Sheamus Will Live Up to Main Event Potential with New Look, Heel Turn

Sheamus should always be an Irish bully.

For far too long, he meandered as a babyface whose combination of malice and friendliness turned him into a bad cartoon. As a babyface, Sheamus served no purpose. He just told tall Irish tales and made it easier for people to compare him to John Cena, which is always a losing battle.

Sheamus' highest level of success came as a heel WWE champion. Fans couldn't wait for him to return to his villainous roots.

As soon as he turned heel last week, fans greeted him with "you look stupid" chants.

Mission accomplished.

Fans want to detest Sheamus. He's such a natural antagonist that the more reasons to hate him, the better. Making quick work of Mark Henry on Raw should just be the beginning. Sheamus needs to start claiming a list of casualties that makes the Hall of Pain look like the TNA Hall of Fame.

A string of victories would be important to legitimize Sheamus so he's not reduced to a sideshow based on his bold new look.

Sheamus now has his sights set on Dolph Ziggler. Meta-fan favorites like Ziggler are the key to Sheamus' future success.

Part of Sheamus' appeal as a top heel is the perception of being a WWE guy. His reputation on the independent circuit did not precede him, making him an easy target to the audible hardcore fans who support the Zigglers and Daniel Bryans of the world.

Sheamus will rise to the ranks of main event heels by taking out popular babyfaces whom fans already feel don't get the opportunities they deserve.

Fans rally behind Ziggler and Bryan for their very real wrestling abilities, but Sheamus presents an interesting contrast as a cartoon heel.

Donning a new mohawk and beard, the Celtic Warrior remains a caricature, but this time in a good way. He's a caricature similar to Rusev and Lana. He jumps off the page as a throwback to old-school heels.

Sheamus can dominate a world where everybody blends in by keeping up with the ever-changing tastes of the Reality Era.

The "you look stupid" chants were a moment of pure xenophobia. Pure, lucrative xenophobia that will keep Sheamus relevant.

One point of discussion on the latest PodNasty was how fans these days are always looking for a reason to embrace heels like Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman. Doing so undermines the corporate sports entertainment aspect of WWE and emphasizes the art form of professional wrestling that they still hold sacred.

But Sheamus gives them every visceral reason to dislike him, which should always be a bad guy's goal.

WWE's current crop of good guys boast minimalist traits that, in many cases, win over fans of a more realistic product. Dean Ambrose is one of the most popular WWE Superstars on the roster, and he walks out in a tank top and jeans.

By being that much different than everything else and attacking all that is familiar and beloved, Sheamus is more effective in his role as a heel. He knows fans don't want to like him. With an over-the-top look that pierces through a bland, transitional roster, they'll love to hate him.

The window for Sheamus to get comfortable in the main event might already be closed. This is doubtful, however, since WWE is in need of fresh, credible heels.

The Big Show and Kane are still being presented as top heels, and fans are growing tired of the two future WWE Hall of Famers hanging on to the spotlight. The tandem was at the center of January's Royal Rumble backlash for being featured prominently in the event.

A few months later, Big Show received "please retire" chants from the rabid fans the night after WrestleMania.

With a young heel WWE World Heavyweight champion in Seth Rollins, WWE needs more heels at the top of the card to mix and match with the likes of Roman Reigns, Bryan and Ambrose. Rollins is currently thriving as a chicken heel, but with Lesnar as a newly minted babyface, WWE needs another bully.

Sheamus is that guy. He looks different, sounds different and even gets different chants from the typical heel. If fans think he looks stupid, so be it.

This is a war he can fight and win.

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ThisIsNasty and listen to his weekly wrestling podcast.