"I knew everybody hated him" - Roman Reigns' former rival says he was instrumental in the WWE Superstar's 2015 success
Sheamus recently recalled how he played a vital role in Roman Reigns receiving cheers during his run as WWE’s top good guy.
Fans often booed Reigns when he was presented as a babyface singles competitor between 2014 and 2020. One of his most successful storylines against a bad guy came in 2015 when fans took the former Shield member’s side versus the villainous Sheamus.
On Corey Graves’ “After The Bell” podcast, Sheamus said he was “hugely instrumental” in getting fans to support Reigns during that time:
“The Roman thing [initial babyface push] was organic, but then after that, that’s when everything started to change and that’s when they started to turn on him. It wasn’t actually until I came back with the mohawk and screwed him out of the Survivor Series match that people were actually starting to get behind Roman again, so I was hugely instrumental in that. I knew everybody hated him.”
"@WWERomanReigns is ON TOP of the Mountain!!" - @MichaelCole #RAW https://t.co/xvQHpCm8Vs
Roman Reigns defeated Dean Ambrose at Survivor Series 2015 to win his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Following the match, Sheamus successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to end his rival’s title reign after just five minutes and 15 seconds.
The current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion received a positive response when he recaptured the title on the December 14, 2015, episode of RAW. The match took place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the same arena where Reigns was booed after his 2015 Royal Rumble win.
Why Sheamus is not afraid to brag about helping Roman Reigns
RAW commentator Corey Graves joked that Sheamus responded with “the greatest humble brag of all time” when discussing his storyline with Roman Reigns.
The winning SPEAR by @WWERomanReigns, that brought him the World Heavyweight Title! @WWE #RAW @WWESheamus https://t.co/y0eSm549xM
The Celtic Warrior used to play down his WWE accomplishments because he did not want to be viewed as a show-off. However, he now has no problem recalling his many accolades:
“For the longest time I’ve been so humble in my life, humble in my career,” Sheamus continued. “I’ve played everything down, and I’m not doing that anymore, mate. I think it’s kind of an Irish thing sometimes to be humble.”
Sheamus is one of the most decorated superstars of his generation. The 44-year-old is a four-time WWE world champion, three-time United States Champion, and five-time Tag Team Champion. He also won the King of the Ring tournament (2010), Royal Rumble (2012), and Money in the Bank ladder match (2015).
What are your memories of the Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus rivalry? Let us know in the comments section.
Please credit “After The Bell” and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.