Sheamus' Road to WWE Stardom: Chronicling The Celtic Warrior's Journey
Sheamus barreled his way to the mountaintop everywhere he went. Whether he was clubbing foes in his home nation of Ireland or performing in packed arenas for WWE, The Celtic Warrior found himself holding championship gold again and again.
Born Stephen Farrelly, the Dublin native grew up watching Fit Finlay and Giant Haystacks on the British World of Sport series. That was the beginning of a lifelong passion for pro wrestling.
The man known now as Sheamus decided to pursue that passion after college. In short time, he was a hit on the Irish wrestling scene. Success came for him in the United Kingdom next and then in WWE's developmental brand in Florida.
Now just seven years after his WWE debut, his resume is brimming with accolades. He has made a home in the spotlight.
While not the most popular wrestler among WWE's diehard fanbase, the powerhouse has long been a valuable member of the roster, a master of the slugfest and a Superstar the company has turned to as champion multiple times over.
Long before he had issued his first Brogue Kick, though, Sheamus was a fan, a young boy who made his first appearance on TV as part of the Palestrina Choir.
From Security to the Squared Circle
At 13, Sheamus joined his fellow choir members on the Late Late Toy Show. He enjoyed singing but pined for something more physical. Of his time in the choir, Sheamus told Gulf News TV, "It was interesting and fun, but I also wanted to be out playing football."
Fellow Irishman Finlay was one of his favorite grapplers to watch. Sheamus later began tuning in to the work of Randy Savage and Bret Hart. Little did he know that he would follow in their footsteps and hoist WWE gold.
While studying at the National College of Ireland, he played rugby and earned a living as a bodyguard. The big man watched over celebrities like Bono at Lillie's Bordello in Dublin. He also worked at a venue where he would later return as a wrestler.
"I can remember working in the O2 Arena in Dublin as security for wrestling events. Today I'm on the other side of the fence. It's hard to take in," he told Ed Power in an interview for the Independent.
After finishing college, he chose to try his hand at wrestling. Strangely enough, it was one of the men he had watched on TV who helped guide him to his first trainer.
Sheamus met Bret Hart in Ireland, and The Hitman suggested he seek out Larry Sharpe, who runs the Monster Factory wrestling school in New Jersey. The Irishman took Hart's advice, and in 2002 was set to start taking bumps.
"Six months later I headed off with a suitcase and endless possibilities. I was determined to make my name in the wrestling world no matter what sacrifices I had to make," Sheamus told James Denton of Fighting Spirit Magazine.
Early Career
Sharpe and ECW referee Jim Molineaux helped Sheamus learn the art of wrestling. It wasn't long before he hit his first major roadblock, though. While training, he fell on his head while taking a hip toss and couldn't feel his hands and feet.
The injury kept Sheamus out of the ring for two years. He rehabbed and worked as an IT technician until a wrestling school and promotion opened in Ireland.
Wrestling as Sheamus O'Shaunessy, the powerhouse competed for Irish Whip Wrestling beginning in 2004.
Being so strong and physically imposing gave him an early edge, as did getting to work opposite some notable veterans. Some of his earliest matches came against D'Lo Brown and Vampiro.
It wasn't long before IWW started placing Sheamus' name on the marquee. In 2005, he twice won the promotion's International Heavyweight Championship, as seen on the IWW official website.
The roster also featured Drew Galloway (later Drew McIntyre with WWE) and Stu Sanders (who would later wrestle for WWE as Wade Barrett) from Scotland and Ireland, respectively. Before those men would later collide on a WWE stage, they did so for IWW, each showing great promise.
Soon Sheamus traveled to United Kingdom's All-Star Wrestling to further hone his craft and elevate his name.
The crowds were larger. His competition featured more established names, from Nigel McGuinness to Doug Williams. And his work began to attract the attention of wrestling's biggest company.
Speeding Up the Ladder
WWE hired him in 2007 to appear in a segment on Raw. Fittingly enough, he played a security guard who ushered D-Generation X out of the arena. Just a year later, he was signed on with Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE's developmental territory at the time.
The pace of his rise from this point is stunning.
In September 2008, he won the FCW heavyweight title, per FCWProWrestling.com, becoming just the second-ever man to hold that championship. WWE clearly saw something in Sheamus early on. He was positioned at the top of the food chain.
When the company had Batista visit FCW, it was Sheamus who the company chose as his antagonist.
By early 2009, he was working WWE house shows. That June, he debuted as part of the ECW brand. Just seven months later, he battled John Cena at TLC 2009 and became the first-ever Irish-born WWE champ.
Since then, WWE has not been shy about having him snag trophies. Sheamus has been the King of the Ring, the Money in the Bank winner, the last man standing in the 2012 Royal Rumble and has won both of WWE's world titles.
His transformation from security guard to enforcer in the ring was not the decade-plus trek that so many endure. Even with a neck injury stalling him early on, it has taken little time for him to make it to WWE and become of one its biggest names.
Several more years of stomping heads await him; Sheamus is just 38 years old. Expect his collection of championships to grow and for him to be in the discussion for a future Hall of Fame induction.
