly defeating William Hill, he gained an LDN Championship match against Tex Benedict which ended with Benedict winning by disqualification and O'Shaunessy attacking him after the match.[51]
During his time overseas, he worked for Brian Dixon'sAll Star Wrestling,[52] which gave him a taste of large audiences that he had not experienced in Ireland,[14] as well as wrestling English veteranRobbie Brookside and other British wrestlers, includingNigel McGuinness andDoug Williams.[14] He also represented the UK in a Battle of the Nations tag team match between the UK and Austria alongsideDrew McDonald andThe Celtic Warrior in a losing effort againstChris Raaber, Michael Kovac, and Robert Ray Kreuzer at the European Wrestling Association's Night of Gladiators.[53]
As well as making top contender appearances based on his growing reputation, O'Shaunessy also brought with him to Britain his long-standing rivalry withDrew Galloway. He had already wrestled in Galloway's home promotion,British Championship Wrestling (BCW), twice in 2005, losing to Jay Phoenix on the day before Phoenix lost to Galloway in March,[54] and returning in September to defeat one of BCW's top stars,Wolfgang, viacountout.[55] In the middle of their IWW feud the following year, O'Shaunessy went back to Scotland to take part in BCW's Path To Glory tour, defeating Galloway on the first night[56] but conceding a loss to him the next night in May.[57] Though their feud finished in Ireland in August 2006, it continued on across theIrish Sea when the two wrestled for the umbrella promotion Real Quality Wrestling (RQW) the following year. The two first met during April'sTaking On The World show which ended in a double countout.[58] The lack of a decision led to a rematch in June, and one of O'Shaunessy's last on the independent circuit, where Galloway picked up the victory in aNo Holds Barred match ahead of an RQW Heavyweight Championship match.[59]
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
Early appearances and developmental territories (2006–2009)
On 13 November 2006, O'Shaunessy and English wrestlerStu Sanders appeared on theWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) showRaw at theManchester Evening News Arena, as part of the security team ejectingD-Generation X (DX) from ringside, only for O'Shaunessy to later receive aPedigree fromTriple H.[8][60] The following day, he andDrew Galloway had a tryout match against each other. In April 2007, he received another set of tryout matches in Milan and London against Galloway, as well as Sanders, WWE talentJimmy Wang Yang, and Monster Factory alumnusDomino.[61] This led to an offer and signing of a developmental contract with WWE, at which point he relocated to theUnited States.[8]
Sheamus lost the Florida Heavyweight Championship toEric Escobar, who is seen here in anarmbar.
O'Shaunessy debuted for the WWEdevelopmental territoryFlorida Championship Wrestling (FCW) on 2 October in a double-debut match with a win overBryan Kelly. While wrestling regularly, he was not part of any long feuds but did wrestle with a number of short-term tag teams alongside Hade Vansen[62] andJake Hager before teaming withKafu (and managed byDave Taylor) in the tournament to crown the inauguralFCW Florida Tag Team Champions. They advanced past the first round after defeating The British Lions ("Thee Superstar" Christopher Gray and "The Rascal" Tommy Taylor), but lost to Brad Allen andNick Nemeth in the second round.[63]
By September, O'Shaunessy had focused his attention on singles competition and wrestled his way to the top of the card, successfully defeating former partner Hager for theFlorida Heavyweight Championship.[6] He defended the title against Hager on 23 October and took on a number of competitors, withEric Escobar andJoe Hennig consistently earning themselves into contention. Eventually, on 11 December, O'Shaunessy lost the title to Escobar in a four-way match also involving Hennig and Drew McIntyre (formerly Drew Galloway).[63]
O'Shaunessy spent 2009 continuing to chase gold, earning two shots in January and February at the Florida Tag Team ChampionsJohnny Curtis andTyler Reks, but he andRyback were unsuccessful in both attempts. In March, he challenged the two for the titles again, this time with McIntyre as his partner, but could not defeat them, nor could he defeat McIntyre for the Florida Heavyweight Championship the following month. He received a series of chances throughout the rest of the year, but could not win any more titles before being called up to WWE television,[64] unsuccessfully challengingJustin Angel for the Florida Heavyweight Championship in November.[65]
On 22 July 2008, O'Shaunessy worked a dark match at aSmackDown taping, losing toR-Truth.[66] The following year in May, O'Shaunessy began appearing at the Rawbrand's house shows, and on both 8 and 9 May, he defeatedJamie Noble,[8][67][68] along with another dark match victory over Noble before an episode ofRaw.[citation needed]
WWE Champion (2009–2010)
On the 30 June 2009 episode ofECW, Farrelly made his unannounced debut as avillain under the shortened ring name of Sheamus, quickly defeatinglocal competitor Oliver John.[2][69] Sheamus soon entered into a critically well-received[70] rivalry withGoldust after defeating him on 29 July.[71] After exchanging victories in the following weeks[71][72] they competed in ano disqualification match on 1 September which was won by Sheamus.[70] Sheamus then began a feud withShelton Benjamin which washot-shot into a deciding match on 27 October which Sheamus won.[73]
His rivalry with Benjamin ended prematurely when Sheamus was moved to theRaw brand. He made hisRaw debut by defeatingJamie Noble on 26 October.[74] In the following weeks, he continued to attack Noble causing him to retire,[75] and, in lieu of competition, assaulted the timekeeper and commentatorJerry Lawler on 16 November.[76] The following week Sheamus appeared on his first WWEpay-per-view event,Survivor Series, on 22 November, when he was part ofThe Miz's team in atraditional five-on-five elimination tag team match. He eliminated fellow IrishmanFinlay and made the final pinfall to eliminate the opposing captainJohn Morrison and survive along with The Miz and longtime former rivalDrew McIntyre.
The following night onRaw, Sheamus won a "break-through" battle royal for wrestlers who had never won aworld championship, to become the number one contender toJohn Cena'sWWE Championship. At the contract signing immediately afterward, Sheamus put Cena through the table, and theRaw guest host,Jesse Ventura, announced it would be aTables match.[77] On 13 December at theTLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view, Sheamus defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship, his first championship in WWE,[78] making him the first Irish-born WWE Champion.[15] He also captured the major title in just 166 days since his WWE debut, making it the third shortest time to capture a title since his WWE/ECW debut.[79] The following night onRaw, Sheamus was awarded the 2009 Breakout Superstar of the YearSlammy Award. He would make his first title defense on the finalRaw of 2009, getting disqualified in a rematch against Cena.[80] On 31 January 2010 at theRoyal Rumble, Sheamus defeatedRandy Orton by disqualification to retain the WWE Championship, following interference from Orton's teammateCody Rhodes.[81] On 21 February, Sheamus lost the WWE Championship at theElimination Chamber pay-per-view in theElimination Chamber match after he was eliminated byTriple H.[82] During the match, Sheamus suffered aconcussion and as a result did not attendRaw the following night.[83][84] Upon his return, he attacked Triple H in revenge, setting up a match atWrestleMania XXVI on 28 March where Sheamus lost.[85][86] AtExtreme Rules on 25 April, Sheamus attacked Triple H at the beginning of the show and later defeated him in aStreet Fight. After a series of kicks to the head to win, he continued his assault after the match finished resulting in Triple H being written off television for ten months.[87]
On 20 June atFatal 4-Way pay-per-view, Sheamus won a fatal four-way match, following interference fromThe Nexus that allowed him to pin Cena, winning the WWE Championship for the second time and being named the one-hundredth WWE Champion in history.[88][89] He defeated Cena in asteel cage match to retain the championship on 18 July at theMoney in the Bank pay-per-view, after The Nexus interfered again.[90] He retained the title against Orton on 15 August atSummerSlam by disqualification.[91] On 19 September atNight of Champions, Sheamus lost the WWE Championship to Orton in a six-pack elimination challenge, which also included Cena,Chris Jericho,Edge andWade Barrett.[92] Sheamus received his rematch for the title on 3 October atHell in a Cell, but was again defeated by Orton in a Hell in a Cell match.[93]
Sheamus bounced back on 29 November, with wins overKofi Kingston andJohn Morrison to become the2010King of the Ring, after receiving a bye through the second round.[94] As "King Sheamus", he faced Morrison again on 19 December at theTLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view for a future WWE Championship match, but lost in a ladder match.[95] Going into 2011, he continued to lose to Morrison in a mixture of singles and tag team matches.[96][97] Triple H returned on 28 February and took revenge for his scripted ten-month injury by putting Sheamus through the announce table.[98]
On 7 March, after losing a match againstDaniel Bryan, Sheamus challenged him to a rematch with his WWE career on the line against Bryan'sUnited States Championship.[99] He won his match against Bryan the following week, winning his first United States title.[100] The rematch between Sheamus and Bryan took place on 3 April, during the pre-show ofWrestleMania XXVII, and ended in a draw after interference from the lumberjacks.[101] The next night onRaw, Sheamus retained the United States Championship against Bryan in a rematch.[102] In the2011 Supplemental Draft, Sheamus was drafted to theSmackDown brand, and made his SmackDown debut on 29 April by attacking Kingston. He brought the United States Championship to SmackDown, but lost it back to the Raw brand atExtreme Rules on 1 May when Kingston defeated him in a Tables match.[103][104]
On the 3 June episode ofSmackDown, Sheamus lost a World Heavyweight Championship match toRandy Orton due to biasedrefereeing fromChristian.[105] Two weeks later, he lost a match to Christian, ending his chance to compete in the World Heavyweight Championship match atCapitol Punishment on 19 June.[106] AtMoney in the Bank on 17 July, he competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match for a World Heavyweight Championship match contract, but lost.[107] On the 29 July episode ofSmackDown, Sheamus started a feud withMark Henry over Henry being a bully, turningface in the process. AtSummerSlam on 14 August, he lost to Henry via countout. Sheamus went on a fourteen match winning streak that ended after interference from Christian, with whom he had been feuding.[108][109] During this time, Sheamus defeated Christian in three consecutive matches atHell in a Cell on 2 October,Vengeance on 23 October, and onSmackDown.[110][111][112] He then went on a twelve match winning streak,[113] building towards winning theRoyal Rumble on 29 January 2012. He entered thematch twenty-second and won by last eliminatingChris Jericho to earn a main event championship match atWrestleMania XXVIII.[114]
On 19 February atElimination Chamber, Sheamus attacked World Heavyweight ChampionDaniel Bryan after Bryan retained his title, thus challenging Bryan theWorld Heavyweight Championship on 1 April atWrestleMania XXVIII, which Sheamus won in a record 18 seconds.[115][116] On the 6 April episode ofSmackDown, Sheamus lost toAlberto Del Rio in a non-title match by disqualification, thus earning Del Rio a future title match and starting a feud between the two.[117] On 29 April atExtreme Rules, Sheamus successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Bryan in a two out-of-three falls match.[118] Sheamus then returned to his feud with Del Rio which eventually began to includeChris Jericho andRandy Orton.[119] The rivalry between them culminated in a fatal-four-way match for the World Heavyweight Championship on 20 May atOver the Limit, where Sheamus pinned Jericho to retain the title.[120] Del Rio earned another title shot on the 25 May episode ofSmackDown, but suffered a concussion a week before their match atNo Way Out and was subsequently replaced byDolph Ziggler; Sheamus retained the title in their match at the event on 17 June.[121][122][123][124][125] Sheamus went on to retain the title against Del Rio and Ziggler over the next few months, including atMoney in the Bank on 15 July,SummerSlam on 19 August, andNight of Champions on 16 September.[126][127][128][129] On 28 October atHell in a Cell, Sheamus lost the World Heavyweight Championship toBig Show, ending his reign, which was the third longest in the title's history, at 210 days.[130]
Sheamus faced Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship on November atSurvivor Series, defeating Big Show by disqualification, failing to win the title. Afterward, Sheamus repeatedly hit Big Show with a steel chair.[131] This led to a Chairs match on 16 December atTLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, where Sheamus again failed to regain the title.[132] On the 24 December episode ofRaw, Sheamus defeated Big Show in a non-title lumberjack match.[133]
On 27 January 2013, at theRoyal Rumble, Sheamus entered the Royal Rumble at number eleven, eliminating five other wrestlers beforeRyback eliminated him.[134] After being a frequent target ofThe Shield,[135] Sheamus gained vengeance on the stable when he united withJohn Cena and Ryback to attack them.[136] This culminated in a six-man tag team match atElimination Chamber, where the Shield emerged victorious.[137] In late February, Sheamus aligned himself withRandy Orton to feud with The Shield.[138] Over the next weeks, Sheamus and Orton saved each other from attacks by The Shield and Big Show.[139][140] On the 15 March episode ofSmackDown, Sheamus and Orton were then allowed to pick a third partner to face the Shield in a six-man tag team match atWrestleMania 29 and chose Ryback.[141] Three days later onRaw, however, Ryback was booked for another match at WrestleMania, leaving the spot open. Later that night, Big Show saved the two from an attack by The Shield and was recruited as their partner.[142][143] On 7 April at WrestleMania 29, Sheamus, Orton and Big Show were defeated by The Shield, after which both men were knocked out by Big Show.[144] The following night onRaw, Sheamus and Orton faced off in a match to earn a match with Big Show, however, the match ended in a no contest after Big Show interfered.[145] Sheamus and Orton then defeated Big Show in two handicap matches onSmackDown andRaw.[146][147]
Later that month, Sheamus re-entered a feud withMark Henry after the two repeatedly attacked each other backstage.[148] Sheamus and Henry then challenged each other in tests of strength, but with Sheamus unable to best Henry, he resorted to attacking Henry.[149][150] After Sheamus attacked a commentary-bound Henry during a match, Henry whipped Sheamus with a belt, prompting astrap match on 19 May atExtreme Rules, where Sheamus emerged victorious.[151][152] Sheamus then began feuding withDamien Sandow, when Sandow hosted a series of mental challenges onSmackDown, and Sheamus repeatedly interrupted and tried to solve the challenges. However, when Sheamus failed to solve the puzzles, he instead resorted to physical violence.[153][154][155] On 16 June, during thePayback pre-show, Sheamus defeated Sandow in a singles match.[156] The following night onRaw, Sheamus was defeated by Sandow andCody Rhodes in a handicap match after Sandow pinned him with a roll-up.[157] The rivalry culminated in a Dublin Street Fight on the 28 June episode ofSmackDown, where Sheamus emerged victorious.[158] On 14 July atMoney in the Bank, Sheamus competed in the WWE ChampionshipMoney in the Bank ladder match, but was unsuccessful as the match was won by Orton.[159] During the match, Sheamus suffered ahematoma on his left thigh after being thrown into a horizontal ladder, which prevented him from competing that week.[160] Sheamus returned to in-ring action on the 22 July episode ofRaw, losing to World Heavyweight ChampionAlberto Del Rio in a non-title match.[161] On 7 August, WWE confirmed Sheamus had suffered a tornlabrum in his shoulder that would require surgery, and was expected to miss between four and six months of ring action.[162][163]
On 26 January 2014, at theRoyal Rumble, Sheamus returned as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble match; he was eliminated byRoman Reigns in the final three.[164] The following night onRaw, Sheamus, Bryan andJohn Cena qualified for the Elimination Chamber match for theWWE World Heavyweight Championship; he was eliminated by Christian in the match. This began a brief feud leading up to WrestleMania, in which Sheamus consistently was victorious. He was part of the final four in theAndré the Giant Memorial battle royal atWrestleMania XXX on 6 April, before he and Del Rio eliminated each other.[165] On 14 April, Sheamus participated in the Intercontinental Championship number one contender tournament, which was held onRaw. He advanced to the next round by defeatingJack Swagger, before losing toBad News Barrett in the semi-finals on 21 April.[166][167]
On the 5 May episode ofRaw, Sheamus won a 20-man battle royal to win the United States Championship for the second time, last eliminating previous championDean Ambrose. Sheamus then began feuding withCesaro and his managerPaul Heyman, culminating in a match between Sheamus and Cesaro for the title atPayback on 1 June, which Sheamus won. On 9 June, Sheamus defeated Bad News Barrett to qualify for theMoney in the Bank ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship; the match was won by Cena on 29 June.[168] Sheamus was in the Intercontinental Championship battle royal atBattleground on 20 July; the match was won byThe Miz. Sheamus successfully defended the title against Cesaro atNight of Champions on 21 September, and The Miz atHell in a Cell on 26 October.[169][170] He lost the title toRusev on 3 November, in a match which aired exclusively on theWWE Network ending his reign at 182 days.[171] Following this, Sheamus was written off television when he andBig Show were attacked by Rusev andMark Henry, allowing Sheamus time off for surgery.[172][173]
"For months, Sheamus had been in a lower-level position, sometimes comedic, sometimes in a tag team but never presented or treated as the threat-in-waiting for the champion on a consistent basis".
Pro Wrestling Insider writer Mike Johnson describes Sheamus' storyline position before winning the world title in 2015[174]
On the 30 March episode ofRaw, Sheamus returned from injury, having drastically changed his look, including a mohawk and braided beard, appearing to saveDaniel Bryan andDolph Ziggler from an attack byBad News Barrett, but then attacked Bryan and Ziggler instead, turningheel in the process for the first time since 2011.[175][176] Sheamus then explained his heel turn and new attitude by claiming that "the era of underdogs is over", resulting in a feud with Ziggler.[177] On the 16 April episode ofSmackDown, Sheamus announced that he would face Ziggler in aKiss Me Arse match atExtreme Rules on 26 April, which he lost.[178] However, Sheamus refused to follow the stipulation, and instead made Ziggler kiss his behind, despite losing.[179] AtPayback on 17 May, Sheamus defeated Ziggler in a rematch.[180] AtElimination Chamber on 31 May, Sheamus participated in theElimination Chamber match for the vacantIntercontinental Championship, but was unsuccessful as the match was won byRyback.[181] AtMoney in the Bank on 14 June, Sheamus won theMoney in the Bank ladder match to earn aWWE World Heavyweight Championship contract.[182] Sheamus then began a feud withRandy Orton, who was also part of the ladder match, with both men attacking each other and facing off in tag-team matches. Sheamus lost to Orton atBattleground on 19 July, but defeated Orton atSummerSlam on 23 August.[183][184]
The League of Nations in April 2016
In November, Sheamus competed in the tournament for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship, being eliminated in the first round byCesaro. AtSurvivor Series on 22 November, Sheamus cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and defeated newly crowned championRoman Reigns, after he refused to shake hands withTriple H, to win the title, thus aligning with Triple H andThe Authority.[185] On the 30 November episode ofRaw, Sheamus announced that he had formed his own stable called The League of Nations withAlberto Del Rio,Rusev andKing Barrett, with the members of which having been born outside the United States, while remaining associated with the Authority. In addition, he proclaimed his championship reign as "Sheamus 5:15", a play onAustin 3:16 and Reigns' short-lived title reign of five minutes and 15 seconds.[186]
AtTLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs on 13 December, Sheamus defeated Reigns in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match after interference from The League of Nations. After the match, Reigns attacked Sheamus and Triple H.[187] This resulted in a rematch the following night onRaw for the title with the stipulation that Reigns would be fired should he lose. Despite interference from chairmanMr. McMahon, Sheamus lost the title, ending his reign at 22 days.[188] On the 4 January 2016 episode ofRaw, he failed to regain the title from Reigns with McMahon asspecial guest referee.[189] On 24 January, Sheamus entered theRoyal Rumble at number 29, where he made to the final four, before being eliminated by Reigns.[190][191]
AtFastlane on 21 February,WWE Tag Team ChampionsThe New Day (Big E,Kofi Kingston andXavier Woods) began mocking The League of Nations, calling them the "league of booty". They continued to mock The League of Nations in various segments and skits while simultaneously feuding with other teams.[192] AtRoadblock on 12 March, Sheamus and Barrett unsuccessfully challenged for the WWE Tag Team Championship.[193] The next night onRaw, The New Day defeated Del Rio and Rusev, prompting all four members of The League to attack The New Day after the match. The League of Nations then challenged and defeated The New Day in a six-man tag team match atWrestleMania 32 on 3 April. After the match, they were confronted and attacked byMick Foley,Stone Cold Steve Austin, andShawn Michaels.[194] The next night onRaw, Barrett and Sheamus faced The New Day in another tag team title match, in a losing effort. After the match, the League of Nations blamed Barrett for being the "weak link" and attacked him, ejecting him from the group, before the rest of the team was attacked byThe Wyatt Family.[195] The feud was suspended within a month asBray Wyatt suffered an injury, which led to Del Rio saying that The League might split soon as a result.[196]
On the 28 April episode ofSmackDown, The League of Nations would compete in a six-man tag match againstSami Zayn,Cesaro andKalisto, however, Del Rio and Rusev walked out during the match. Sheamus, who would do the same, confronted Del Rio and Rusev during a brawl, and said that the league is finished, confirming the end of the group. Del Rio would also confirm in an interview that the group was finished.[197][198] AtMoney in the Bank on 19 June, he lost toApollo Crews.[199]
On 19 July at the2016 WWE draft, Sheamus was drafted toRaw.[200] Sheamus would then begin a rivalry withCesaro, after losing to Cesaro on the 1 August episode ofRaw, the two would continue to brawl after the match with match officials having to pull them apart.[201] On the 8 August episode ofRaw, after losing to Cesaro in a rematch, he would later cost Cesaro the United States Championship after interfering in his main event impromptu match againstRusev.[202] The following week, Raw General ManagerMick Foley booked Sheamus and Cesaro in a Best of Seven Series,[203] with the first match taking place on 21 August on theSummerSlam kick-off show, which Sheamus won.[204] Sheamus would defeat Cesaro in the second and third matches,[205] but lost to Cesaro in the fourth, fifth and sixth matches.[206] AtClash of Champions on 25 September, the match ended in a no contest, leaving their series tied at 3–3.[207] The next night onRaw, Foley decided to make the two partners to receive a futureRaw Tag Team Championship opportunity.[208] Later that night, they defeated a fewlocal competitors, but still did not seem to be seeing eye to eye.[209] Sheamus and Cesaro defeatedThe New Day (Big E andKofi Kingston) on the 24 October episode ofRaw,[210] and defeated Big E andXavier Woods by disqualification atHell in a Cell on 30 October.[211] On the 7 November episode ofRaw, Sheamus and Cesaro were announced as part of Team Raw for the10–on–10 Survivor Series Tag Team Elimination match atSurvivor Series on 20 November,[212] which Team Raw won with Sheamus and Cesaro being the sole survivors of their team.[213] The next night onRaw, Sheamus and Cesaro again failed to capture Raw Tag Team Championship from The New Day, represented by Big E and Kingston.[214] After hinting at a break-up, the pair got into a bar brawl with men who offended them and finally began to cooperate with each other, thus turning Sheamus into a face.[215] On 18 December atRoadblock: End of the Line, Sheamus and Cesaro defeated Big E and Kingston to win the Raw Tag Team Championship, marking Sheamus' first tag team championship in both his WWE and entire wrestling career.[216] On 29 January on theRoyal Rumble kickoff show, Sheamus and Cesaro lost the Raw Tag Team Championship toLuke Gallows and Karl Anderson, and failed to regain them afterThe Hardy Boyz won the title atWrestleMania 33 on 2 April.[217][218]
The following night onRaw, Sheamus and Cesaro defeatedEnzo Amore and Big Cass to become the number one contenders for the Raw Tag Team Championship atPayback.[219] At the event on 30 April, and after failing to regain the title, both Sheamus and Cesaro turned heel by attacking The Hardy Boyz.[220] From there, now known as "The Bar", their entrances became further synchronized as they wore the same attire into the ring. They then won atag team turmoil to earn another opportunity for the tag title atExtreme Rules.[221] The match was made asteel cage match afterMatt Hardy defeated Sheamus on the 22 May episode ofRaw, in a match where the winner chose the stipulation for their Extreme Rules bout.[222] At the event on 4 June, The Bar defeated The Hardy Boyz to win the Raw Tag Team Championship for the second time, making Cesaro a three-time champion and Sheamus a two-time champion.[223] The duo made their first televised defence of the title against The Hardy Boyz on the 12 June episode ofRaw in a two out of three falls match where the two teams tied at 1–1 after being counted out.[224] They defended their title against The Hardy Boyz at theGreat Balls of Fire pay-per-view on 9 July in a 30-minuteIron Mantag teammatch by the score 4–3.[225] The Bar lost the Raw Tag Team Championship toSeth Rollins andDean Ambrose atSummerSlam on 20 August.[226] The Bar lost their rematch for the title to Rollins and Ambrose atNo Mercy on 24 September.[227] On 22 October atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, they teamed withThe Miz,Braun Strowman andKane against the reunitedShield andKurt Angle (who replacedRoman Reigns after he was not medically cleared to compete), in a five-on-three TLC match, which they went on to lose.[228] On the 6 November episode ofRaw, the duo regained their titles from Rollins and Ambrose, winning the title for the third time.[229] AtSurvivor Series, on 19 November, they were defeated byThe Usos (Jey Uso andJimmy Uso) in an interbrandChampion vs Champion match.[230] The Bar later lost the tag team titles to the team of Rollins andJason Jordan on the Christmas episode ofRaw.[231]
On 28 January 2018, The Bar won back the title atRoyal Rumble, setting the record for the most reigns as a team at four.[232] Earlier in the Royal Rumble match, Sheamus entered at number 11 and was quickly eliminated byHeath Slater, lasting just one second in the match.[233] Following consecutive losses to Titus Worldwide (Apollo Crews andTitus O'Neil) onRaw, they defended their title against the two atElimination Chamber, retaining successfully at the event on 25 February.[234] On the 12 March episode ofRaw, after Strowman single-handedly won a tag team battle royale to determine the number one contenders for their tag team titles atWrestleMania 34 although he lacked a partner, Angle, by then Raw General Manager, still allowed Strowman to wrestle for the titles, under the provision that he reveal his mystery partner at the event.[235] At the event on 8 April, Strowman revealed his partner to be a 10 year old fan calledNicholas. The Bar was defeated by Strowman and Nicholas, therefore losing the tag team titles and in turn making Nicholas the youngest champion of any kind in WWE history.[236]
On 17 April, Sheamus and Cesaro were both drafted to SmackDown as part of theSuperstar Shake-up.[237] Despite the trade, they still had an opportunity to win the Raw Tag Team Championship as they facedMatt Hardy andBray Wyatt at theGreatest Royal Rumble on 27 April, but failed to win the titles.[238] The Bar entered a short feud withThe New Day (Big E,Kofi Kingston andXavier Woods), losing to Big E and Woods, and failing to qualify for theMoney in the Bank ladder match.[239] After going on a hiatus, the duo returned in late July to take part in a number one contendership tournament for theSmackDown Tag Team Championship and beat The Usos to advance to the finals,[240] where they lost to Big E and Kingston.[241] After failing to become number one contenders again, the duo finally was gifted a title match. AtSuper Show-Down on 6 October, The Bar failed to win the titles from Kingston and Woods.[242] AtSmackDown 1000, The Bar won the titles from Big E and Woods, with the help ofBig Show.[243] They retained against Big E and Kingston in a rematch atCrown Jewel on 2 November.[244] The Bar lost to Raw Tag Team ChampionsAOP (Akam andRezar) in an interbrand Champion vs Champion match atSurvivor Series on 18 November.[245] On the 27 November episode ofSmackDown, they had a backstage argument with Big Show, causing him to break away from the team.[246] AtTLC on 16 December, they successfully defended the championship against The Usos and Kingston and Woods in atriple threat tag team match.[247] On the 8 January 2019 episode ofSmackDown, they accepted a challenge fromThe Miz andShane McMahon,[248] which would lead to a tag team title match at theRoyal Rumble pay-per-view on 27 January, where they lost the titles.[249]
The followingSmackDown, they lost a number one contenders match to The Usos.[250] The Bar defeated Kingston in a handicap match atFastlane on 10 March.[251] AtWrestleMania 35 on 7 April, The Bar lost to The Usos in afatal four-way tag team match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship.[252] The following week onSmackDown, Sheamus reportedly suffered aconcussion in a six-man tag team match. Cesaro was drafted toRaw a few weeks later, and later confirmed in an interview that The Bar was over.[253][254]
Return to singles competition (2019–2021)
Sheamus posing backstage at the2020 Daytona 500, where he drove the pace car for the opening laps of the event
On 19 September, it was reported that Sheamus was healed and ready to return to the ring.[255] On the 29 November episode ofSmackDown, Sheamus, with his old hairstyle, appeared in a vignette announcing that he will return soon.[256]
On the 3 January 2020 episode ofSmackDown, Sheamus returned from injury, appearing to saveShorty G from an attack byThe Revival (Dash Wilder andScott Dawson), but then delivered aBrogue Kick to Shorty G.[257] Sheamus then defeated Shorty G atRoyal Rumble on 26 January,[258] and on the 31 January episode ofSmackDown.[259] He began a feud withJeff Hardy, insulting him for his various addiction problems, but was defeated by him in the first round of the Intercontinental Championship tournament on the 22 May episode ofSmackDown.[260][261] On the 29 May episode ofSmackDown, Hardy was "arrested" after crashing his car intoElias, however later in the episode, Hardy would cause a distraction for Sheamus, costing him a match againstDaniel Bryan, and attacked Sheamus after the match.[262]
The feud led to a match atBacklash on 14 June, which Sheamus won.[263][264] On the 24 July episode ofSmackDown, Sheamus lost to Hardy in a Bar Fight, ending their feud.[265] Sheamus then started a short feud withBig E, after he wanted help from the SmackDown wrestlers againstRetribution's attacks, but Sheamus denied him, before mocking him. Sheamus lost to Big E on the 21 August episode ofSmackDown, atPayback on 30 August and on the 9 October episode ofSmackDown, ending their feud.[266][267][268]
As part of the2020 Draft in October, Sheamus was drafted to theRaw brand.[269] On the 26 October episode ofRaw, Sheamus defeatedRiddle to qualify for Team Raw at Survivor Series.[270] Later on, he was involved in a triple threat match againstKeith Lee andBraun Strowman for the latter's qualification.[271] He also competed in a tag team match with Strowman against Lee and Riddle in a losing effort.[272] At Survivor Series on 22 November, Team Raw defeated Team SmackDown in a clean sweep. Sheamus eliminatedSeth Rollins with aBrogue Kick to score the first elimination.[273] In November, Sheamus began a storyline withDrew McIntyre where their real-life friendship was acknowledged. On the 30 November episode ofRaw, Sheamus was a guest on Miz TV, whereThe Miz andJohn Morrison berated him for his friendship with McIntyre to which Sheamus defended McIntyre from the accusations, and attempted to attack Miz, but was beat down by Miz and Morrison. Sheamus teamed with McIntyre to defeat Miz and Morrison in a tag team match later on in the night.[274] At theRoyal Rumble on 31 January 2021, Sheamus entered at number 27, but was eliminated by Strowman.[275] On the 1 February episode ofRaw, Sheamus delivered aBrogue Kick to McIntyre after shortly confronting then Royal Rumble winner,Edge. He bemoaned the fact that he was only acknowledged as just "Drew McIntyre's friend", implying that he was overshadowed by his success as the WWE Champion. As a result, he terminated his friendship with McIntyre, and vowed to take the WWE Championship away from him.[276] At theElimination Chamber on 21 February, Sheamus faced McIntyre, Hardy,AJ Styles,Kofi Kingston andRandy Orton in an Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship. Sheamus would eliminate Kingston but would be the second to last man eliminated in the match by Styles.[277] Following the event, Sheamus would continue to feud with McIntyre and the two faced each other on the 1 March episode ofRaw, where Sheamus was defeated. The two had a rematch the following week in a No Disqualification match, where Sheamus would once again lose to McIntyre. Sheamus and McIntyre would fight once more in a No Holds Barred match atFastlane on 21 March, with McIntyre defeating Sheamus, ending the feud.[278]
On the 22 March episode ofRaw, Sheamus would face WWE ChampionBobby Lashley in a losing effort and backstage, attacked United States ChampionRiddle. The following week, Sheamus defeated Riddle in a non-title match to earn a championship opportunity atWrestleMania 37. On the second night of the event on 11 April, Sheamus defeated Riddle to win theUnited States Championship for the third time.[279] He would go on to defend the title against the likes ofHumberto Carrillo andRicochet over the next several months. AtSummerSlam on 21 August, Sheamus dropped the title toDamian Priest, ending his third reign at 132 days.[280]
As part of the2021 Draft, Sheamus was drafted to theSmackDown brand.[281][282] In November, Sheamus formed an alliance withRidge Holland, after Holland would refer to him as his idol and help Sheamus win his matches.[283] At theDay 1 event on 1 January 2022, he and Holland teamed up to defeatCesaro andRicochet.[284] AtRoyal Rumble on 29 January, Sheamus entered at No. 17 but was eliminated byBad Bunny.[285] In March, they entered a feud withThe New Day (Kofi Kingston andXavier Woods), where on the 11 March episode ofSmackDown, Sheamus and Holland would introduceButch as part of their stable.[286] On the second night ofWrestleMania 38 on April 3, Sheamus and Holland defeated Kingston and Woods in a quick match.[287] AtMoney in the Bank on 2 July, Sheamus competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match, which was won byTheory.[288] On the 29 July episode ofSmackDown, Sheamus facedDrew McIntyre in a "Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook" to determine the #1 contender for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship atClash at the Castle, but lost.[289]
"Sheamus won over the crowd with his performance, but Gunther won the match ... Even in defeat, he left the ring to a standing ovation."
Sports Illustrated writer Justin Barrasso on Sheamus' performance at Clash at the Castle[290]
In January 2023, Sheamus competed in theRoyal Rumble match but was eliminated by McIntyre and Gunther.[295] He later faced both in a triple threat match for the Intercontinental Championship atWrestleMania 39 in April, where Gunther retained the title.[296] By September, Sheamus had suffered a shoulder injury that ruled him out of action.[297] During his absence, The Brawling Brutes disbanded after Holland walked out on Butch during a tag team match.[298]
Return from injury (2024–present)
Sheamus returned from injury on the 15 April 2024 episode ofRaw, defeatingIvar.[299] At the Night 1 of theWWE Draft on the 26 April episode ofSmackDown, Sheamus was drafted to theRaw brand.[300] In August 2024, Sheamus entered into a feud with a now-renamedPete Dunne, who had grown tired of the nickname "Butch" and was infuriated by Sheamus' treatment of him.[301][302] After multiple attacks, interrupting varying matches (additionally fuelled by Sheamus taunting Dunne with his old nickname), their feud culminated in a Good 'Ol Fashioned Donnybrook Match, which Sheamus won, ending their feud.[303] Following the feud, he set his sights on earning the Intercontinental Championship, the sole championship that had eluded him thus far in his career, leading to several matches with reigning Intercontinental ChampionBron Breakker, of which one was interrupted byLudwig Kaiser, leading to disqualification.[304] This culminated in a triple threat match between Sheamus, Breakker, and Kaiser atSurvivor Series: WarGames where Breakker retained the championship.[305] Sheamus got another opportunity at Breakker's Intercontinental Championship atSaturday Night's Main Event XXXVIII but was unsuccessful.
In 2024 Farrelly was invited as the special guest onCollege GameDay inDublin Ireland. He made headlines after being the only person on the panel to successfully pickGeorgia Tech to beatFSU.[312] In the following weeks he joined Georgia Tech, running out of the tunnel with them, and gave a pre game speech. He remains a supporter of the team.[313]
Farrelly runs aYouTube channel called "Celtic Warrior Workouts", in which he invites fellow wrestlers to guide him through their own personal workout routines.[314] He also gives workout advice and promotes experimenting with the different fitness options. He later stated how burnout led to him revamping his workouts ultimately sparking the launch of the channel.[315][316]
Farrelly appeared on several episodes ofDustin's Daily News, where he had a rivalry withDustin the Turkey, the famous Irish sock puppet; this ended with Dustin and Farrelly having a "fight", which Dustin won. Farrelly played aleprechaun wrestler onThe Podge and Rodge Show. In July 2014, he made a guest appearance on theUSA Network television seriesRoyal Pains.[317] In 2023 Farrelly made a guest appearance on a episode ofNCIS: Los Angeles where he played a fighter called Quinton.
^abMcDonnell, Kevin (7 May 2006)."Sheamus Out to Slam 'em".Daily Mirror. TheFreeLibrary.Com. Retrieved25 October 2008.Sheamus O'Shaunessy - who is nicknamed "SOS" or theIrish Curse - has vowed to take out all his opponents in his quest to be undisputed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Heavyweight king.
^Plummer, Dale; Tylwalk, Nick (1 February 2010)."The 2010 Royal Rumble is Rated R in Atlanta".Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved3 March 2010.
^"Cesaro won The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal". Retrieved13 April 2014.The final four – Del Rio, Big Show, Sheamus and the Swiss Superman – pulled out all the stops, ultimately resulting in The Celtic Warrior and Del Rio eliminating each other simultaneously.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
,Cagematch