SMACKDOWN’S SHARK ATTACK: Interview with Sheamus (Issue 73; Nov 2011)

WWE is headed back to Europe this month. Is it as much of a rush to perform here now, as it was on your first tour with WWE?
I love coming back. Unfortunately, Smackdown is only doing three dates, but it’s always fun getting in front of the crowds there. Every crowd is different, and at the end of the day, people just want to be entertained, have a good time, and let loose. You know, they work hard, so they want to play hard too, and they just want to get their money’s worth, and see a good show. The crowd are as big a part of the show as we are, ‘cos if they don’t feed off us and don’t get into the show, then it’s hard for us to get into [the show], too. But when the UK and Ireland crowds are hot, they are really hot, and I’ve had a lot of memorable nights.

Didn’t you work the British holiday camp circuit earlier in your career?
Yeah I did, and it was great craic. I worked in Minehead, Bognor Regis, and Skegness, and we’d do the holiday camps in the morning and then the towns in the evening. Travelling wasn’t that great; we were all shoved into a mini-van, all on top of each other, but it was a time I really enjoyed.

What sort of reaction do you expect this time around, bearing in mind that your character has been tweaked over the last few months?
I don’t know. It’s strange for me, as there is always the big rivalry between England and Ireland, so who knows? As long as I get some reaction in there, I’ll be happy!

How are you enjoying being a babyface?
It’s strange. I’m really enjoying myself, and I’ve been able to let my guard down and really get into it, without getting my back against the wall. I got used to the fans throwing abuse at me, but I’m feeling a lot more like me out there now. The most important thing is getting a reaction - whether you’re getting booed or cheered. I loved getting booed, and beating on John Cena, Randy Orton, and Triple-H, but the fans are cheering me now. Again, as long as the reaction is strong, positive or negative, I’ll be happy. When the arena goes quiet, and there’s crickets in your ear, that’s when I’ll start worrying.

You’ve also been give a new nickname, The Great White. It’s a bit of an odd name; how did that come about?
I think it’s funny. It’s not something I came up with myself - it just came around and it’s cottoned on. I like it; there’s no-one pastier and whiter then me, and it sounds like a shark, so it sounds cool. I’ve got a bit of bite, and every kid love sharks, so I don’t mind it at all. That and “The Celtic Warrior” are cool nicknames.

Your babyface turn has put you in the ring with Mark Henry, who’s having a tremendous run right now. Have you enjoyed wrestling him?
The thing is about Mark is that normally I’m used to dragging people around the ring, and getting my own way, launching them over the rope, but with Mark Henry I am literally the one being dragged around the ring. I’m picked up and thrown around like a rag doll, and you don’t understand how strong he is; he can pick me up, and I weigh over 270lbs. He picked up Big Show like he was a bag of flour, and I’ve actually seen him bend frying pan handles with his bare hands. The man’s so strong, and although he’s won a few battles, it's been great to get back in the ring with him.

You’ve obviously been WWE champion, but you haven’t yet held the World heavyweight title. Do you think you’ll soon get a series of matches with Mark?
With my WWE title reign, people called it a fluke as I got lucky putting John Cena through a table, and then in the next match Nexus were involved, so I definitely want to add the World heavyweight championship to my credentials. When I came here, it was just a dream to even be involved in a match, then to win the WWE title and the U.S title, the King of the Ring, and to face Triple-H at WrestleMania - I couldn’t have dreamed of a better scenario.

You mentioned King of the Ring just now. In days gone by, winning the tournament meant a lot to a wrestler’s career. Did you treat the win as something special?
It was really special for a couple of reasons, fella. Firstly, I’ve watched King of the Ring since it started. I watched Bret Hart win it, and Edge, “Stone Cold”, Triple-H, and it was always a tournament I loved, especially when it used to be a one-night pay-per-view. The other thing that was special was the fact that it was in Philadelphia, which is always a big, rowdy, loud crowd. All the things came together that night; I had great matches with Kofi and Morrison, and it’s a night that I’ll never forget.

There was a lot of anger when you were left off the main WrestleMania card at a late stage this year. What are your thoughts on that?
I heard a lot of people say they were disappointed, but there was no-one more disappointed than me. You know, me and [Daniel] Bryan could have tore the place down, and stole the show, so I want to make sure that I’m never left off the card again. It was a real low point in my career.

You’ve had some excellent matches with Daniel Bryan, and in a recent interview, he told us that he loves wrestling you. Overall, is there a WWE match you can pick out that you are particularly proud of?
The ones that I’m really happy about are ones with John Cena, Randy Orton, and Triple-H. But one I was even happier with, even though I didn’t win it, was the ladder match with John Morrison at TLC last year. For me, it was two up-and-coming superstars just beating lumps out of each other to make a name for themselves. Even though I didn’t win, I was proud of what I did, and thought it was a great, great ladder match, and the match of the night. I was pretty beat up the next night on Raw, but that’s the way it works - you always give it 110%, and it’s back to business the next night.

How about someone you haven’t worked with? Is there anyone who you’d relish stepping in the ring with in 2012?
(without hesitation) The Undertaker. I’ve mixed it up with a lot of people: Orton, Cena, Triple-H, and Shawn Michaels, but definitely ‘Taker that would be fantastic. It’d be two gingers knocking lumps out of each other; he tries to hide it, but he’s a ginger. He’s someone who’s never faltered, and is stronger now then he ever was. His character has stood the test of time, too, when you think of the crazy characters from his era like Max Moon and Repo Man. He’s still here, and he’s become a cornerstone of the company.

Before you can think of that, though, there’s another big event on the horizon: Survivor Series. Do you have memories of the event from your childhood?
It’s one of my favourite pay-per-views. I love the whole retro thing, with all the teams together, and when they used to do the promos together backstage. Teams like The Hulkamaniacs, The Dream Team, The 4x4s - they were all classic teams. The Warriors versus The Perfect Team - that was great! I used to sneak downstairs at two o’clock in the morning and watch it on Sky One. Another great Survivor Series was Deadly Games, which I think was at Madison Square Garden, where The Rock became WWE champion in that elimination tournament. I loved that tournament aspect, as it reminded me of Macho Man at WrestleMania IV. I’ve been involved in one elimination match before, when me, The Miz, and Drew McIntyre won, and I’m really looking forward to this year’s event, and performing at Madison Square Garden for only my second time.

We know that The Rock and John Cena will be teaming up in a classic Survivor Series elimination match. Is there a spot on that team with your name on it?
(laughing) I don’t know! [The Rock] been calling me and asking to tag with me, but I have to tell him I’m very busy. If there’s space in my team, then maybe I’ll let him in. We’ll see!

It’s obvious from talking to you that you are a huge WWE fan, going back to your youth. Which characters stood out to you when you were younger?
I was always a fan of the villains, even going back to guys like Finlay, William Regal, and “Rollerball” Rocco on World of Sport. Then, in WWE, I loved Ted DiBiase and Rick Rude. I loved Ultimate Warrior, too. I was never a Hogan fan, as he bored the life out of me. Then there was Bret Hart and the Hart Foundation, as there was something about Bret that always made you interested in his matches, especially when he was a villain. I was always drawn to them.

You’ve made your in-ring intentions pretty clear as we’ve talked, but would you like to explore other avenues that WWE offers? A starring role in your own WWE film, perhaps?
Yeah, something like Tall and Pasty maybe? (laughs) If something comes along, that’s great, as I love a challenge. But right now I’m concentrating on keeping my momentum going, and getting back in the title picture. Next year, I hope to not just be on the WrestleMania card, but to be in one of the main events, too.