Every Original WWE NXT Black & Gold Roster Member - Where Are They Now?

32. Sheamus

What was he doing at the time?

Getting the sort of push that Vince McMahon never learned was far worse than simply not using a wrestler at all. Given a WWE Championship early into his main roster run as a heel, Sheamus had something of a busted flush/wasted push air about him by the time the company elected to strap him up as a babyface. He squashed Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 28 in very possibly the most talked-about match result of the year. Guess which man got more over?

He was, at least, used here to try and draw a house for the benefit of the newbies on the undercard. He defended his gold against Alberto Del Rio in a dark main event. 

What is he doing now?

After years of feeling too close to the WWE machine to register as a wrestler fans could truly love, the company temporarily turned babyface and he did too. Time has been extremely kind to Sheamus' earlier years, and with that came the realisation of just how much he'd evolved. The window might have closed on him winning the Intercontinental Championship and completing the most unlikely of Grand Slams, but only definite, absolute retirement will ever categorically rule it out.