What's Next for Sheamus After WWE TLC 2015 Victory?

The bulk of the talk heading out of WWE Tables, Ladders & Chairs was about the vanquished challenger rather than the victorious champion.

A fairly predictable ending to proceedings with Sheamus handed a controversial victory left a rather flat feel to the proceedings at TLC, although the post-match actions of Roman Reigns certainly managed to heat things up.

But with most of the fallout surely based around Reigns' amazing implosion, it's probably wise to try to figure out what's next for Sheamus between now and the first pay-per-view of 2016, the Royal Rumble.

It looks like whatever is next for the champion is largely dependent on how Monday's edition of Raw plays out.

There, expect to see Reigns given a dressing down by The Authority, and expect to see him (kayfabe) fired on the spot. That will prompt Sheamus to gloat that he's untouchable, and it will leave his options for Royal Rumble somewhat thin on the ground.

However, a rematch with Reigns is almost certainly in the cards. There's no doubt about that. So Sheamus and the League of Nations will take on Dean Ambrose and The Usos, but Reigns will storm the building and lay out the champion in the middle of the ring.

That will force Sheamus to watch his back during every taping, with Reigns randomly appearing and beating down the world champion.

Eventually, it's almost certain that The Authority will relent and grant Reigns his mandatory rematch at the Royal Rumble.

But how Sheamus is booked between now and then will be very interesting to keep an eye on. TLC felt like a turning point for Reigns' babyface career, as he's completely changed paths from a squeaky clean guy who constantly gets screwed over to a real monster. 

In one night, Reigns almost completely reverted back to the Roman Reigns that used to lead The Shield into battle every week, but WWE has to ensure it keeps Sheamus looking strong.

His title reign has yet to get going at all, so he needs some victories of his own between now and the Royal Rumble to make the bout with Reigns worth watching.

Clearly, all this is dependent on what happens on Raw. But if Reigns is now set on a collision course with Triple H instead of Sheamus, there is one option up WWE's sleeve.

We're approaching WrestleMania season, of course, which means we're approaching the time Brock Lesnar will make his return to WWE.

With Triple H's hands tied while dealing with Reigns, Sheamus will stand tall on Monday's Raw, saying there's nobody left for him to fight. That's a fair statement, given WWE's currently depleted roster. But then, cue Lesnar's music.

He'll come out to an incredible babyface pop, largely because someone WWE fans actually care about will be emerging to challenge Sheamus.

The match will then be made: Sheamus vs. Lesnar, with the title Lesnar feels he owns on the line. From there, Lesnar could win, and someone like Kevin Owens could go on and win the Royal Rumble, setting up a dream bout at WrestleMania 32.

Is that a possibility? It all depends on how Reigns' implosion and attack of Triple H plays out on Raw. Watch this space.