On a recent episode of WWE SmackDown, Sheamus returned from injury. He was on the shelf for eight months due to injuries.
Whether you are a fan of The Celtic Warrior or not, it is hard to deny the credibility he has with fans. He has had a successful run in WWE carrying multiple Championships and is an ex-Royal Rumble winner.
Before he went off TV, Sheamus and Cesaro made up the tag team called The Bar. The Bar helped to rejuvenate the career of both wrestlers. On paper, both have everything required to be a main event level wrestler. With the return of Sheamus, multiple possibilities are in play for The Celtic Warrior.
Now that he has returned to WWE television, here are 5 opponents for Sheamus to feud with.
Cesaro
Cesaro and Sheamus took a thrown together tag team, and turned it into a great team. Cesaro has the dreaded label of “next year should be the year he becomes a main eventer”. The challenge with Cesaro is that he hasn’t maximized his ability to make fans care about his character. No one can dispute that Cesaro is a great professional wrestler, where the difficulty lies is how to make fans care about him as a character.
Sheamus has found success in different roles in WWE. Initially, he made his name as a monster villain character. As soon as he debuted on RAW, fans took him seriously. That aggression is what is needed in order to add a dimension to his character.
The best part about the change in direction for The Celtic Warrior is that it now gives the fans a reason to care about Cesaro. Sheamus can lead him to believe that The Bar was reforming and turn on him midway through the match. WWE can reestablish Sheamus as a hated villain character as he states he grew tired of being in Cesaro’s shadow. Now Cesaro has a personal issue that can unmask different layers of his personality.
It is a feud that is digestible for fans and can open up new room for character growth for both Sheamus and Cesaro.
Luke Harper
It is a weekly, or a monthly tradition in WWE; (insert wrestler here) deserves a push. That argument used to be centered on Dolph ZIggler, and then Drew McIntyre and Cesaro. As we head into 2020, Luke Harper is one of the names that gets mentioned by fans.
Luke Harper has a tremendous ceiling as a professional wrestler. He has excelled when given opportunities to showcase his talent,. The current landscape of SmackDown does not include much for Harper to do on television. That appears to be a reflection not of Harper’s talent, but the stacked SmackDown roster.
Harper has the ability to wrestle faster paced matches with smaller talent, also he can get in there and trade blows with a more physical wrestler.
Sheamus has the equity with fans where defeating him could be the spark that enhances the perception of a current wrestler. This is what Luke Harper needs in order to get his television character back on track. They can provide matches that would be intensely physical. The Celtic Warrior is as physically aggressive as any wrestler on the roster. This can be a showcase fans that Harper is as tough as they come and can withstand the best that Sheamus can bring.
In a series of matches, Sheamus can help make the character of Luke Harper matter a great deal more than it has before.
Roman Reigns
It is a good thing that Roman Reigns isn’t a polarizing figure in WWE. All jokes aside, the fans temperature on Reigns has shifted since Reigns returned from battling Leukemia. A cynic could say that fans only cheer for Reigns due to his battles outside of the ring.
What is noticeable in 2019 is how much more relaxed The Big Dog appears to be. That doesn’t mean from a physical, no worries perspective, he appears to be more of himself, and less than “WWE machine’s version of a top guy”
Whether a fan likes Reigns or not, it is be difficult to present a case that Reigns is a bad professional wrestler. He has an ability to keep up with smaller wrestlers like Daniel Bryan or stand in the ring and trade physical shots with wrestlers like King Corbin.
This would be a good way to transition Reigns away from his rivalry with Corbin, and give Sheamus an opportunity to perform at the top of WWE cards. Neither man is an incredibly strong talker, for this feud, that works to their benefit.
The rivalry can begin when Reigns is in the ring explaining how he is The Big Dog and this has been his yard from the moment he came to WWE. Sheamus’ music can go off, and The Celtic Warrior can walk down to the ring and simply say “I’m in your yard, what are you going to do about it fella”.
Both men will have physical matches at the top of SmackDown cards for months and months as they battle to show who the biggest bull on SmackDown is.
Robert Roode
Bobby Roode was floundered in obscurity for a long time on the WWE main roster. He was able to find success on TV with his tag team with Dolph Ziggler. There appears to be more room for Roode to develop as a singles star. Coming off the heels of a good match with Roman Reigns on SmackDown, the time is now for Roode to begin a singles run that allows him to reach his potential.
The best part about this feud is that there are different ways to keep the feud fresh. With Roode and Ziggler as a tag team, there can be fast paced matches against The Bar that would have fans on the edge of their seats. Sheamus and Roode can do battle in the ring against one another in a few matches. Cesaro and Ziggler could have a run at a feud, or Ziggler vs Sheamus.
Roode is at his best as an arrogant villain who wouldn’t dare soil himself by dealing with someone like Sheamus. For all of Sheamus’ success had as a villain, he has the charisma to be viewed as the every man who loves a good fight. This clash in character styles is a story that WWE has found success with in the past.
If Roode and Sheamus are given the right amount of time to tell the right story. Both men should come out of the feud looking stronger.
Braun Strowman
Do fans remember when Braun Strowman was supposed to be “The Next Next Big Thing”? He had one of the most exciting theme music/entrance combinations in WWE. Unfortunately for reasons that we will never fully know, Strowman’s career has never quite matched his limitless potential.
There have been a few misses with Strowman. He was fed to Brock Lesnar in matches that hurt Strowman more than helped him. His run as Money in the Bank winner was confusing to fans, which is not something you want associated with a concept like Money in the Bank. His feud with Bobby Lashley did little for both men. Now that Strowman is on SmackDown, giving him a feud with an established veteran like Sheamus would make sense.
The Monster Amongst Men vs The Celtic Warrior could be put on the marquee and fans wouldn’t know if it was two superheroes doing battle or two professional wrestlers.
The best way to establish this feud would be during the in ring return Sheamus. As he cuts a promo declaring his intentions now that he has back on SmackDown, Strowman can come to the ring and the two combatants can stand nose to nose in the middle of the ring. These matches should be physical and show that both men are two of the baddest men in WWE.
The Celtic Warrior is experienced enough where he can bring the best out of Strowman, and have everything Strowman does in the ring mean more. That is a rival that Strowman desperately needs to get his career back on track.