4. The 'King Sheamus' Gimmick Was Created To Demean Sheamus
In a matter of months, Sheamus went from being an intense, hardy brawler capable of taking Triple H to his limits at WrestleMania XXVI, to being little more than a borderline comedy act, one that fans struggled to take entirely seriously. Before becoming King Of The Ring, the big Irishman had become a staple of the main event scene, but his new found royal gimmick screamed mid-card at best. Stunningly, it was the chief of WWE production, Kevin Dunn who reportedly didn't think Sheamus was marketable enough. Never mind the fact that the guy had pale skin, spiky ginger hair and an Irish accent, Dunn theorised that something was missing, and didn't favour him as a performer. This is where the 'King' gimmick came in, a ploy designed to see if Sheamus could be flexible. Instead, fans quickly lost interest in the cartoon-like antics of the man, and it simply served to make Sheamus look like a chump. Due to how badly written the character was, Sheamus went from looking like he'd have a rematch against Triple H at WrestleMania XXVII, to being instantly pummeled by the man he'd sent to the treatment table just months before and treated like an afterthought.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
