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After staying away from the ring for a long while, Sheamus made his much-awaited return to WWE TV on the first SmackDown episode of 2020. The Celtic Warrior seemingly came out to save Shorty G from the hands of The Revival that night, however, he hit Shorty with a devastating Brogue Kick of his own.
The two Superstars feuded for a while and the Irishman emerged victorious in his comeback rivalry. On the previous episode of SmackDown, Sheamus beat Apollo Crews to continue his winning momentum. However, with WrestleMania 36 approaching soon, the WWE Creative needs to book him in a much bigger storyline given how big a star he is.
Here are the 5 possible ways WWE can book him heading into the Show of Shows-
#5 Join Sami Zayn's stable
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Starting with the least likely, yet possible scenario, WWE may consider adding Sheamus to the heel faction led by Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn. Free agent Cesaro and former SmackDown tag team champions, The Revival are members of this group and this unit may get some relevance if Sheamus associates himself with the clan.
This stable can establish itself as a force to reckon with on Friday nights as they can decimate the others with their superior numbers. The members of this group are already in a feud with the Intercontinental Champion, Braun Strowman while an increase in members can also see them pursuing the tag team titles on the Blue brand.
The 5-man faction (with Sami Zayn as the mouthpiece) can elevate all the members to the upper mid-card and who knows the WWE Universe may even see The Bar reuniting in this process. Also, there could be a massive betrayal angle which could follow this up if the things do not work as per the original plans.
#4 Feud with Elias
Elias has been directionless on the Blue brand ever since he has returned from injury. Last week, he beat Cesaro but is still unlikely to gain much credibility by feuding with the Swiss Superman. WWE Creative booked him well as a heel, but The Drifter has done nothing noteworthy as a face.
As the current mid-card champion of the ‘B’ show is a face, inserting Elias in the Intercontinental Championship picture will not be a viable option. The brand’s World Champion, 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt is scheduled to battle Goldberg at Super Showdown and the rumor mill suggests that he will soon have a feud with Roman Reigns. So, Elias cannot go after the Universal Championship as well.
In this situation, WWE can book a rivalry between him and Sheamus. Both the Superstars have good mic skills, and hence, they can produce a quality feud. Besides, both of them are directionless currently. If WWE considers pushing Elias as a face then they should book him in a feud with someone as experienced as The Celtic Warrior. Also, the fans have never seen this rivalry which may generate more interest in this battle.
#3 Build a winning streak
Sheamus is perhaps in the best shape of his life and looking at his recent matches, it is safe to assume that the Creative team has planned a major push for the Irishman. As Roman Reigns looks to be the one pencilled in for a Universal Championship shot at WrestleMania 36, the WWE Universe could see a title change at the grand event.
If Reigns becomes the new Champion, he will need new heel challengers. Given that he has already had a lengthy feud with King Corbin, it would be better if WWE gives him a new opponent. While there is always a possibility of calling up a top heel from RAW during the Superstar Shakeup, WWE can book Reigns to clash with one of his old foes, Sheamus.
Irrespective of who the Universal Champion is, Sheamus should stand worthy enough of getting a world title shot and given that there is no dearth of mid-card babyfaces on SmackDown, WWE can easily plan a winning streak for the Irishman.
#2 Go after Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan has garnered a lot of momentum on Friday nights courtesy of his remarkable feud with 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt. He battled Heath Slater on the previous episode of SmackDown and he sent the One Man Band packing in a matter of a few minutes. It seems like Bryan will be booked strongly heading into WrestleMania 36, but he does not have an opponent for the grand event.
The former WWE Champion is a face on TV, so the best options available for him are King Corbin, Shinsuke Nakamura, Cesaro and Sheamus. Comparing the star power and experience levels of all the four options, the Celtic Warrior is undoubtedly the best option for Bryan.
Both the Superstars have a lot of history between them and their previous WrestleMania match was not well received by the fans. Hence, WWE will look to correct their mistake by booking a solid feud between the two in-ring veterans. They could simply start a feud with one of the two Superstars eliminating the other in the Elimination Chamber match or WWE Creative could kick off this feud with a backstage argument between the two.
This match has the calibre to feature on the main card of WrestleMania 36, and hence, WWE may go in this direction.
#1 Challenge Braun Strowman for the Intercontinental Championship
Braun Strowman finally secured his first singles championship in WWE by defeating Shinsuke Nakamura in an Intercontinental Championship match on SmackDown. The Monster Among Men has clarified that he is ready to defend the title anywhere and anytime. Hence, the fans can expect a host of new challengers to battle him in the coming weeks.
The former Champion, Nakamura revoked his rematch clause on the previous SmackDown episode and he is most likely to clash with Strowman at WWE Super Showdown. Given that Braun has recently won the Championship, WWE will not consider taking the strap off him just so soon. He could have a filler feud with Cesaro or Sami Zayn till Elimination Chamber, when WWE may ignite a feud between him and Sheamus.
The reason why Sheamus would go after this title is because he has never won the Intercontinental Championship in his career. This feud will also have the heel-face dynamic hence, even the Creative team may take this option seriously. Since this is a never seen before feud, it has the potential to grab the headlines at WrestleMania 36.
