Sheamus shocked the wrestling world by capturing the WWE Championship in late 2009, but the Celtic Warrior wasn’t the promotion’s only option for Raw’s top spot. Speaking on the Insight podcast, Sheamus revealed the surprising name who could have taken his place.
“I went with John, and we had a couple of matches on a European tour… There was a throw up between me or [Jack] Swagger to go with.”
Sheamus’ meteoric rise culminated in winning the WWE Championship in a Tables Match against John Cena at WWE TLC, just 166 days after his televised debut. This rapid ascent marked the third-shortest time a wrestler had gone from debut to World Champion, trailing only Ric Flair in 1992 and Brock Lesnar in 2002.
Jack Swagger, meanwhile, would not capture a world title until 2010, when he won the World Heavyweight Championship by cashing in Money in the Bank. Swagger’s reign was brief, and he never regained the same level of success in WWE before his release in 2017.
Today, Sheamus remains a dominant force in the ring, focused on winning the Intercontinental Championship—the only title he needs to achieve Grand Slam status. Stay tuned to SEScoops for updates on Sheamus, who continues to show no signs of slowing down.