I’m sorry but I’m not a fan of WWE – World Wrestling Entertainment. I don’t find anything amusing in all the jumping, swinging and fake crashing. But considering the fan following for the sport, I’d probably be squashed as soon as I mention it aloud.
So when the opportunity arose to meet WWE Superstar Sheamus, aka Stephen Farelly, aka Sheamus O’Shaunessy S.O.S, aka Celtic Warrior, curiosity did get the better of me — and I wasn’t disappointed.
The ginger-haired Irish-American wrestler, though capable of breaking bones, took on a light-hearted banter to talk about the new WWE 2K15 video game he’s launching in Dubai at Games 14 this weekend and about life in and outside the ring.
Excerpts:
Q: Do you play video games yourself?
A: I do when I get the chance, which is not very often as I’m always on the road. Maybe I’ll get a day and a half at home every week and I’m usually running around catching up paying on bills. But I’ve been avid gamer and do have an Xbox at home. I am a big fan of wii games. It’s actually nice to pick up the remote control and play a game, usually against myself, on the console. (laughs)
Q: You’ve been an IT professional, played football and rugby and sung in choir. Why did you choose to be a WWE wrestler?
A: Yes, I’ve played a lot of sports. I played Gaelic football, the national sport in Ireland. I was quick and my size was good for the sport. I played Hurl and Sliotar too but I wasn’t that good — the hand-eye coordination was a little too much for me. I played rugby too in college and enjoyed that. But WWE was always a favourite. I’d been watching it since I was a kid, the larger-than-life characters on TV, the arenas packed full of screaming people. It just sat in the back of my head. It was a chance I took, leaving my job and everything, coming to the States and I’m here now sitting in this chair. It’s the greatest job in the world!
Q: Brogue Kick is one of your most famous finishing moves. But WWE fights are more entertainment than actual fights, right?
A: To me WWE is all about the fight. Of course there’s a huge entertainment aspect. But for me everything that happens is for real. A lot of guys don’t like getting in there with me because they know it’s going to be a very physical match. If you watch me and Cesaro, you watch us knock each other out because we just love it. I know people enjoy when I swing off the ropes and smash into his chest or when Cesaro does his run up cut into the corner. I don’t think that’s going to change.
Q: How do you come up with the moves?
A: The moves have come over time. A lot of them have been inspired by earlier superstars. [David] ‘Fit’ Finlay is someone I’ve hugely admired, especially coming from Ireland. He taught me his White Noise finisher. I call it the Finlay Roll because I took it off him and he gave it to me. Before the Brogue Kick, the Irish Curse Backbreaker was my finishing move. It’s just certain things that fit the play. You can have all the moves you want but it depends on how well they are received, how well you do them. The Brogue Kick was not even my main move at one stage but now it’s become one everyone wants to see.
Q: Do you make any special preparations when taking on a match, especially against someone as your fiercest competitor Antonio Cesaro?
A: Well, unless you mean beating up against the wall or something like that, it’s very hard to prepare for a match. We are always on the road; we are always on live TV. So you are always prepared, always in the loop, always going. It keeps you sharp and focused. As for Cesaro, I’ve said it before it’s as good as fighting against myself. We are both Europeans, even if I call myself Irish and he calls himself Swiss. We both left our homes to come to US. We are both passionate about what we do and are both success-driven. So when we get into the ring it’s an exciting kind of rivalry. There’s a huge amount of competition between us and the fans love it.
But, yes I try to relax, play some good music, get pumped up. I didn’t do much of it in the past. I stretch twice a day; flexibility is a big thing for me. I tore my shoulder but try and avoid all injury and the best way to do it is by keeping your body flexible. [My shoulder was actually a freak accident. I fell off a ladder.] When I started I could barely get my leg up, it was a huge struggle but now I can Brogue Kick big show — no problem with that.
Q: You’ve had several monikers over the years, why did you finally choose Celtic Warrior?
A: I haven’t changed my name so much. Sheamus O’Shaunessy S.O.S was when I started out but WWE decided they didn’t want the O’Shaunessy. It’s cool to have the Celtic Warrior or the Great White. I’ve always loved the name Celtic Warrior and what it stands for is very important. The Great White was the great white shark kind of deal. But Celtic Warrior is my roots and that’s who I am.
Q: There were rumours you were being considered to play Darth Vader in the latest Star Wars edition. Are you looking at acting as an alternative career?
A: (laughs) I don’t know. I haven’t got my light sabre yet. If a package arrives at the door with a Darth Vader helmet and light sabre then I’ll know I’ll be playing Darth Vader. But yes, I’ve worked in a couple of films earlier. Rupert Wyatt’s The Escapist was a great experience for me, a real eye opener just to watch how it all worked. It’s actually funny because I moved to England to do more wrestling. I worked in IT in Canary Wharf during the day and then [I’d] jump on a train and go anywhere across London to wrestle after work. The more you wrestle, not only do you get better, you get more comfortable in the ring. So I was flying back and forth between England and Ireland to wrestle and do this movie. I worked on the film with Brian Cox, Jo [Joseph] Fiennes, Dominic Cooper and Liam Cunningham. Jo and I had a fight scene in the prison. It was an early morning in January and we were doing this scene. And just before that I was in London doing this fight scene. So Jo Fiennes came in and says ‘Oh all this fighting is going to be great and I’m going to get in there and I’m going to do this, this, this...’ He threw a punch and smacked me right in the mouth, cutting my lip. And he was like ‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry’, and all scared when he saw my bleeding lip. I told him to relax. It was cool”.
Q: You were also a singer...
A: Oh man that was years and years ago. I sing in the shower sometimes [declining to sing for tabloid!]. I sang in the Palestrina Choir. It was interesting. Honestly, I wanted to be out playing football. It was something I had to do because I was told to do. As a kid you are not paying your bills, for your food, so you can’t really say no (laughs). It was great. I went to Germany, Holland, Spain, all over Ireland and England for a couple of years.
Q: What has been your most epic battle till now?
A: Everyone asks me what’s been your most favourite moment in WWE. It’s hard for me to say that because there have been so many great experiences, which had different meaning for me. WWE Championship in 2009 against John Cena when I shocked the world, going against HHH in WrestleMania 26, against Hey Moose who’s someone I am a huge fan of, winning the world heavyweight championship in 18 seconds against Daniel Bryan... so many experiences.
I will tell you this though, I’m still waiting for that one big moment and I know it’s going to happen soon.
Q: What life lessons have you learnt in the ring?
A: I’ve learnt it’s been a great time but it’s sometimes very demanding on your personal life. Some of the guys have families. I don’t have a wife and kids, but I too left everything behind in Ireland to come over here. It’s not like I can go home any time I want. I have to plan a good six months to a year in advance. But I’ve learnt, no matter how hard it gets on the road, I’m very fortunate in what I do, I love what I do. There aren’t many people who can say that. If I have to go back in time, I’d do it again and recommend to everyone to follow their dreams. Don’t give up and don’t live in regret.
Box: The game behind the video game
“It’s my first time in Dubai and I’m very excited to be here. I’ve been to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt. I missed out on the show last year because of a shoulder injury. But I was very excited when I had this opportunity to release the WWE 2K15 game. It’s really a next generation of the game. The game has been rebuilt from the ground up with so many storylines and updated walls for every player. The graphics are just incredible. It’s like watching WWE Raw, the TV show, live. Fans have been let down with the graphics in the past, but the graphics in this will blow them away.
“One of my opponents the King of the Swing Antonio Cesaro was in Los Angeles recently actually doing the swing. They are now using the real superstars to do the actual moves. So I think they’re getting to make this as real as possible. I haven’t done my moves myself but the guys that WWE2K Sports have a lot of trustworthy guys ho have done them as realistically as we do in the ring. But there are certain moves that only the big guys can do, such as the one Cesaro went out to do in LA. Our move and expressions are studied by these guys at length. To me Goldust was most real, his moves, his gear, the way he comes into the ring, his face paint – there’s tremendous attention to detail.
“Our video game fans are very demanding these days and they deserve it. And this is going to exceed expectations”.
For more information on WWE 2K15 visit WWE.2K.com
Box: Meet and greet
On Friday, Sheamus will be Games 14 Dubai World Trade Centre from 1-10pm.
On Saturday, meet the WWE Superstar at The Toy Store, Dubai Mall, from 3-5pm or at The Toy Store, Mall of the Emirates, from 7-9pm.
Tickets are required for admission, autograph and photo opportunities. Go to gamesme.org or facebook.com/thegamesme for more information.
Top Box: Who’s Sheamus outside the ring? The one who’s sitting in this chair (laughs). I’m very chilled, relaxed. I love what I do, love travelling. I’m very happy for what I have and what I’ve done. I’m just Sheamus.
