Sheamus O'Shaunessy
Encyclopedia
Stephen Farrelly (born on January 28, 1978) is an Irish
professional wrestler
and actor
, best known by his ring name
Sheamus. He is signed with WWE and competes on the SmackDown brand
.
Prior to joining WWE, Farrelly was also a two-time International Heavyweight Champion during his tenure in Irish Whip Wrestling
. He is a two-time world champion, having held the WWE Championship
on two occasions; he also holds the record for winning the WWE Championship in the quickest space of time, having won it within 136 days of his debut. He has also held the WWE United States Championship
once. During his time in WWE's developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling
(FCW), he held the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship once. He was the 2010 WWE King of the Ring
.
's World of Sport
and American wrestling from the World Wrestling Federation
on Sky One. On the advice of Bret Hart
, Farrelly began training in Larry Sharpe
's Monster Factory wrestling school in April 2002, alongside Tank Toland
, Cliff Compton
and Cindy Rogers
. Six weeks later he officially debuted as a fan favorite
under the name Sheamus O'Shaunessy against Robert Pigeon. It was during this time that he developed the nickname
the "Irish Curse" after low-blowing an opponent. He soon suffered a serious neck injury after botching
a hip toss which sidetracked his career for two years.
Farrelly soon developed his wrestling character by drawing on Celtic mythology
. Wanting to move away from limiting Irish stereotypes of lucky charms
, leprechaun
s and alcoholism
, he instead wanted to portray an Irish warrior
. Going to a Gaelscoil
, Farelly grew up aware of the four cycles of Irish mythology
and, inspired by the artwork of Jim Fitzpatrick
, incorporated the sword and axe-wielding imagery into his gimmick. This included the design of his own pendant, the crossos, which combines the Celtic cross
with a Celtic War sword to illustrate his character's "indigenous origins with a hybrid of warrior strength matched with a strong ethical centre."
(IWW) school in Dublin. He then made his debut match for the promotion
at their Mount Temple
show on July 9 against Mark Burns, who he easily defeated. He went on to win a battle royal
the following month.
O'Shaunessy spent the rest of the year engaged in a rivalry with Vid Vain after losing to his tag team partner Joey Cabray the same night as winning the battle royal. On October 22 and 23 they traded wins, leading to O'Shaunessy recruiting help from CJ Summers to help defeat the tag team on October 24. Still O'Shaunessy failed to defeat Vain in singles action the following day. Despite these losses, his impressive showings earned him a place against Alex Shane
in a guest match for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA) British Heavyweight Championship. Despite putting on a strong showing and being close to winning, his friend Red Vinny interfered in the match and cost him the championship.
In March 2005 he avenged this loss by teaming with Raven
to defeat Shane and Vinny. This victory was part of a winning streak over the end of March where O'Shaunessy wrestled twice a day on March 24, 25, 26 – including an 11 man Rumble win – and 27 with a standard tag match and a ten-man tag team match. This series of victories, aside from one loss by disqualification to Vain, put him good stead for the one-day tournament held in County Kildare
to crown the inaugural IWW International Heavyweight Champion. On March 28, O'Shaunessy put an end to his main rivalries when he defeated Vinny and then Vain in the quarter and semi finals, respectively. He met Darren Burridge
in the final match and won to become IWW's first champion, but had to compete again in an evening show in Dublin, defeating Burridge and Vinny once more in a tag match alongside Vain.
O'Shaunessy's first successful title defence came against Burridge the following month but Burridge would not let his grudge rest, continuing to attack O'Shaunessy and finally costing him the title during a match against D'Lo Brown
on May 29. O'Shaunessy earned revenge in July by defeating Burridge in a grudge match, though lost to him in an arm wrestling
contest the following day. Still, he continued on his quest to regain the title by winning a contendership three way match against Vinny and Red Viper in August setting him up to regain the International Heavyweight Championship in October from Brown in Newcastle upon Tyne
in England
.
After defending his title against Vampiro
and Viper, O'Shaunessy found himself embroiled in a new feud with rising Scottish
wrestling star "Thee" Drew Galloway
, whom he later admitted was his toughest opponent. On January 28, 2006, he received his first championship match, evolving their rivalry from previous non-title contests. The rivalry quickly took on a patriotic flavour, with Galloway's blue colours of Scotland clashing O'Shaunnesy's green colours of Ireland, mirroring the Old Firm
football derby
between Glasgow Rangers
and Glasgow Celtic
, respectively. This football allusion became particularly prominent when the two met again at Verona Football Club once again for the title, though the match changed into a Lumberjack match, the result and champion remained the same.
With Galloway defeated, O'Shaunessy continued to dominate by again defending his title against Vampiro on 17 March. Galloway earned himself a two out of three falls match against the champion the following day, however, which O'Shaunessy won two falls to one; the next day produced the same result in a match O'Shaunessy claimed was his best on the independent circuit
. With Galloway briefly answered, O'Shaunessy took on the newcomer Pierre Marcaeu and defeated him in two successive title matches only to find Galloway had earned another shot. With their rivalry intensifying, Galloway's next challenge to O'Shaunnesy was given the stipulation of a Last Man Standing match. O'Shaunessy retained the title, as he also did in June with the same stipulation. Finally, on August 28, O'Shaunessy lost the IwW International Heavyweight Championship in a singles match to Galloway in what would be his last appearance with the promotion.
to make appearances on the British independent circuit
. In April 2006 he was brought into Wales
' Celtic Wrestling promotion as a contender for their top title but was defeated by the champion, Chris Recall. Later that year in November, he was employed by London
's LDN Wrestling to appear on their Capital TV show where, after quickly defeating William Hill, he gained an LDN Championship match against Tex Benedict which ended with Benedict winning by disqualification and O'Shaunessy attacking him after the match.
During his time overseas he worked for Brian Dixon's All Star Wrestling
, which gave him a taste of large audiences that he had not experienced in Ireland, as well as wrestling English veteran Robbie Brookside
and other British wrestling luminaries, including Nigel McGuinness
and Doug Williams
. He also represented the UK in a Battle of the Nations tag team match between the UK and Austria alongside Drew McDonald
and The Celtic Warrior
in a losing effort against Chris Raaber, Michael Kovac & Robert Ray Kreuzer at the European Wrestlng Association's
Night of Gladiators.
As well as making top contender appearances based on his growing reputation, O'Shaunessy also brought with him to Britain his long-standing rivalry with Galloway. He had already wrestled in Galloway's home promotion, British Championship Wrestling (BCW), twice in 2005 losing to Jay Phoenix on the day before Phoenix would lose to Galloway in March, and returning in September to defeat one of BCW's top stars, Wolfgang, via countout. In the middle of their IWW feud the following year, O'Shaunessy went back to Scotland to take part in BCW's Path To Glory tour, defeating Galloway on the first night but conceding a loss the to him next night in May. Though their feud finished in Ireland in August 2006, it continued on across the Irish Sea
when the two wrestled for the umbrella promtion Real Quality Wrestling
(RQW) the following year. The two first met during April's Taking On The World show which ended in a double countout. The lack of a decision led to a rematch in June, and one of O'Shaunessy's last on the independent circuit, where Galloway picked up the victory in a No Holds Barred match ahead of an RQW Heavyweight Championship
match.
(WWE) show Raw
at the Manchester Evening News Arena
as part of the security team ejecting D-Generation X
from ringside only to later receive a Pedigree from Triple H
. The following day he and Galloway had a try out match against each other. The following year in April he received another set of try out matches in Milan and London against Galloway as well as Stu Sanders and WWE talent Jimmy Wang Yang
and Monster Factory alumnus Domino
. This led to an offer for signing a developmental contract for WWE from renowned trainer, Adam Rynn. At which point he relocated to the United States
.
(FCW) on October 2 in a double-debut match with a win over Bryan Kelly
. While wrestling regularly, he was not part of any long feuds but did wrestle with a number of short-term tag teams alongside Hade Vansen
and Jake Hager
before teaming with Kafu
(and managed by Dave Taylor) in the tournament to crown the inaugural FCW Florida Tag Team Champions
. They advanced past the first round after defeating The British Lions ("Thee Superstar" Christopher Gray and "The Rascal" Tommy Taylor) but lost to Brad Allen and Nick Nemeth
in the second round.
By September, O'Shaunessy had focused his attention to singles competition and wrestled his way to the top of the card, successfully defeating former partner Hager for the Florida Heavyweight Championship. He defended the title against Hager on October 23 and took on a number of competitors, with Eric Escobar
and Joe Hennig
consistently earning themselves into contention. Eventually, on December 11, O'Shaunessy lost the title to Escobar in a four-way match also involving Hennig and Drew McIntyre (formerly Drew Galloway).
O'Shaunessy spent 2009 continuing to chase gold, earning two shots over January and February at the Florida Tag Team Champions Johnny Curtis
and Tyler Reks
but he and Ryback
were unsuccessful in both attempts. In March he challenged the two for the titles once again, this time with McIntyre as his partner but could not defeat them, nor could he defeat McIntyre for the Florida Heavyweight Championship the following month. He received a series of chances throughout the rest of the year but could not win any more titles before being called up to WWE television, unsuccessfully challenging Justin Angel
for the Florida Heavyweight Championship in November.
On July 22, 2008 O'Shaunessy worked a dark match at a SmackDown taping, losing to R-Truth
. The following year in May, O'Shaunessy began appearing at the Raw brand's
house shows, and on both May 8 and 9 he defeated Jamie Noble
along with another dark match victory over Noble before an episode of Raw.
under the shortened ring name of Sheamus, quickly defeating a local competitor. Sheamus soon entered into a critically well-received rivalry with Goldust after defeating him on July 29. After exchanging victories in the following weeks the two appeared on the Abraham Washington Show talk segment leading to a No Disqualification match on September 1 which was won by Sheamus. Sheamus then began a feud with Shelton Benjamin
which was hot-shot into a deciding match on October 27 which Sheamus won.
His rivalry with Benjamin ended prematurely because Sheamus had already been moved to the Raw
brand. He made his Raw debut by defeating Jamie Noble
on October 26. In the following weeks, he continued to attack Noble causing him to retire, and, in lieu of competition, assaulted the timekeeper and commentator Jerry Lawler
on November 16 at Madison Square Garden
. The following week Sheamus appeared on his first WWE pay-per-view
event, Survivor Series
. Sheamus appeared as part of The Miz's team in a traditional five-on-five elimination tag team match. He eliminated fellow Irishman Finlay
and made the final pinfall to eliminate the opposing captain John Morrison and survive along with Miz and long-time former rival Drew McIntyre.
The following night on Raw, Sheamus won a "break-through" battle royal for wrestlers who had never won a world championship, to become the number one contender to John Cena
's WWE Championship
. At the contract signing immediately afterwards, Sheamus put Cena through the table as the Raw guest host Jesse Ventura
announced it would be a Table match. On December 13, at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, Sheamus defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship, his first championship in WWE, making him the first Irish-born WWE Champion. The following night on Raw, Sheamus was awarded the 2009 Breakout Superstar of the Year Slammy Award. On February 21, Sheamus lost the WWE Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in the Elimination Chamber
match after he was eliminated by Triple H
. During the match, Sheamus suffered a concussion and as a result did not attend Raw the following night. Upon his return, he took revenge on Triple H with an attack to set up a match at WrestleMania XXVI
that Sheamus lost. The following month at Extreme Rules
, Sheamus attacked Triple H at the beginning of the show and later defeated him in a Street Fight
. After a series of kicks to the head to win, he continued his assault after the match finished resulting in Triple H being written off TV for 10 months.
On June 20, at the Fatal 4-Way
pay-per-view, Sheamus won a fatal four-way match, following interference from The Nexus
that allowed him to pin John Cena, thus winning the WWE Championship,and beginning his second World Championship reign. He went on to defeat Cena in a steel cage match to retain the championship at the WWE Money in the Bank
pay-per-view, and against Randy Orton at SummerSlam, which ended in disqualification, meaning that Sheamus retained his title. Sheamus was also involved in a triple threat steel cage dark match for the WWE Championship against John Cena and Undertaker before the 900th episode special of Raw but retained the title by escaping the cage while Undertaker had Cena locked in the Hell's Gate submission maneuver. At Night of Champions, Sheamus was pinned by Randy Orton in a Six-Pack Elimination Challenge for the WWE Championship.
He bounced back on November 29, with wins over Kofi Kingston
and John Morrison to become King of the Ring
, after receiving a bye through the second round. As King Sheamus, he faced Morrison again at the TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs
PPV for a future WWE Championship match but lost the Ladder match. Going into 2011, he continued to lose to Morrison in a mixture of singles and tag team matches. Triple H returned on February 28 and took revenge for his scripted 10 month injury by putting him through the announce table. Right after that, Sheamus was defeated by Evan Bourne who returned to Raw after a 4 month injury. On March 7, after losing a match against Daniel Bryan
, Sheamus challenged him to a rematch with his WWE career on the line against Bryan's United States Championship
. He won his match against Bryan the following week, winning his first United States Title. The rematch between Sheamus and Bryan took place on April 3, during the preshow of WrestleMania XXVII
, and ended in a draw after interference from the lumberjacks.
when Kofi Kingston defeated him in a Table match. On the June 3 episode of SmackDown, Sheamus lost a World Heavyweight Championship match to Randy Orton
due to biased refereeing
from Christian, beginning a turn from a villainous
character to a fan favorite
over the following weeks. Two weeks later, he was put in a match against Christian with a stipulation that if Sheamus won, he would be able to compete in the World Heavyweight Championship match at WWE Capitol Punishment
. However he was unsuccessful in the match, and was he was punted by Randy Orton after the match. Sheamus' face turn culminated in him attacking Mark Henry
for being a bully, though he lost to him by count-out at Summerslam
. After this loss, Sheamus went on a 14 match winning streak that ended after outside interference from Christian, with whom he had been feuding. During this time, Sheamus defeated Christian in three consecutive matches at Hell in a Cell
, Vengeance
, and on Smackdown.
, which starred Joseph Fiennes
and Brian Cox. He had a small role in the 2006 Irish film, 3 Crosses, and was a Celtic Warrior Zombie in the opening sequence of the 2009 movie Assault of Darkness
opposite Vinnie Jones
. He appeared on several episodes of the famous Irish sockpuppet, Dustin the Turkey
's show Dustin's Daily News where he had a rivalry with Dustin. It ended with Dustin and Sheamus having a "fight", which Dustin won. He also appeared on The Podge and Rodge Show
as a leprechaun
wrestler, along with IWW alumnus George McFly.
, but was raised in North Great George's Street, Dublin. His father, Mark, was an amateur bodybuilder
. Farrelly speaks fluent Irish
, having attended Scoil Caoimhin Primary and Secondary School, a Gaelscoil
. During his school years he sang in the Palestrina Choir until the age of thirteen, as part of which he appeared on both the Christmas Late Late Show and Live at Three. He played Gaelic football
for the Erin's Isle team where he was declared Sportstar of The Month. He also played rugby
for the National College of Ireland
, where he gained a National Diploma.
Farrelly is a former IT
technician. He also worked as security for a nightclub
which led to him occasionally working personal security for Bono
and Larry Mullen, Jr. of U2
as well as Denise van Outen
.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, best known by his ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Sheamus. He is signed with WWE and competes on the SmackDown brand
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
.
Prior to joining WWE, Farrelly was also a two-time International Heavyweight Champion during his tenure in Irish Whip Wrestling
Irish Whip Wrestling
Irish Whip Wrestling is an Irish owned independent professional wrestling promotion established in 2002. The company was named in tribute to Irish professional wrestler Danno O'Mahony, who is credited as the inventor of the "Irish Whip" wrestling maneuver. IWW runs shows throughout the whole of...
. He is a two-time world champion, having held the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
on two occasions; he also holds the record for winning the WWE Championship in the quickest space of time, having won it within 136 days of his debut. He has also held the WWE United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
once. During his time in WWE's developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling
Championship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
(FCW), he held the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship once. He was the 2010 WWE King of the Ring
King of the Ring (2010)
King of the Ring was a special edition of World Wrestling Entertainment's television program, Raw. The episode was held on November 29, 2010 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
.
Training and character development (2002–2004)
Farrelly's inspiration into a professional wrestling career came from watching both British wrestling from ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's World of Sport
World of Sport (UK TV series)
World of Sport was a British television sport anthology programme which ran on ITV between 2 January 1965 to 28 September 1985 in response to competition from BBC's Grandstand...
and American wrestling from the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
on Sky One. On the advice of Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
, Farrelly began training in Larry Sharpe
Larry Sharpe
Larry Weil is an American retired professional wrestler, manager and trainer better known under his ring name, "Pretty Boy" Larry Sharpe. He currently runs the Monster Factory professional wrestling school...
's Monster Factory wrestling school in April 2002, alongside Tank Toland
John Toland (wrestler)
John Michael Toland is an American professional wrestler best known for his work in independent promotion Ring of Honor, under the name Tank Toland...
, Cliff Compton
Cliff Compton
Clifford "Cliff" Compton is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Domino. He is signed with Ohio Valley Wrestling , where he is a former two–time OVW Heavyweight Champion...
and Cindy Rogers
Cindy Rogers
Cindy Rogers is a retired American professional wrestler. She is known for performing on the independent circuit for World Xtreme Wrestling and Shimmer Women Athletes, among others.-Professional wrestling career:...
. Six weeks later he officially debuted as a fan favorite
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
under the name Sheamus O'Shaunessy against Robert Pigeon. It was during this time that he developed the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
the "Irish Curse" after low-blowing an opponent. He soon suffered a serious neck injury after botching
Botch (professional wrestling)
To botch in professional wrestling means to attempt a scripted move that does not come out as it was originally planned due to a mistake, miscalculation, or a slip-up. Most botches are harmless but embarrassing, such as a wrestler simply flubbing a line or missing a cue, or falling before his...
a hip toss which sidetracked his career for two years.
Farrelly soon developed his wrestling character by drawing on Celtic mythology
Celtic mythology
Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure...
. Wanting to move away from limiting Irish stereotypes of lucky charms
Lucky Charms
Lucky Charms is a brand of cereal produced by the General Mills food company of Golden Valley, Minnesota, United States. It first appeared in stores in 1964. The cereal consists of two main components: toasted oat-based pieces and multi-colored marshmallow bits in various shapes, the latter making...
, leprechaun
Leprechaun
A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology...
s and alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, he instead wanted to portray an Irish warrior
Fianna
Fianna were small, semi-independent warrior bands in Irish mythology and Scottish mythology, most notably in the stories of the Fenian Cycle, where they are led by Fionn mac Cumhaill....
. Going to a Gaelscoil
Gaelscoil
A gaelscoil is an Irish-medium primary school in Ireland, of a sort found outside the traditionally Irish-speaking regions, especially in urban areas....
, Farelly grew up aware of the four cycles of Irish mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
and, inspired by the artwork of Jim Fitzpatrick
Jim Fitzpatrick (artist)
Jim Fitzpatrick is an Irish artist famous for Irish Celtic Art. Perhaps his most famous piece is his iconic two-tone portrait of Che Guevara created in 1968 and based on a photo by Alberto Korda....
, incorporated the sword and axe-wielding imagery into his gimmick. This included the design of his own pendant, the crossos, which combines the Celtic cross
Celtic cross
A Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...
with a Celtic War sword to illustrate his character's "indigenous origins with a hybrid of warrior strength matched with a strong ethical centre."
Irish Whip Wrestling (2004–2006)
In May 2004, still using the ring name Sheamus O'Shaunessy, Farrelly returned to wrestling at the newly opened Irish Whip WrestlingIrish Whip Wrestling
Irish Whip Wrestling is an Irish owned independent professional wrestling promotion established in 2002. The company was named in tribute to Irish professional wrestler Danno O'Mahony, who is credited as the inventor of the "Irish Whip" wrestling maneuver. IWW runs shows throughout the whole of...
(IWW) school in Dublin. He then made his debut match for the promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
at their Mount Temple
Mount Temple, County Westmeath
Mount Temple is a village in County Westmeath, about 5 km west of Moate. The village is best noted for its golf course of the same name. It was historically called Grenan and Ballyloughloe.- History of Mount Temple :...
show on July 9 against Mark Burns, who he easily defeated. He went on to win a battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
the following month.
O'Shaunessy spent the rest of the year engaged in a rivalry with Vid Vain after losing to his tag team partner Joey Cabray the same night as winning the battle royal. On October 22 and 23 they traded wins, leading to O'Shaunessy recruiting help from CJ Summers to help defeat the tag team on October 24. Still O'Shaunessy failed to defeat Vain in singles action the following day. Despite these losses, his impressive showings earned him a place against Alex Shane
Alex Shane
Alexander Daniel Spilling is a British professional wrestler who is best known by his ring name "The Ascension" Alex Shane. Spilling also works as a promoter and wrestling teacher.-Early career:...
in a guest match for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA) British Heavyweight Championship. Despite putting on a strong showing and being close to winning, his friend Red Vinny interfered in the match and cost him the championship.
In March 2005 he avenged this loss by teaming with Raven
Scott Levy
Scott Anthony Levy , better known by his ring name Raven, is an American professional wrestler, wrestling producer, wrestling writer, and occasional author and actor currently working for Juggalo Championship Wrestling , where he is co-holder of the JCW Tag Team Championship, as well as other...
to defeat Shane and Vinny. This victory was part of a winning streak over the end of March where O'Shaunessy wrestled twice a day on March 24, 25, 26 – including an 11 man Rumble win – and 27 with a standard tag match and a ten-man tag team match. This series of victories, aside from one loss by disqualification to Vain, put him good stead for the one-day tournament held in County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
to crown the inaugural IWW International Heavyweight Champion. On March 28, O'Shaunessy put an end to his main rivalries when he defeated Vinny and then Vain in the quarter and semi finals, respectively. He met Darren Burridge
Darren Burridge
Greg Burridge is a semi-retired British professional wrestler. He is best known for his work on the independent circuit throughout the United Kingdom.-Professional wrestling career:...
in the final match and won to become IWW's first champion, but had to compete again in an evening show in Dublin, defeating Burridge and Vinny once more in a tag match alongside Vain.
O'Shaunessy's first successful title defence came against Burridge the following month but Burridge would not let his grudge rest, continuing to attack O'Shaunessy and finally costing him the title during a match against D'Lo Brown
D'Lo Brown
Accie Julius Connor better known by his ring name D'Lo Brown , is an American professional wrestler. Well known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment, he is currently working as an agent for Impact Wrestling.Connor has held forty-eight championships in various promotions during...
on May 29. O'Shaunessy earned revenge in July by defeating Burridge in a grudge match, though lost to him in an arm wrestling
Arm wrestling
Arm wrestling is a sport with two participants. Each participant places one arm on a surface with their elbows bent and touching the surface, and they grip each other's hand...
contest the following day. Still, he continued on his quest to regain the title by winning a contendership three way match against Vinny and Red Viper in August setting him up to regain the International Heavyweight Championship in October from Brown in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
After defending his title against Vampiro
Vampiro
Ian Richard Hodgkinson , better known by his ring name Vampiro, is a Canadian professional wrestler currently working as a wrestler and a consultant for Juggalo Championship Wrestling. Hodgkinson is semi-retired and is a member of the citizen crime patrol organization Guardian Angels, acting as...
and Viper, O'Shaunessy found himself embroiled in a new feud with rising Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
wrestling star "Thee" Drew Galloway
Drew Galloway
Andrew "Drew" Galloway is a Scottish professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he wrestles on the Raw brand as Drew McIntyre.He began training from the age of 15 in England, before moving back to Scotland to begin his career...
, whom he later admitted was his toughest opponent. On January 28, 2006, he received his first championship match, evolving their rivalry from previous non-title contests. The rivalry quickly took on a patriotic flavour, with Galloway's blue colours of Scotland clashing O'Shaunnesy's green colours of Ireland, mirroring the Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
football derby
Local derby
In many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby means a sporting fixture between two, generally local, rivals, particularly in association football...
between Glasgow Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and Glasgow Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, respectively. This football allusion became particularly prominent when the two met again at Verona Football Club once again for the title, though the match changed into a Lumberjack match, the result and champion remained the same.
With Galloway defeated, O'Shaunessy continued to dominate by again defending his title against Vampiro on 17 March. Galloway earned himself a two out of three falls match against the champion the following day, however, which O'Shaunessy won two falls to one; the next day produced the same result in a match O'Shaunessy claimed was his best on the independent circuit
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
. With Galloway briefly answered, O'Shaunessy took on the newcomer Pierre Marcaeu and defeated him in two successive title matches only to find Galloway had earned another shot. With their rivalry intensifying, Galloway's next challenge to O'Shaunnesy was given the stipulation of a Last Man Standing match. O'Shaunessy retained the title, as he also did in June with the same stipulation. Finally, on August 28, O'Shaunessy lost the IwW International Heavyweight Championship in a singles match to Galloway in what would be his last appearance with the promotion.
British promotions (2005–2007)
As well as wrestling in Ireland, O'Shaunessy occasionally travelled to Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
to make appearances on the British independent circuit
Professional wrestling in the United Kingdom
Professional wrestling in the United Kingdom spans over 100 years but became popular when the then new Independent Television station - ITV began showing it in 1955 firstly on Saturday afternoons and then also in a late night mid week slot...
. In April 2006 he was brought into Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
' Celtic Wrestling promotion as a contender for their top title but was defeated by the champion, Chris Recall. Later that year in November, he was employed by London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's LDN Wrestling to appear on their Capital TV show where, after quickly defeating William Hill, he gained an LDN Championship match against Tex Benedict which ended with Benedict winning by disqualification and O'Shaunessy attacking him after the match.
During his time overseas he worked for Brian Dixon's All Star Wrestling
All Star Wrestling
All Star Wrestling is a British Professional wrestling promotion also known as All Star Promotions, Superslam Wrestling and Big Time Wrestling and originally known as Wrestling Enterprises , run by Brian Dixon and based in Liverpool, England...
, which gave him a taste of large audiences that he had not experienced in Ireland, as well as wrestling English veteran Robbie Brookside
Robbie Brookside
Robert Edward Brooks , better known by his ring name Robbie Brookside, is a British professional wrestler. He has toured all over the world during his career including such countries as the United States, Japan, Germany, and Mexico...
and other British wrestling luminaries, including Nigel McGuinness
Nigel McGuinness
Steven Haworth is an English professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Desmond Wolfe and Nigel McGuinness. As McGuinness he first gained notoriety working for Ring of Honor in the United States and Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
and Doug Williams
Doug Williams (wrestler)
Douglas Clayton Durdle is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Doug Williams. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Douglas Williams...
. He also represented the UK in a Battle of the Nations tag team match between the UK and Austria alongside Drew McDonald
Drew McDonald
Drew McDonald changed his name by deed poll to Drew McDonald is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling on the independent circuit in the United Kingdom since the 1980s.-Professional wrestling career:...
and The Celtic Warrior
Barri Griffiths
Barri Griffiths is a Welsh professional wrestler and former Gladiators competitor, also known as Goliath and by his ring name Mason Ryan. He is signed to WWE, where he wrestles on the Raw brand.He was also a member of The Nexus...
in a losing effort against Chris Raaber, Michael Kovac & Robert Ray Kreuzer at the European Wrestlng Association's
Global Professional Wrestling Alliance
The Global Professional Wrestling Alliance is a cooperative group of professional wrestling promotions and wrestlers from around the world. Formed in 2006, the group was founded by the professional wrestler Mitsuharu Misawa, the founder of Pro Wrestling Noah...
Night of Gladiators.
As well as making top contender appearances based on his growing reputation, O'Shaunessy also brought with him to Britain his long-standing rivalry with Galloway. He had already wrestled in Galloway's home promotion, British Championship Wrestling (BCW), twice in 2005 losing to Jay Phoenix on the day before Phoenix would lose to Galloway in March, and returning in September to defeat one of BCW's top stars, Wolfgang, via countout. In the middle of their IWW feud the following year, O'Shaunessy went back to Scotland to take part in BCW's Path To Glory tour, defeating Galloway on the first night but conceding a loss the to him next night in May. Though their feud finished in Ireland in August 2006, it continued on across the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
when the two wrestled for the umbrella promtion Real Quality Wrestling
Real Quality Wrestling
Real Quality Wrestling is a British professional wrestling organisation. Len Davies is the Owner and chairman of the company and their sister company, Spectrum Multimedia. The company began as an independent promotion, but soon became an umbrella promotion in 2007 with the self-stated aim to...
(RQW) the following year. The two first met during April's Taking On The World show which ended in a double countout. The lack of a decision led to a rematch in June, and one of O'Shaunessy's last on the independent circuit, where Galloway picked up the victory in a No Holds Barred match ahead of an RQW Heavyweight Championship
RQW Heavyweight Championship
The Real Quality Wrestling Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship in Real Quality Wrestling. It is currently the highest ranked championship in the company. Title reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches with different wrestlers, involved in pre-existing...
match.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
On November 13, 2006, O'Shaunessy appeared on the World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE) show Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
at the Manchester Evening News Arena
Manchester Evening News Arena
The Manchester Evening News Arena is an indoor arena situated in Manchester, England. It is adjacent to Manchester Victoria station near Corporation Street...
as part of the security team ejecting D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
from ringside only to later receive a Pedigree from Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
. The following day he and Galloway had a try out match against each other. The following year in April he received another set of try out matches in Milan and London against Galloway as well as Stu Sanders and WWE talent Jimmy Wang Yang
James Yun
James Carson Yun is an American professional wrestler and actor, best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Jimmy Wang Yang, in World Championship Wrestling as one-third of the Jung Dragons as Yang, and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and the independent circuit...
and Monster Factory alumnus Domino
Cliff Compton
Clifford "Cliff" Compton is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Domino. He is signed with Ohio Valley Wrestling , where he is a former two–time OVW Heavyweight Champion...
. This led to an offer for signing a developmental contract for WWE from renowned trainer, Adam Rynn. At which point he relocated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Florida Championship Wrestling (2007–2009)
O'Shaunessy debuted for the WWE developmental territory Florida Championship WrestlingFlorida Championship Wrestling
Championship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
(FCW) on October 2 in a double-debut match with a win over Bryan Kelly
Bryan J. Kelly
Bryan Jesus Kelly is an American professional wrestler, manager, color commentator and former journalist. He is currently signed to WWE, working in their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling under the ring name Byron Saxton...
. While wrestling regularly, he was not part of any long feuds but did wrestle with a number of short-term tag teams alongside Hade Vansen
Hade Vansen
Hade Vansen is an English professional wrestler who was under a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment until he was released from his contract on January 9, 2009.-Career:...
and Jake Hager
Jake Hager
Jacob "Jake" Hager, Jr. is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he works under the ring name Jack Swagger on the Raw brand....
before teaming with Kafu
Kafu
Victor Ceron is a Brazilian professional wrestler, better known under his ring name, Kafu. Kafu has worked for All Pro Wrestling , Inoki Dojo, International Wrestling Association, Big Time Wrestling, LLX World 1, PCW, NWA Pro, Portugal Wrestling, and the WWE development territory Florida...
(and managed by Dave Taylor) in the tournament to crown the inaugural FCW Florida Tag Team Champions
FCW Florida Tag Team Championship
The Florida Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling , the developmental territory of WWE. It is contested for in their tag team division...
. They advanced past the first round after defeating The British Lions ("Thee Superstar" Christopher Gray and "The Rascal" Tommy Taylor) but lost to Brad Allen and Nick Nemeth
Nick Nemeth
Nicholas Theodore "Nick" Nemeth is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE performing on its Raw brand under the ring name Dolph Ziggler. He is the reigning WWE United States Champion...
in the second round.
By September, O'Shaunessy had focused his attention to singles competition and wrestled his way to the top of the card, successfully defeating former partner Hager for the Florida Heavyweight Championship. He defended the title against Hager on October 23 and took on a number of competitors, with Eric Escobar
Eric Perez
Eric Alexander Pérez is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler who currently performs under the ring name Eric Escobar. He is best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment , where he spent most of his career in developmental territories...
and Joe Hennig
Joe Hennig
Joseph "Joe" Hennig is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE and working on the Raw brand, under the ring name Michael McGillicutty. He previously wrestled at their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling...
consistently earning themselves into contention. Eventually, on December 11, O'Shaunessy lost the title to Escobar in a four-way match also involving Hennig and Drew McIntyre (formerly Drew Galloway).
O'Shaunessy spent 2009 continuing to chase gold, earning two shots over January and February at the Florida Tag Team Champions Johnny Curtis
Johnny Curtis
Jonathan Curtis is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand under his ring name Johnny Curtis. He also performs in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling. He was the winner of the fourth season of NXT.- Early Career :Curtis...
and Tyler Reks
Gabe Tuft
Gabriel Allan Tuft is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on its Raw brand under the ring name Tyler Reks...
but he and Ryback
Ryan Reeves
Ryan Reeves is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, but is inactive due to injury. After being one of the eight finalists on WWE Tough Enough 4, he later signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment and wrestled in Deep South Wrestling and Florida...
were unsuccessful in both attempts. In March he challenged the two for the titles once again, this time with McIntyre as his partner but could not defeat them, nor could he defeat McIntyre for the Florida Heavyweight Championship the following month. He received a series of chances throughout the rest of the year but could not win any more titles before being called up to WWE television, unsuccessfully challenging Justin Angel
Paul Lloyd, Jr.
Paul Lloyd, Jr. is a second-generation South African professional wrestler. He is signed with WWE, and performs on the SmackDown brand under the name Justin Gabriel. He was a contestant in the first season of WWE NXT, where he finished third, before joining The Nexus stable on Raw...
for the Florida Heavyweight Championship in November.
On July 22, 2008 O'Shaunessy worked a dark match at a SmackDown taping, losing to R-Truth
Ron Killings
Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...
. The following year in May, O'Shaunessy began appearing at the Raw brand's
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
house shows, and on both May 8 and 9 he defeated Jamie Noble
Jamie Noble
James Howard Gibson better known by his WWE ring name Jamie Noble, is an American former professional wrestler currently working for WWE as a trainer. He is best known for his work from 2002 to 2009 when a severe back injury forced him to retire from competition...
along with another dark match victory over Noble before an episode of Raw.
Breakout (2009–2011)
On the June 30, 2009 episode of ECW, Farrelly made his unannounced debut as a villainHeel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
under the shortened ring name of Sheamus, quickly defeating a local competitor. Sheamus soon entered into a critically well-received rivalry with Goldust after defeating him on July 29. After exchanging victories in the following weeks the two appeared on the Abraham Washington Show talk segment leading to a No Disqualification match on September 1 which was won by Sheamus. Sheamus then began a feud with Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted...
which was hot-shot into a deciding match on October 27 which Sheamus won.
His rivalry with Benjamin ended prematurely because Sheamus had already been moved to the Raw
Raw
Raw is a term referring to food that has not been cooked.RAW or raw may refer to:-Technology:* Raw audio format, a file type used to represent sound as pulse-code modulation data...
brand. He made his Raw debut by defeating Jamie Noble
Jamie Noble
James Howard Gibson better known by his WWE ring name Jamie Noble, is an American former professional wrestler currently working for WWE as a trainer. He is best known for his work from 2002 to 2009 when a severe back injury forced him to retire from competition...
on October 26. In the following weeks, he continued to attack Noble causing him to retire, and, in lieu of competition, assaulted the timekeeper and commentator Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
on November 16 at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. The following week Sheamus appeared on his first WWE pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
event, Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2009)
Survivor Series was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on November 22, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.. It was the 23rd annual Survivor Series event. It featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
. Sheamus appeared as part of The Miz's team in a traditional five-on-five elimination tag team match. He eliminated fellow Irishman Finlay
Dave Finlay
David John "Fit" Finlay Jr. is a Northern Irish professional wrestler and road agent. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and WWE as an active wrestler and later as a road agent...
and made the final pinfall to eliminate the opposing captain John Morrison and survive along with Miz and long-time former rival Drew McIntyre.
The following night on Raw, Sheamus won a "break-through" battle royal for wrestlers who had never won a world championship, to become the number one contender to John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
's WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
. At the contract signing immediately afterwards, Sheamus put Cena through the table as the Raw guest host Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
announced it would be a Table match. On December 13, at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, Sheamus defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship, his first championship in WWE, making him the first Irish-born WWE Champion. The following night on Raw, Sheamus was awarded the 2009 Breakout Superstar of the Year Slammy Award. On February 21, Sheamus lost the WWE Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in the Elimination Chamber
Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE promotion. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure or "chamber" which encloses the ring. The chamber's floor is platformed over the ringside area which elevates it to ring level and within...
match after he was eliminated by Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
. During the match, Sheamus suffered a concussion and as a result did not attend Raw the following night. Upon his return, he took revenge on Triple H with an attack to set up a match at WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI was the twenty-sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on March 28, 2010 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. This was the fourth WrestleMania to...
that Sheamus lost. The following month at Extreme Rules
Extreme Rules (2010)
Extreme Rules was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 25, 2010 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the second event promoted under the Extreme Rules name...
, Sheamus attacked Triple H at the beginning of the show and later defeated him in a Street Fight
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
. After a series of kicks to the head to win, he continued his assault after the match finished resulting in Triple H being written off TV for 10 months.
On June 20, at the Fatal 4-Way
WWE Fatal 4-Way
Fatal 4-Way was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 20, 2010 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York...
pay-per-view, Sheamus won a fatal four-way match, following interference from The Nexus
Nexus (professional wrestling)
The Nexus was a villainous professional wrestling stable in the professional wrestling promotion, WWE, that competed on its Raw brand. The group originally consisted of all eight rookies of NXT season one and shifted their roster several times throughout their existence...
that allowed him to pin John Cena, thus winning the WWE Championship,and beginning his second World Championship reign. He went on to defeat Cena in a steel cage match to retain the championship at the WWE Money in the Bank
WWE Money in the Bank
Money in the Bank was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on July 18, 2010 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The concept of the event was based around the Money in the Bank ladder match, with two matches held at the...
pay-per-view, and against Randy Orton at SummerSlam, which ended in disqualification, meaning that Sheamus retained his title. Sheamus was also involved in a triple threat steel cage dark match for the WWE Championship against John Cena and Undertaker before the 900th episode special of Raw but retained the title by escaping the cage while Undertaker had Cena locked in the Hell's Gate submission maneuver. At Night of Champions, Sheamus was pinned by Randy Orton in a Six-Pack Elimination Challenge for the WWE Championship.
He bounced back on November 29, with wins over Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom...
and John Morrison to become King of the Ring
King of the Ring (2010)
King of the Ring was a special edition of World Wrestling Entertainment's television program, Raw. The episode was held on November 29, 2010 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, after receiving a bye through the second round. As King Sheamus, he faced Morrison again at the TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2010)
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on December 19, 2010 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. It was the second annual TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs event...
PPV for a future WWE Championship match but lost the Ladder match. Going into 2011, he continued to lose to Morrison in a mixture of singles and tag team matches. Triple H returned on February 28 and took revenge for his scripted 10 month injury by putting him through the announce table. Right after that, Sheamus was defeated by Evan Bourne who returned to Raw after a 4 month injury. On March 7, after losing a match against Daniel Bryan
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he wrestles on its SmackDown brand as Daniel Bryan, and currently holds the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase, which enables him to have a World Heavyweight Championship match at any time of his choosing...
, Sheamus challenged him to a rematch with his WWE career on the line against Bryan's United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
. He won his match against Bryan the following week, winning his first United States Title. The rematch between Sheamus and Bryan took place on April 3, during the preshow of WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVII was the twenty-seventh annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , held on April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
, and ended in a draw after interference from the lumberjacks.
SmackDown (2011–present)
In the 2011 Supplemental Draft, Sheamus was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Although he took the United States Championship with him, he lost it back to the Raw brand at Extreme RulesExtreme Rules (2011)
Extreme Rules was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE, which took place on May 1, 2011 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida...
when Kofi Kingston defeated him in a Table match. On the June 3 episode of SmackDown, Sheamus lost a World Heavyweight Championship match to Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
due to biased refereeing
Referee (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
from Christian, beginning a turn from a villainous
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
character to a fan favorite
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
over the following weeks. Two weeks later, he was put in a match against Christian with a stipulation that if Sheamus won, he would be able to compete in the World Heavyweight Championship match at WWE Capitol Punishment
WWE Capitol Punishment
Capitol Punishment was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE, which took place on June 19, 2011 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C....
. However he was unsuccessful in the match, and was he was punted by Randy Orton after the match. Sheamus' face turn culminated in him attacking Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
for being a bully, though he lost to him by count-out at Summerslam
SummerSlam (2011)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on August 14, 2011. For the third consecutive year, SummerSlam was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, and it was the 24th annual SummerSlam event...
. After this loss, Sheamus went on a 14 match winning streak that ended after outside interference from Christian, with whom he had been feuding. During this time, Sheamus defeated Christian in three consecutive matches at Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell (2011)
Hell in a Cell was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on October 2, 2011 at the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the third annual Hell in a Cell event. Like the 2009 and 2010 events, this event also featured the Hell in a Cell match...
, Vengeance
Vengeance (2011)
Vengeance was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on October 23, 2011 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. It is the 12th event under the Vengeance/Night of Champions chronology and the first event under the Vengeance name since the 2007 edition...
, and on Smackdown.
Filmography
Farrelly played the role of Two Ton in the 2008 movie The EscapistThe Escapist (2008 film)
The Escapist is a 2008 drama thriller starring Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Liam Cunningham, Seu Jorge, Dominic Cooper, Steven Mackintosh, Stephen Farrelly and Damian Lewis. It is directed and co-written by Rupert Wyatt, and premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival to considerable acclaim...
, which starred Joseph Fiennes
Joseph Fiennes
Joseph Fiennes is an English film and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love, Sir Robert Dudley in Elizabeth, Commisar Danilov in Enemy at the Gates, Martin Luther in Luther, Merlin in Camelot, and his portrayal of Mark Benford in the...
and Brian Cox. He had a small role in the 2006 Irish film, 3 Crosses, and was a Celtic Warrior Zombie in the opening sequence of the 2009 movie Assault of Darkness
Assault of Darkness
Assault of Darkness, also known as Legend of the Bog, is a 2009 Irish horror film by the production company Bog Bodies surrounding local lore in the swamplands outside of Dublin Ireland. Six strangers come across an ancient evil in the murky bog and are pitted in a fight for survival...
opposite Vinnie Jones
Vinnie Jones
Vincent Peter "Vinnie" Jones is an English film actor and retired Welsh footballer.Born in Hertfordshire, England, Jones represented and captained the Welsh national football team, having qualified via a Welsh grandparent. He also previously played for Chelsea and Leeds United. As a member of the...
. He appeared on several episodes of the famous Irish sockpuppet, Dustin the Turkey
Dustin the Turkey
Dustin the Turkey is a puppet, "television presenter" and star of RTÉ television's The Den since 1989. A turkey with a strong Dublin accent, Dustin is voiced by John Morrison, brother of Ciaran Morrison who was one of the creators of Zig and Zag. Dustin first appeared on The Den with Zig and Zag in...
's show Dustin's Daily News where he had a rivalry with Dustin. It ended with Dustin and Sheamus having a "fight", which Dustin won. He also appeared on The Podge and Rodge Show
The Podge and Rodge Show
The Podge and Rodge Show is an Irish chat show, broadcast and produced by RTÉ, featuring the popular Podge and Rodge as hosts...
as a leprechaun
Leprechaun
A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology...
wrestler, along with IWW alumnus George McFly.
Personal life
Farrelly was born in Cabra, DublinCabra, Dublin
Cabra is a suburb on the northside of Dublin city in Ireland. It is approximately northwest of the city centre, in the administrative area of Dublin City Council. It was commonly known as Cabragh until the early 20th century.- Transport and access:...
, but was raised in North Great George's Street, Dublin. His father, Mark, was an amateur bodybuilder
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
. Farrelly speaks fluent Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, having attended Scoil Caoimhin Primary and Secondary School, a Gaelscoil
Gaelscoil
A gaelscoil is an Irish-medium primary school in Ireland, of a sort found outside the traditionally Irish-speaking regions, especially in urban areas....
. During his school years he sang in the Palestrina Choir until the age of thirteen, as part of which he appeared on both the Christmas Late Late Show and Live at Three. He played Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
for the Erin's Isle team where he was declared Sportstar of The Month. He also played rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
for the National College of Ireland
National College of Ireland
National College of Ireland offers full and part-time courses from foundation to degree and postgraduate level. All courses are fully accredited and delivered from the IFSC campus and across a network of regional centres....
, where he gained a National Diploma.
Farrelly is a former IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
technician. He also worked as security for a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
which led to him occasionally working personal security for Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
and Larry Mullen, Jr. of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
as well as Denise van Outen
Denise van Outen
Denise van Outen is an English actress, singer and television presenter. Her most notable roles to date are as a presenter on The Big Breakfast, and as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago on both the West End and on Broadway.- Early life :Born Denise Kathleen Outen in Basildon, Essex, she is the...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- As Sheamus
- Brogue Kick (Bicycle kick) – 2009–present
- High Cross / Celtic Cross / Pale Justice (Crucifix powerbomb) – 2009–present
- Irish Curse (Side slam backbreaker) – 2009; used as a signature move thereafter
- As Sheamus O'Shaunessy
- Celtic Slam (Death Valley driver)
- FRH – Fiery Red Hand (Leg trap fall forward chokebomb – Independent circuitIndependent circuitIn professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
/ FCWFlorida Championship WrestlingChampionship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
or a chokeliftChokeslamA chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera...
side slam – FCW) - Irish Curse (Low blow)
- As Sheamus
- Signature moves
- Double axe handle
- Fallaway slam
- Frenzy (Multiple slaps followed by a spinning backfist) - Independent circuit
- Front powerslam
- Inverted facelock backbreaker
- Knee lift, sometimes to a rope hung opponent
- Irish Riestra (Repeated forearm clubs to an opponent's chest)
- Repeated knee drops to an opponent's head
- Short-arm clothesline
- Battering Ram (Slingshot or Top-rope shoulder block)
- War Sword (Discus double axe handle) - Independent circuit
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "S.O.S." (Independent circuit)
- "The Irish Curse" (Independent circuit / FCW)
- "The Celtic Warrior" (WWE)
- "The Great WhiteGreat white sharkThe great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...
"
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "The Irish Curse" by Alan DoyleAlan DoyleAlan Thomas Doyle is a Canadian musician and actor, best known for his work as one of the lead singers of Celtic band Great Big Sea.-Life and career:...
(independent circuit) - "Written in My Face" performed by Sean Jenness and composed by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(WWE) (2009-present)
- "The Irish Curse" by Alan Doyle
Championships and accomplishments
- Florida Championship WrestlingFlorida Championship WrestlingChampionship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
- FCW Florida Heavyweight ChampionshipFCW Florida Heavyweight ChampionshipThe FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling , the developmental territory of WWE. It is contested for in their heavyweight division...
(1 time)
- FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship
- Irish Whip WrestlingIrish Whip WrestlingIrish Whip Wrestling is an Irish owned independent professional wrestling promotion established in 2002. The company was named in tribute to Irish professional wrestler Danno O'Mahony, who is credited as the inventor of the "Irish Whip" wrestling maneuver. IWW runs shows throughout the whole of...
- IWW International Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #10 of the best 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010
- World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWE ChampionshipWWE ChampionshipThe WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
(2 times) - WWE United States ChampionshipWWE United States ChampionshipThe WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
(1 time) - King of the RingKing of the RingKing of the Ring is a professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by WWE. The tournament was held annually from 1985 to 2002, with the exception of 1990 and 1992, and from 1993 to 2002 the tournament was produced as a pay-per-view event....
(2010King of the Ring (2010)King of the Ring was a special edition of World Wrestling Entertainment's television program, Raw. The episode was held on November 29, 2010 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
) - Slammy Award for Breakout Star of the Year (2009)
- Slammy Award for Superstar/Diva Most in Need of Make-up (2010)
- WWE Championship
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Most Improved (2010)