Every 'Next Big Thing' In Wrestling History: Where Are They Now?
5. Sheamus
Sheamus, after a short ECW stint when the brand had long become a glorified televised developmental wing, shockingly defeated John Cena at Tables, Ladders and Chairs 2009 shortly after his main roster introduction.
Now, there was more than an element of fortune about the finish. Cena wasn’t crushed; he lost all by himself.
There are hipster contrarians out there who insist that, rather than being merely underrated, John Cena is an all-time great working babyface. No. Watch the finish. Cena and Sheamus, meant to sell the teetering peril of a struggle atop the turnbuckle, just sort of vibrated individually before Cena volunteered himself through the table.
Still, this was a huge, bold move by the standards of 2009 - a time when WWE, devoid of competition, could take risks but very rarely did. Sheamus was always designed to be an experimental, short-lived champion - initially - but WWE saw him as a potential John Cena successor.
His next major push, in 2012, was patterned after Bruno Sammartino. It didn’t take, but…
Sheamus is of course still kicking ass in 2024, at 46 (!), only with a very affecting pathos to his beloved fights. He has in fact kicked ass for so long that a sense of overfamiliarity, a few years ago, has since evolved into pure respect and gratitude.