6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE Clash In Paris 2025 (Results & Review)

5. The Banter-Filled ‘Donnybrook’

Sheamus vs. Rusev was a fun-filled plunder match that picked the nose back up on the show after back to back duffers for the SmackDown doubles and Women’s Intercontinental belts. Michael Cole and Wade Barrett seemed to have a laugh calling it too. They even brought up the old League Of Nations faction once or twice, and Wade doffed his cap to Sheamus as the group's leader.

You know what you’re getting when a couple of big dudes like this reach for the weapons, and their 'Donnybrook' outing didn’t disappoint. ‘White Noise’ off the whisky barrels through some tables was a highlight later on, and so was Rusev putting Sheamus through the side of a literal bar. Time, gentlemen, please.

It's pleasing to see Rusev score the win too, because that’s what he needed. WWE also need to find a little more character for him than he’s got (he's still kinda doing the same one-dimensional act he's been pushing for years), but they can work on that. The most important thing is that he has some momentum now, and that Sheamus did everything in his power to put his real-life friend over strong.

Sheamus, like The Miz, is one of those Teflon acts that come in really handy. He can lose pretty much every match without destroying his connection with fans. That's a skill. Clash In Paris needed a match like this to bridge the gap on the midcard. Neither The Profits vs. The Sicks or Becky Lynch vs. Nikki Bella left peeps satisfied, so leave it to Sheamus and Rusev to belt hell out of one another and put smiles on faces.

Absolute lads.