Examining Sheamus' Future After Removal from Survivor Series' Main Event

WWE plucking Sheamus out of the main event for Survivor Series and the brawler's apparent surgery sure sound like bad news, but those things could both spell career rejuvenation for him.

As we saw with Ryback, time away can allow a wrestler to recapture momentum. The Big Guy faded from the spotlight as he recovered from various surgeries. He returned on a much higher rung on the WWE ladder, moving up from low-card limbo to center stage.

Sheamus' time away is an ideal opportunity to inject darkness into his character and to have him kick-start his career much like Ryback has. 

The Celtic Warrior was all set to be on Team Cena in Survivor Series' marquee matchup. Then on Monday's Raw, like Jack Swagger before him, he suffered an Authority-issued beatdown and was written off TV.

It's still not clear whether his injuries are real and simply an element of the onscreen narrative. PWInsider's Mike Johnson writes, "We were told that the Sheamus injuries on Raw were storyline."

He notes, though, that Sheamus appears to be undergoing surgery for an undisclosed injury. The powerhouse posted a shot of himself in hospital garb on Twitter:

If he is indeed going to be out for a good stretch, WWE would be smart to bring him back as a heel.

Returning to a role that suits him well would be refreshing. He's been essentially the same fight-loving, wise-cracking babyface character since 2011. And just as Kofi Kingston's personality is tailor-made for being a face, Sheamus' viciousness in the ring begs for WWE to make a change with him.

It's a move fans have long been calling for. Jim Ross is among those who prefer the heel version of The Celtic Warrior.

WWE was apparently considering the shift as recently as a few months ago. According to F4WOnline (h/t Wrestling Inc), company officials were considering turning Sheamus heel around the European tour in May.

Now WWE has to mull that option over again.

Sheamus delivered a number of standout bouts while being U.S. champ and remains on the periphery of the main event scene, but his character has felt stagnant. There's little spark around him because of that. Fans know they'll get good, physical action each time he competes, but it's hard to get pumped about his battles.

During his time as a heel, he had an edge to him that's missing now. When he challenged Triple H to a match at WrestleMania XXVI, he was compelling and convincing. 

This was Sheamus at his best. The same goes for his feud with John Morrison. Sheamus was a beast during that span, a career highlight for him.

Count on WWE reaching back to that version of Sheamus. Not only does it change up a persona that has been the same for a long while, but it also balances out the face/heel dynamic of the roster. 

Ryback returned as a face and looks to be in line for a push. Before his exit (to shoot The Condemned 2), Randy Orton teased a face turn of his own. 

Erick Rowan aligning himself with Team Cena signals a move away from the dark side. If the issues between The Miz and Damien Mizdow continue, we can expect the latter to take advantage of his popularity and become a fan favorite as well.

Turning Sheamus heel helps balance all that out.

That will have the audience buzzing about Sheamus again. It will have him facing a whole new set of enemies from Dolph Ziggler to Dean Ambrose.

Expect the Irishman to be invigorated by a return to heeldom. His brute force in the ring lends itself to that kind of role. The least appealing element of his character—being a cheesy jokester—will go away with the change.

Villainy will renew him. It will have him garner more high-profile feuds, one of which should be against a returning Roman Reigns. It will have the audience rediscover what it most likes about him.

He's due for a change. He's been running a race for years with shoes that don't quite fit.