WWE Raw: Sheamus is the first quarter in-ring MVP

Now that we’ve traversed through the first three months of 2021, it’s a good time to reflect on what WWE’s done right (and wrong), including individual performances. While Monday nights have generally had more negatives than positives, there have been bright spots.

The Hurt Business (until their unfortunate breakup), carried WWE Raw. Drew McIntyre was a serviceable WWE Champion. They’ve been great acts.

However, purely in-ring, the MVP of WWE Raw for the first quarter of 2021 is Sheamus.

Wait, did I just say Sheamus? Indeed, I did.

*Note: I’m evaluating solely based on matches that transpired on Raw. I’m also basing this off of match quality and not necessarily win-loss record.

Here’s a list of the matches Sheamus has competed in since the start of 2021 (courtesy of Cagematch.net):

• On Jan. 11, Sheamus teamed with Keith Lee to defeat The Miz & John Morrison
• Right after that match (and commercial break), Sheamus lost to Keith Lee.
• On Feb. 15, Sheamus won a gauntlet match to be the last participant to enter the Elimination Chamber match the following Sunday.
• On Feb. 22, Sheamus defeated Jeff Hardy.
• On Mar. 1, Sheamus lost to Drew McIntyre.
• On Mar. 8, Sheamus inexplicably fought Drew McIntyre to a no-contest in a no disqualification match.
• On Mar. 15, Sheamus lost to Bobby Lashley in a non-title match.
• On Mar. 22, Sheamus lost to Bobby Lashley again in a non-title match.
• On Mar. 29, Sheamus defeated United States Champion Riddle in a non-title match.

I know what you’re probably thinking: “Come on, Bruce, Sheamus won only three of those matches, and only one was a singles match!”

Yeah, but did you actually watch those matches?

(I cover Raw live every week for PWTorch, so to answer my own question, I have seen his matches!)

Now, what those simple match outcomes fail to acknowledge is just how good, how engaging, each match was as a viewer. Sheamus has always been known to be a snug worker, but he’s brought an added intensity to his work the past few months that adds a level of believability to his character.

It helps when you can see all those welts and bruises on his body week after week.

This three-minute clip of his match against Riddle last week is a microcosm of Sheamus’ prowess these past three months.

First, we see Sheamus’ selling ability. He’s pretty damn good at falling stiff as if he was just knocked out (think when Edson Barbosa wheel kicked Terry Etim into oblivion). His kick out at two and nine-tenths was reminiscent of Kurt Angle in his prime.

Sheamus’ facial reactions have been second to none as well.

We also saw his strength, savvy, and ingenuity when he caught Riddle’s leg from the apron, used that to lift Riddle over the ropes, and hit White Noise on the apron. Again, his facial reactions after Riddle kicked out, while over the top, worked.

Later in the match, he takes a stiff running knee in the corner from Riddle, and then he showed his veteran experience when he was able to take the communication mishap and turn it into a pump knee finisher.

On a side note, it’s always nice when wrestlers end matches with moves other than their finishers.

All of his matches have been just as hard-hitting and intense as his match last week. Sure, it helps when you have opponents like Riddle, McIntyre, and Lashley. Still, I would argue that Sheamus has given each of his opponents their best match/series of matches thus far on Raw in 2021.

It’s safe to say that Sheamus has been in one of those grooves the past three months.

There was a time, admittedly, where I was apathetic toward Sheamus matches. Many, including myself, think apathy is worse than having any negative emotion toward a wrestler’s character/presentation/matches/etc. At least if I hated his matches, I would have some emotional attachment.

However, that is not the case now. I think it was solidified when he started working with his good friend McIntyre in the latter stages of 2020. They seemed to draw out the best of each other both on the mic and in the ring; their brutal series of matches last month were well received because they were that good.

There’s always talk about wrestlers having a certain mystique, a presence about them. Many would discuss how The Undertaker would win matches before they started partly due to the mind games created by his aura (in kayfabe, of course).

With Sheamus, there’s no mystery to his mystique: he wants to fight and he wants you to bring the fight to him. To quote another famous Irish wrestler, his name is Sheamus, and he loves to fight.

Hardy took it to Sheamus with a flurry of boots and strikes in the above clip, a ferocity that’s generally not associated with Hardy. Other wrestlers know that when they step in the ring with Sheamus, it’s going to be extremely physical and they must respond in kind.

Yes, A.J. Styles has had good matches, particularly with Ricochet (that slingshot Styles Clash was a thing of beauty); McIntyre has done his part, as has Lashley.

Braun Strowman and Shane McMahon also- just joking. I had you there for a second, didn’t I?

Here’s the thing though: with Styles, he hasn’t been as active Sheamus, and with McIntyre and Lashley, well, Sheamus was integrally tied to both, particularly in recent weeks.

Further, while I’ve wanted to see The Hurt Business’ segments, the only act on Raw whose matches I’ve been most looking forward to watching is Sheamus. His work these first three months speaks for itself.

Again, when considering all of the above information, including actual video of his matches, I think Sheamus is a justifiable choice for Most Valuable Player of WWE Raw thus far in 2021 (with apologies to one Montel Vontavious Porter for the gimmick infringement).

The wonderful thing about these discussions is you, dear reader, could think of my choice and reasonings as asinine and come up with your own, and guess what? You would be right, too!

That is, of course, unless you try to say Elias has been the in-ring MVP or something…