43
WWE star Sheamus keeps rolling with the bodyslams
By John Benson
If WWE Superstar Sheamus learned anything over the last decade, it’s to be ready for anything. Perhaps that’s why the scary and aggressive wrestler has played both the villain and the hero in the WWE universe.
“I guess I’m wearing a white and black hat right now,” said Sheamus (real name Stephen Farrelly), calling from Austin, Texas. “I’m stuck in the middle with [tag-team partner] Cesaro, so it’s been an interesting reaction. Right now with Cesaro, which is something I never envisioned myself doing, they like him and they hate me. It’s a very interesting dynamic between the two of us.
“Who knows where it’s going to end up, but that’s the exciting part of it: not knowing where you’re going to go. I feel like it’s more exciting when you’re just following your nose every week.”
Anyone who watches “WWE Raw” knows the Irish native, who is a four-time world champion, ex-United States Champion and a Royal Rumble winner, has one tough nose.
Over the years, the Celtic Warrior defeated a who’s who list of superstars, including John Cena, Randy Orton, Big Show, Daniel Bryan and Triple H. That’s quite an impressive resume for Sheamus, who grew up in Dublin watching the WWE and dreaming one day he’d be in the ring with the world’s best.
When he finally got his shot nearly a decade ago, Sheamus said failure wasn’t an option.
“When I came over here the first time, it was kind of like, I can’t afford to fail,” Sheamus said. “There was a lot of hype and pressure. I was always very confident in what I could do, what I could achieve. Success came to me very early. It’s been a crazy, crazy journey.
“For me, the journey is more having fun, exploring the character, just entertaining everybody. Yeah, it would be great to be a champ again, but apart from that, I pretty much have nothing less to put in my trophy cabinet. So it’s a different journey for me now to push the character, just use my instincts and not be worried I’m doing the wrong thing.”
Considering over his career Sheamus has worn both the white and black hat in the WWE world, he can answer whether good guys finish last. Not surprisingly, his response also ends up describing the work ethic required to, for example, become a WWE Superstar.
“I don’t think so, man,” Sheamus said. “I think hard workers finish first, no matter what. If you’re a hard worker, dedicated, motivated, you’ll achieve your dreams. If you make excuses, you’ll get lost along the way. That’ll be your ultimate downfall. Anyone who wants to achieve anything in life, or anything at all, it requires hard work.
“You may not get it right away, but down the road, it pays itself off. As long as you stay focused, you stay motivated and you know what your goal is, and you’re not downtrodden by things that happen, your time will come. You just have to be ready.”