Latest news with #Sheamus
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The MITB Effect: WWE Money In The Bank winners — who soared, who sputtered and who never recovered?
Tiffany Stratton made the most of her WWE Money In The Bank win. But who wasn't so lucky? (WWE/Getty Images) Assuming you aren't a new convert to WWE after the big Netflix move, you'll be familiar with the deal when it comes to Money in the Bank — the longstanding Premium Live Event (PLE) which returns for its 16th annual outing this Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Out of all the big gimmicks in the WWE arsenal, Money in the Bank is the most geared toward propelling rising stars into the main title scene. Its premise is simple: Become the first wrestler to retrieve the famous MITB briefcase — via a multi-wrestler ladder match — and you win the right to challenge a WWE champion at the time of your choosing. Advertisement In theory, then, MITB should be a turning point for the winner — both in terms of kayfabe and real life. But how well does that happen in practice? We revisited the past 10 years of MITB winners to see how much of a difference it made for them. 2015 MITB winner: Sheamus Unlike most of the later winners, WWE's favorite Dubliner was already highly-credentialed at the time of his MITB victory, having already won the Royal Rumble and become WWE champ. But after fate (or more accurately Bray Wyatt) intervened to stop the ascendant Roman Reigns winning MITB in 2015, it was Sheamus who climbed the ladder to scoop the prize. The Irish lad ultimately executed a successful surprise cash-in that November, launching an ambush attack on then-champion Roman Reigns. Within a few weeks, though, the apparent injustice was righted, with Reigns defeating Sheamus on 'WWE Raw' to reclaim the title, despite the efforts of Triple H and the corporate hierarchy. Advertisement How has Sheamus fared since then? Ten years later, 'The Celtic Warrior' remains a much-loved part of the WWE roster, with a track record for scene-stealing matches. MITB may not have been crucial to his career, but it certainly didn't hurt him either. MITB boost rating: 3/5 2016 MITB winner: Dean Ambrose One year after the combustion of The Shield, Dean Ambrose (now Jon Moxley in AEW) was the only member of the trio to not have held the top prize in WWE. That all changed at the 2016 MITB match in Las Vegas, when 'The Lunatic Fringe' was able to get his mitts on the briefcase, setting up an instant showdown with WWE champion — and former Shield man — Seth Rollins, which Ambrose won. Advertisement In Ambrose's case, winning MITB was probably less influential on his career than being picked for The Shield in the first place — something that effectively marked him out as a future champion. Even so, his MITB run set in place one of his best turns in WWE, as he went on to feud with AJ Styles for the WWE championship. MITB boost rating: 3/5 2017 MITB winners: Baron Corbin, Carmella The long-running Baron Corbin saga has to go down as one of the greatest examples of wasted potential in modern WWE history. In his near decade on the main roster, the two-time Golden Gloves winner never quite reached the heights many expected based on his superb run in the developmental territory. Advertisement As much as we might blame the creatives, Corbin's failed MITB cash-in stands out as one of the bigger disappointments during that time. Not winning the title was bad enough, but to lose to an opportunistic roll-up from Jinder Mahal on a random episode of 'WWE SmackDown'? That's not the way you treat someone of Corbin's talents. The 2017 event also debuted the first women's MITB match, with Carmella picking up the win with a 'comedy' finish involving James Ellsworth. As cringe as it might have been, it didn't stop her from becoming champion afterward, as the 'Princess of Staten Island' scored a big win over 'The Queen' Charlotte Flair. MITB boost rating: Corbin 1/5, Carmella 2/5 2018 MITB winners: Braun Strowman, Alexa Bliss By the time he got his hands on the fateful briefcase, Braun Strowman was already in the middle of a massive run. Sure, we may cringe at the moments like The Greatest Royal Rumble (where Strowman eliminated a record 12 competitors) and the Braun and Nicholas tag match, but they both carry the hallmarks of a major Vince McMahon push. Advertisement For all his apparent invincibility, 'The Monster Among Men' eventually failed his cash-in — though not without a fight — falling victim to Roman Reigns and the reunited Shield. The defeat did little to dent Strowman's image: Six months later he was still being booked strong as hell, including taking multiple F5s in a showdown with Brock Lesnar. The women's match was also won by a well-established talent, with Alexa Bliss emerging from a stacked lineup also featuring Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair. Wasting zero time, the pint-sized superstar cashed in her contract on the very same night, taking the title from her longstanding rival Nia Jax. MITB boost rating: Strowman 2/5, Bliss 4/5 2019 MITB winners: Brock Lesnar, Bayley The 2019 men's match saw one of the more controversial MITB decisions. Rather than use the match to elevate the likes of Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor or Mustafa Ali, WWE chose to hand the briefcase (almost literally) to a returning Brock Lesnar, who hardly broke a sweat after being revealed as a late entrant into the big match. Advertisement Was there a method to the madness? Not really, given that Lesnar had ruled the roost in WWE for much of the past decade and would've been a solid contender for a Universal Championship shot on any day of the week. Why not just have him come back and stare down the champion at another time? Luckily, things went much better on the women's side of things, with the former champ Bayley getting another shot at the big prize after a crowd-pleasing MITB win. The resulting cash-in made Bayley the first ever woman to become a Grand Slam champion, securing her place in wrestling history. MITB boost rating: Lesnar 1/5, Bayley 4/5 2020 MITB winners: Otis, Asuka Five years after Covid-19 reared its ugly head, much of the pandemic-era WWE feels like a fever dream — and the infamous "Corporate Ladder" match at the 2020 MITB stands out as one of the maddest moments in the whole thing. Advertisement Having the briefcase literally fall into the hands of Otis was always going to divide opinion. But the real shocker came a few months later, when the 330-pound superstar put his title shot on the line in a one-on-one match with The Miz — and lost it. Since when was it possible to use the MITB briefcase as a stipulation to be traded like a futures contract? Half a decade on we've still never really had the answer to that question. Although the fact that it hasn't happened since suggests that WWE learned its lesson on that front. Elsewhere at Titan Towers, it was Asuka who emerged as the women's MITB winner, fending off the ever-dominant Nia Jax and a promising Shayna Baszler. Rather than cashing in, 'The Empress of Tomorrow' was literally handed the Women's Championship 24 hours later, due to champion Becky Lynch going on family leave. Despite the happy circumstances, it was an underwhelming payoff for Asuka. Thankfully, it did nothing to damage the rise of the former Kabuki Warrior, who consistently proved herself as one of the breakthrough talents of the era in the years to come. Advertisement MITB boost rating: Otis 0/5, Asuka 3/5 2021 MITB winners: Big E, Nikki ASH As the first PLE to have a live crowd in almost 18 months, the 2021 MITB event had a euphoric atmosphere from the kickoff. But the feel-good factor picked up even further when the ever-positive Big E scored a major babyface triumph in the MITB ladder match. The good vibes surged again two months later, when the New Day member pulled off a successful cash-in on 'WWE Raw' to become World Champion for the first time in his career. After two years of MITB disappointments on the men's side of things, it was a welcome return to how things are supposed to work. Advertisement In the end, though, Big E's run on top was undone by two unfortunate events out of his control. Firstly, the sidelining of Roman Reigns with Covid-19 (which led to Brock Lesnar winning the World Championship in a hastily reshuffled main card at WrestleMania Day 1), and secondly, the heartbreaking neck injury that Big E suffered two months later. He remains out of action more than four years later. As for the women's match, it was former tag-team champ Nikki ASH who proved the victor in a strong field. While the Scottish star maintained the women's 100% cash-in rate by becoming champion, her star lost some luster in the post-Vince years. MITB boost rating: Big E 4/5, Nikki ASH 2/5 2022 MITB winners: Austin Theory, Liv Morgan When the 24-year-old Austin Theory was announced as a last-minute entrant in the MITB match in 2022, it looked like the next step in a monster push for the promising rookie, who clearly had the backing of Vince McMahon. As expected, the cocky upstart soon left Las Vegas as a MITB winner. Advertisement Who could have predicted at the time that it'd all fizzle out for Theory, who ended up wasting his briefcase on a failed attempt to win the U.S. Championship (a prize he'd already held until recently) in a move that somehow managed to be both unexpected and massively underwhelming? Things couldn't have been more different on the women's side, with the rising star Liv Morgan using her breakthrough MITB victory to score an instant win over the fearsome Ronda Rousey. The sheer roar from the live crowd as the title changed hands showed how positively the fans felt about Morgan's elevation. MITB boost rating: Theory 1/5, Morgan 5/5 2023 MITB winners: Damian Priest, Iyo Sky After an unexpected victory in London in 2023, Damian Priest waited almost a whole year before cashing in his briefcase, eventually using it to dethrone a humiliated Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 40. Advertisement Not only was it a memorable cash-in, it also helped Priest launch himself as a credible world champion and push his WWE career to the next level — in other words, exactly what MITB is meant to be for. Two years after the big cash-in, he remains a solid upper mid-carder with the respect of the fan base behind him. Priest's fellow winner, Iyo Sky, pursued a similarly impressive path, executing a successful cash-in at SummerSlam and embarking on a stellar run as WWE Women's Champion. Two years later, she has regained the gold — and sits firmly at the top of our latest pro-wrestling power rankings. MITB boost rating: Priest 3.5/5, Sky 4/5 2024 MITB winners: Drew McIntyre, Tiffany Stratton If we're taking a big-picture view, then Drew McIntyre's victory at last year's MITB is a tricky one to judge. On one hand it added another chapter to his superb psychodrama rivalry with CM Punk; on the other hand, it basically wasted the whole MITB concept to achieve something that could've been done in other ways. Advertisement He may be one of the more compelling talents on the WWE roster, but can you honestly argue that winning MITB made any significant contribution to McIntyre's status in the long run? As for Tiffany Stratton, the former cheerleader had been clearly marked for big things from the moment she received the call-up to WWE's main roster, so it was no surprise to see her walking out of the Scotiabank Arena gripping that briefcase (which she later refashioned in a dashing pink). From there, Tiffy defeated her former friend Nia Jax in one of the biggest 'WWE SmackDown' moments of 2024, before going on to secure a massive WrestleMania 41 win over Charlotte Flair. In truth, you suspect Stratton would've reached stardom with or without MITB — but there's no denying she made the most of it. MITB boost rating: McIntyre 1/5, Stratton 4/5
Newsweek
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Sheamus Predicts Released Superstar Will Return To WWE
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. WWE Superstar Sheamus has directly addressed the recent fan disappointment surrounding the news that R-Truth's WWE contract is not being renewed. Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, "The Celtic Warrior" offered a his perspective. He thinks R-Truth's WWE story is far from over and also commented on Carlito's similar situation. The conversation came about when Pat McAfee noted how difficult it is for WWE fans when popular Superstars depart unexpectedly. "The fans get to know who that person is and they fall in love with the character.. R-Truth is one of the most beloved because he's one of the most entertaining.. There's no way he isn't gonna come back at some point" ~ @WWESheamus #PMSLive — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 4, 2025 Sheamus acknowledged the strong bond WWE fans form with performers. "Sometimes people don't know... from a perspective of what we do—entertainment—it's about entertaining the fans," Sheamus explained. "And people... from our perspective, the fans get to know who that person is. They get to fall in love with the character and the personality. With Truth, for example—he's one of the most beloved because he's one of the most entertaining." More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation Sheamus then fondly recalled his own early history with the veteran. "I had my first dark match against him when I came up in '07, I think. '08 I joined—'07/'08... he had just come back after he was with the company, went to TNA, and came back again," Sheamus shared (H/T to Fightful). Sheamus makes his entrance during Monday Night RAW at Moda Center on September 16, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. Sheamus makes his entrance during Monday Night RAW at Moda Center on September 16, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. WWE/Getty Images "So we had a dark match together on the road, and from then we bonded. That fella walks in the dressing room and it's just... laugh. He's got a contagious laugh that would just light up the room." Despite the current news of R-Truth's contract expiring, Sheamus emphasized that departures in wrestling are often not permanent. "But there's no way of knowing. You just gotta go out there and do what you can," he said of a wrestler's career. "Sometimes you can't tell when that time is. But a lot of guys come back though—that's the wrestling business." He then delivered a strong message of hope specifically for R-Truth's supporters. "And it's not the end. It's not the end," Sheamus stated. "So many people—so many guys and girls—have left and come back. It's not the end. Sometimes it's a bit of a break. There's no way Truth's not going to come back at some stage. I'm sure you'll see him again. A Hall of Famer. He's definitely a pillar." Sheamus extended this optimism to Carlito, whose contract is also reportedly not being renewed. "And the same with Carlito. Carlito was gone for a while, he came back," Sheamus noted. "It's not the end. If you truly want to find your way back, you'll find your way back. It's not the end for anybody." More WWE News:
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
WWE Raw results May 26: Rusev crushes Akira Tozawa but meets his match in Sheamus
Rusev crushed Akira Tozawa on the latest episode of WWE Raw in what was The Bulgarian Brute's second match since returning to the promotion after WrestleMania 41. After the match, he had a stare-down with Sheamus. The Irish star appears to be the former Miro's first major opponent after a placeholder feud with Otis and Akira, who are a part of The Alpha Academy. Rusev makes short work of Akira Tozawa Akira Tozawa started his match against Rusev on a strong note and even managed to take him off his feet. The recently returned powerhouse, however, turned the tide in no time and applied the accolade to his foe. Sheamus and Rusev go face to face.#WWERAW Akira tapped out almost instantly, giving Rusev an easy win. The Bulgarian refused to let go even when the match was over. This forced Sheamus, who has been on friendly terms with The Alpha Academy in recent times, to make the save. 'The Great White' had a stare down with Rusev. However, the latter exited the ring without coming to blows with Sheamus. What has Sheamus been doing in recent times? Sheamus made his return to WWE programming a few weeks ago and beat Austin Theory. He then beat Grayson Waller, Theory's teammate, in an equally convincing manner. Rusev, on the other hand, destroyed Otis over a month ago and then intimidated the roster when with intense promos. His win over Akira Tozawa was his second one (in as many matches) since rejoining the WWE following a run with Tony Khan's All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
From Rusev to Dominik Mysterio: 3 possible feuds for Sheamus now that he is back on WWE programming
Sheamus, who was left off the WrestleMania 41 card, returned to WWE programming a a few weeks ago and defeated Austin Theory in a one-sided match. This week, he picked up a win over Grayson Waller on Raw. These victories have re-established 'The Great White' as a force to reckon with. He, however, is still without a major feud or a concrete storyline. Here is a look at three potential opponents for Sheamus now that he is back. Hunt down a brute The WWE may have already laid the groundwork for a feud between Sheamus and Rusev. 'The Redeemer' is currently making life difficult for Otis and Akira Tozawa. He defeated Otis in his first and only match since returning to the promotion after WrestleMania 41. Rusev is now set to take on Akira on this week's Raw. Sheamus was recently seen boosting the Japanese star's confidence ahead of the match. As such, there is a chance of Rusev and Sheamus crossing paths on Raw on Monday. Pursue the IC title again Sheamus needs to win the Intercontinental title to become a Grand Slam Champion in the WWE. Dominik Mysterio is the current IC champion, which makes him the perfect target for the veteran star. The fact that 'Daddy Dom' is still part of the heel group The Judgement Day and Sheamus' a face, suggests that the feud could work. Revive his rivalry with Bron Breakker Sheamus had a memorable rivalry with Bron Breakker when 'The Badass' was the Intercontinental champion. The young Steiner, who longer holds the title, has emerged as one of the mainstays of the Raw since aligning with Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman after WrestleMania 41. As such, Sheamus could potentially re-enter the main event scene by reviving his feud with Breakker. Stay ahead of the game with the latest updates, match highlights, and insider stories from IPL, cricket, WWE, and more! Click here.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Rusev vs Sheamus feud reportedly pitched for WWE Raw return program
WWE fans may soon witness a clash of titans on Monday Night Raw, as reports suggest that a feud between returning star Rusev and veteran Sheamus is being considered for upcoming programming. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to PWInsider, internal discussions have taken place regarding the two heavyweights facing off in what could be one of Raw's most physical rivalries of the year. Rusev, who returned to WWE in April 2025 after a five-year absence, has made an immediate impact. Known outside WWE as Miro during his time in AEW, the former TNT Champion reintroduced himself by attacking Alpha Academy on the April 21 episode of Raw. Since then, he's picked up a convincing win over Otis and is scheduled to face Akira Tozawa on May 26 in Tampa, Florida. A rivalry rooted in history With Sheamus' comeback gaining momentum, speculation has grown around Rusev's next major storyline - and Sheamus appears to be the frontrunner. The Irish powerhouse recently returned to Raw himself following an injury layoff, and like Rusev, has signed a fresh multi-year deal with WWE. Their shared past and hard-hitting styles could set the stage for an intense feud. Rusev and Sheamus previously squared off for the WWE United States Championship in 2014, with Rusev capturing the title on a post-Raw special aired on the WWE Network. They later joined forces as part of the League of Nations faction alongside Wade Barrett and Alberto Del Rio, a group remembered for its clashes with top stars like Roman Reigns. Sheamus vs. Rusev - United States Championship Match: WWE Network Exclusive, Nov. 3, 2014 While the pitched program has not yet been officially confirmed, industry insiders believe it would be a natural fit for both superstars. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now WWE appears to be taking a slow-build approach to Rusev's return, positioning him strongly without rushing into title feuds. Sheamus, meanwhile, continues to be a cornerstone figure on Raw, offering credibility and in-ring intensity to any storyline he's a part of. Backstage reports indicate that WWE values the real-life friendship and chemistry between the two, which could further enhance the storytelling aspect of the rivalry. If the plan moves forward, fans can expect a series of no-nonsense, physical encounters between two of WWE's most seasoned brawlers. With Rusev likely to wrap up his short-term program with Alpha Academy this week, all signs point toward a fresh challenge - and Sheamus may just be the ideal opponent to reignite a rivalry years in the making. WWE is yet to make any official announcements, but anticipation is building for what could be one of the summer's standout feuds on Raw.
