As part of WWE’s extension programme, WWE superstar Sheamus toured India recently. Sudipto Maity caught up with the athlete regarding Sushil Kumar, India and his love fosr wrestling.
Excerpts:
Why did you choose Sheamus as your present ring name?
Sheamus is a very Irish name. It is simple and well known and it fits my character and my look more than anything else.
Do you reckon this to be the most exciting time for the WWE?
I think it is. We have an amazing roster of WWE Superstars. We have a lot of Pay-Per-Views and so much content on the WWE Network. We have the cruiserweights there and some of the greatest athletes and performers in the ring with amazing storylines. We’re constantly pushing boundaries and thinking outside the box, doing things that have never been done before. For example, me and Cesaro doing the Facebook Live during the match. That has never been done before.
How close are you with the other superstars?
I’m close to a lot of people but I usually keep to myself. I share a cordial friendship with Titus O’Neil and Darren Young. Curtis Axel is a good friend of mind. But at the end of the day all of us at WWE are a family and we all look out for each other.
How close are you with Alberto Del Rio? Do you think his departure from the WWE was justified?
I don’t know anything about his departure from WWE and haven’t spoken to him in the recent past, but we are close from the League of Nations. I’ve had some great matches with Del Rio and some great feuds over the years. I don’t know anything about what has happened since he parted ways with WWE.
Indian Olympian Sushil Kumar is eyeing a WWE contract. What do you make of him?
I don’t know about him to be honest, but I’ve heard he’s a good athlete and wrestler. If he were to choose WWE or WWE were to pursue him, he’d probably be a good addition to the NXT roster and it will be a great opportunity for him.
Did you consider a different career choice other than wrestling?
I worked in IT in the past but my heart was always into wrestling. If not for wrestling, I’d love to act or get more into the world of fitness. I’m very well informed with different diets and workouts that work for your body so I’d like to get into that. It could be coaching people, helping them train, creating new diets, or even creating new workouts. But those are the two spaces I’d like to be in.
You were into rugby, singing and even worked as a body guard, tell me, how did wrestling happen? Did it come to you naturally?
I grew up loving entertainment, movies and wrestling and things like that. I day dreamed about being the center of attention and the hero. I did not want to be an average joe, I wanted to be larger than life. I saw the older members in my family struggling to go to work because they did not like their jobs and I did not want that to be the case with me. I wanted to do something that nobody else did and a job that I loved doing. I loved watching wrestling since I was very young and a part of me always wanted to be the superstar in the ring. So I went after my dream and took up wrestling.
Why did you join the WWE?
WWE is the biggest and the best pro wrestling company in the world with the largest fan base.
Are you excited about the US Presidential election? Personally, who are you rooting for?
I haven’t watched any of the presidential debates and haven’t been following the election closely. As far as I can say, I’d rather be watching a reality show and I do not like reality shows.
Do you follow Cricket? Who’s your favourite cricketer?
I haven’t watched any cricket. My schedule at WWE is really busy.
Have you picked up any Hindi words/phrases yet?
I’ve learnt how to say ‘Namaste’ while greeting people here.
How’s the trip so far? What did you make of the food here?
My visit to India has been amazing so far. It has been one of the greatest trips I’ve been on so far and has been absolutely unbelievable. I was in Jaipur and visited the Royal family at City Palace, got a welcome fit for a King. Got a VIP tour of the palace and got to see the beautiful city of Jaipur from the top of the palace. I saw some amazing sights and culture at the palace. I think there so much of history and rich culture preserved in India in a time when everybody is discarding or disregarding their culture and history and what they’re about, I feel like India has preserved this and it’s incredible to see. I love the food in India. I’m especially a fan of the ‘Butter Chicken’ here. I love the food so much I think I have eaten enough food for a month in one day.
What’s that one stereotype about Indians you are going to chuck post your visit?
I’ve not had any stereotypes about the people here in India. They’re amazing people who are very passionate about their culture and are a lot of fun to be around. (TWS/IBNS)
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