9 Directions WWE Champion Sheamus Can Go From Here

With Roman Reigns' tears still moist on the canvas of the Phillips Arena, it hasn't quite sunk in that Sheamus is WWE World Heavyweight Champion. The (already unsteady) main event landscape of the company suddenly looks even more fragile, with a man at the helm who hasn't had a real feud since May. Despite being Money In The Bank holder, the fact WWE actually pulled the trigger on the Celtic Warrior is a huge shock. An hour or two before cashing in, he was dancing goofily alongside the New Day, before losing to the midcard team of Ryback, Kalisto and Jey Uso. Where on earth does he go from here? As uncertain as things look - and it must be said that they look incredibly uncertain - WWE have at least given themselves a clean slate to work with here. Sheamus is such a left field champion, he could go in any number of directions - some logical, some rather less so...

9. Eclipsing CM Punk's 434 Day Record...?

Probably - and hopefully - the least likely of all the theories on this list, but one WWE could be tempted by. The haste with which Nikki Bella was booked to eclipse AJ's record Divas Championship reign (and Seth Rollins' seemingly unbreakable grip on the WWE Championship) demonstrated just how keen the company are to erase the Brooks clan from the history books. On the other hand, it's unlikely that Sheamus is a popular enough champion to carry the title to WrestleMania, let alone over 434 days. In terms of charisma and in-ring work, he's very solid - but that's about it. Nothing about his gimmick or style screams money, and with WWE's ratings currently in the toilet, Vince and co. are likely to realise this too. Imagine, for a second, a world in which Shemaus actually does overtake CM Punk's record reign. Imagine title match after title decided by a sudden Brogue Kick, the same old pose, and a generic heel promo the next night on Raw. Now stop imagining it, because fortunately, WWE don't find themsleves in a position where they can justify doing so.