WWE's Sheamus Seemed Primed For Return, But Latest Move Ahead Of WrestleMania 40 Has Me Suspicious
What's going on?
Sheamus hasn't been seen in the WWE since injuring his shoulder in August, but recent weeks seemed to point to a potential return at WrestleMania 40, or even ahead of it. Now, something new has come up on that front that has me suspicious, though I'm admittedly not sure if it's in a good or bad way. So, what's happening with Sheamus, and will we be watching him in April with our Peacock Premium subscription or not?
After calling out Gunther and others on his X account, many wrestling fans noticed that the wrestler had deactivated his @WWESheamus profile. This move is noteworthy mainly because when wrestlers depart from the company, they have to remove their affiliation-focused social media handles. CinemaBlend confirmed, however, that Sheamus still has an active Instagram handle under the same name, though he hasn't posted on it since February 22nd.
Normally, it would be silly to speculate about Sheamus getting quietly removed from the WWE. That said, if ever there was a time that the company would part ways with a superstar who has held multiple championships in his close to two-decade run, it could very well be now. The WWE will already need to leave many active and big names off the WrestleMania 40 card because of how stacked the total roster is, and that's even with major stars like Charlotte Flair and CM Punk out with injuries. Is there just no room for The Celtic Warrior in the WWE?
While it is worth noting that Edge left WWE for AEW shortly after the retirement match that led to Sheamus' injury, I don't wholly think there's reason for fans to worry. I'm more inclined to believe Sheamus had to remove his Twitter potentially due to some hacking incident, or that he intentionally deactivated it, knowing he could drum up some attention ahead of his (presumably) imminent return to the company.
While I'm inclined to believe Sheamus will ultimately return to the WWE, I can't say with certainty that it will happen at WrestleMania. Almost every title match has opponents locked in, and with the main eventers like Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, and The Rock being a part of more than one marquee match, there's not much room for much else.
There is a potential opening for Sheamus to challenge Gunther for the Intercontinental title, but the gauntlet to decide the winner will take place on the upcoming episode of Monday Night Raw. Sheamus is not listed among the list of competitors slated for that match, but maybe he'll show up last minute and shock everyone.
I'm unsure how wrestling fans would feel about him being gifted that opportunity after being out of action for months, as others have made a compelling case. At the same time, the IC title is one of the only titles Sheamus has not won yet, so there is an opportunity for storytelling there. Whether it's a story the WWE wants to tell at WrestleMania 40 is another conversation entirely, but it would be nice to see the Celtic Warrior back in action soon.
WrestleMania 40 will stream on Peacock on April 6th and 7th. Tune in to see if and how Sheamus could be a part of it, and assuming his X issues aren't cause for alarm, what's in store for the wrestler in 2024.
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Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.
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