WWE 'Celtic Warrior' Sheamus wants championship belt for Christmas

'I want to be the first Irishman to become WWE champion, and I will'

It took six months to process a U.S. visa for the new Irish hopeful, but by the end of the year Sheamus was ensconced in the WWE’s Florida Championship Wrestling league, which servers as an incubator for potential WWE stars.

He’s been proving himself ever since, and clearly, WWE boss Vince McMahon has liked what he’s seen. As Sheamus pointed out during Monday’s "Raw" broadcast, it took Cena years to get a crack at the WWE championship, while Sheamus’ ascent has been much quicker.

The life of an elite pro wrestler is hectic to say the least. Sheamus has only been home to Dublin twice for brief visits since relocating here in 2007 — but he’s loving every minute of it. On the road performing in WWE shows at least four nights a week, Sheamus spends most of his waking moments concentrating on what he needs to do to be the best.

“I eat a huge breakfast every morning,” says the nearly 280-pounder. “I do a lot of work at the gym, a lot of power-lifting, a lot of cardio, and I study wrestling tapes.

“I just love it,” he adds. “In my dreams I always wanted to see the United States, and this is a great way to do it.”

Sheamus is a WWE villain, and that’s just the way he wants it. He’s in a rush to the top, and nice guys don’t always finish first when it comes to professional  wrestling.

The chorus of boos that greet him upon each ring entrance? So what!

“To he honest with you, for me it’s all about making an impact. There’s no point dilly-dallying around being a nice guy,” Sheamus says. “What I want is the gold!”

But the Irish star is also determined to use his fame to portray his home country, and particularly its history, in a positive light — something he says  the WWE is also happy to do. 

Sheamus is known as the Celtic Warrior, and he takes inspiration from Irish mythological figures like Finn MacCool and Cuchulainn. Portraying these legends    in a negative or stereotypical light would be strictly off-limits, he says.

“That’s one of the things that’s motivated me to get this far. I’m sick of stereotypes like drinking and drunken paddies,” said Sheamus.

“I want to give Irish kids something to be proud of back home. I want to bring out a stronger image of Ireland, instead of 'Irish Spring' and 'Lucky Charms' and all that rubbish.”

Although wrestlers of Sheamus’ stature don’t get much free time, Tampa, Florida,  is his home base, although he envisions a move north to New York or Boston at some point — “someplace where it’s a bit cooler,” he says.

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Nster.com