Sheamus is your new WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
By now, you probably know that, and if you didn’t, then you will when you finally catch up to the 2015 Survivor Series pay-per-view (or watch Raw tonight).
Fans expected the Celtic Warrior to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase sooner or later, but few thought he would be successful.
And for a moment, it didn’t look like he would be.
After Roman Reigns kicked out of the first Brogue Kick, it appeared as though Sheamus would soon taste disappointment.
. @WWESheamus is watching closely. @ByronSaxton is just glad no one’s stealing his chair this week. #RAW pic.twitter.com/etlbWqDf6i
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) November 24, 2015
Alas, he was able to plant Reigns with a second, and that was all she wrote. The “Roman Empire” lasted all of three or four minutes, and it was over.
While the WWE has received rabid criticism for going this route online in the morning-after blogs, and their respective comments sections, there really wasn’t a better path to follow at this point.
Sheamus, as Bleacher Report ‘s Ryan Dilbert astutely points out, is a new prototype heel created to test the waters against the sway of the vocal Internet Wrestling Community (IWC).
There are some arguments that the IWC encompasses every wrestling fan, so it’s not a good idea to rile these people up; but, Vince McMahon comes from an age when the IWC was niche, and by booking Sheamus to win the strap, he may still hold that theory.
Maybe McMahon is wrong, and this will usher in a new low for WWE, which is already experiencing a decline in ratings, but the risk is one worth taking.
Ever since backtracking on Reigns’ win at the Royal Rumble , WWE has been on the fence. They’ve wanted control over their own product, but rather than give in to a specific course, they try to alter their storylines based on a flawed understanding of “what the IWC wants.”
By having Sheamus come in and steal the belt, the WWE was pushing through with an assertive theory that maybe any heat is good heat; if you can get fans hating the bad guy legitimately, maybe it will put some of the babyface talent in a position to get over.
Frankly, it’s worth a try.
PREVIEW: @WWE World Hvt. Champion @WWESheamus vs. @WWERomanReigns in #TLCMatch at #WWETLC ! https://t.co/C72BeawLaV pic.twitter.com/Ewu7DVLZ6w
— WWE (@WWE) November 24, 2015
Fans have gotten spoiled with getting their way. They boo the babyfaces; they cheer the heels. It creates an environment where talents on the main brand and NXT aren’t sure what to do.
While many of these fans are well-meaning, they often do their choice of talent a disservice when they react in a way that’s contrary to how the talent has been scripted by the company.
As a result, you have guys like Cesaro, Alberto Del Rio, Seth Rollins, and Bray Wyatt, getting caught in the crossfire between what WWE expects and what the individual wrestler’s fanbase wants.
It makes telling a coherent story murky business.
Sheamus is universally hated right now. He’s going to draw boos no matter what, and that’s what WWE needs in a heel. For that reason, they made a good call putting the title on him.
That’s not to say Survivor Series itself was a success.
With technical issues like not allowing some late-arrival fans to watch from the start — and thus spoiling the two semi-final matches — to a disastrous Paige-Charlotte angle that the WWE abandoned all too late and the horrific booking in the Brothers of Destruction-Wyatt Family match, the show failed on almost every level.
But, in giving Sheamus the belt, WWE is forging an exciting new path with a heel who is a heel, and they’re hoping that most of their audience goes along for the ride.
Of course, for that to happen, most of their audience will have to be outside the IWC. Who knows if that’s the reality? Only time will tell.
What do you think about booking Sheamus with the belt — good move or directionless? Sound off in the comments section.
[Image via WWE]
