WWE Money in the Bank 2012: The Rise of Sheamus and the Fall of Alberto Del Rio

Sheamus is my guy.

I have to say, I really have never been all that high on the current World Heavyweight Champion, mostly because he’s been somewhat of a generic, cookie cutter WWE Superstar.

Except for the dead white skin and spiked red hair. There is nothing generic about that.

For me, he just never really stood out all that much.  Between his ring work and his promos, there has never been anything about him to suggest that he was anything more than a typical heel tough guy.

But, then he turned face, and, so did my opinion.

Don’t misunderstand me here—my current view on Sheamus has little to do with what side he’s on. Though I am a firm believer that we are all nothing but good old fashioned marks in one way or another, it’s not from that perspective that my opinion of the Great White is coming from.

To put it simply, Sheamus is very comfortable in his character, and it’s because of that he is enjoying the success that he has.  And, his work has flourished because of it.

This renewed sense of enthusiasm undoubtedly comes from the path that WWE creative set him on last year—on the night that he stepped up to Mark Henry, giving only three words to the unstoppable monster.

“I’ll fight him.”

From that moment, Sheamus has been on an incredible roll, winning match after match, and becoming a major force in WWE.

It’s a huge change of pace, considering that he had dipped so low for seemingly so long before this.  
Sheamus had always been presented as a street wise bruiser, a guy who loved to fight, and lived to do it.  But, as with many Superstars in the company, the Celtic Warrior inevitably hit a wall, and began a slide of epic proportions.

He just could not win a match.  Week in and week out, Sheamus showed up, got pinned and went home.  That was the theme of his WWE career, and soon the question of just how irrelevant he would eventually become began to be asked by many fans watching the downfall.

But, when a talent’s mettle is tested, he either accepts his fate and shuts down, or he rises to the occasion and overcomes.  Sheamus did the latter.  And, that, I believe, is why he is now enjoying the spot that he has in the company.

He proved that he wants it, that he belongs and it is that confidence he has in his place and his ability, which has made him more credible and more valuable, to Vince McMahon.  And, to fans like myself, who, again, never really saw anything special about him to begin with.

The champ’s Money in the Bank opponent on Sunday, however, is another matter altogether.

Alberto Del Rio came in to WWE much in the same fashion as Sheamus.  He was given quite a bit of spotlight, including promos to get over, and ample amount of TV time to show his ability to the fans watching.

Like Sheamus, Del Rio rose up very quickly, and became the talk of WWE fans everywhere.

And, then—yes, you guessed it—the slide began.

But, while Sheamus seemed to respond to the test and became better because of it, Del Rio appears to just be standing still.

Honestly, to me, I do not see any such enthusiasm, or renewed vigor in Alberto’s game that I saw in Sheamus when his opportunity came.  Maybe it’s the fact that Del Rio has not had a major character change like Sheamus did.  Or, perhaps it has something to do with the crowd he’s working in front of.

Del Rio left an entire career back in Mexico—a career that he could go back to whenever the mood strikes him.  Friends, family and fans are all familiar with him and all ready to see him return whenever he’s ready.

Whether it’s just my own perception of the situation or the fact that perhaps Sheamus has just grown more on me, it just seems at though he is in WWE for the long haul, while Del Rio is sticking around to see how it all plays out.

As far as their World Title match on Sunday, I fully expect it to be a hard fought, very competitive bout. Despite my views on Del Rio, he can get it done in the ring, and he matches up well against Sheamus.

These two should have a good showing, and it could very well be a sleeper in terms of overall match quality and fan reaction.  At this point, considering the roads that both men have traveled, I expect nothing less of them.

Sheamus is my guy.  And, at Money in the Bank, win or lose, I believe that he will prove, once again, why he belongs on the main event scene in WWE.