Why WWE Fans Love Sheamus Now

Gunther/Sheamus I in Cardiff was positioned as a meeting of equals that only slightly leaned on the latter's vast in-house experience at expense of the former.

Keeping it simple, stupid, Triple H booked the story around the fact that both men hit really hard, both had mates that liked to do the same, and wanted to know exactly who could hit the hardest. Inspired in its simplicity, the wrestlers responded to clear votes of confidence by presenting themselves as every bit the Godzilla and King Kong figures they were talked up as. To emphasise this, a fabulous visual gag was concocted before, during and after the Clash At The Castle effort in which the Brawling Brutes/Imperium members fought as the two behemoths simply stared each other down amidst the chaos.

The terrific protection of Gunther as a devastating force of nature elevated Sheamus' inherent toughness by default, and the Intercontinental Title scrap in Wales doubled down on the violent vibe. The sort of thrilling take-no-f*cking-sh*t war of attrition between the two men was the sort of thing the company wouldn't typically promote anyway, and felt like a transgression as well as a masterpiece.

Not only did it earn the vaunted five stars from Wrestling Observer chief Dave Meltzer, but it did so without any of the exhausting and dull debate about what typically merits just that. Everybody was extremely impressed, including one of the industry’s longest-tenured critics, and there was - for a refreshing change - no need for further discourse.

There were further brilliant battles in the form of a singles clash on television and aforementioned PLE six man tag, as it became clearer that Triple H had invested wisely in one of the company’s most promising newest stars and a supremely reliable former favourite.

(CONT'D...)