Backstage Update on Sheamus' Issues With WWE Before Departure

More details have emerged on Sheamus' frustrations with WWE before he abruptly left the company.

On Sunday, news broke that Sheamus was leaving WWE after turning down an offer on a restructured deal. "The Celtic Warrior" had been with WWE since 2007, winning four world championships, the 2012 Royal Rumble and the 2015 Money in the Bank ladder match.

Aside from his longevity and status as a longtime fan favorite, Sheamus' departure from WWE was also surprising because he claimed to have signed a five-year extension with the company last year.

In an update, Self Made Pro reported in the latest episode of Self Made Sessions (h/t Ringside News) that Sheamus "gave up on" the WWE creative team when he was excluded from the Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania 40.

According to the report, Sheamus also thought WWE would book him for a title match with Bron Breakker at WrestleMania 41, which never happened. Sheamus also found it difficult to communicate with Triple H and was confused about being kept off television despite being healthy:

"I was told that Sheamus gave up on WWE Creative when Mania 40 wasn't him chasing the IC Title. He was of the belief that there was going to be something with him and Bron for Mania 41 IC belt, and they ended up doing that in early January and kind of moving past it.

"Him and The New Day and a number of other veterans realized that things had really changed significantly, not just in terms of their usage but also communication with the office. It became even harder to just get Triple H on hold for conversations...Sheamus was not called to a number of TVs that he was healthy for, which is very odd.

And it was very minimal communication as to why. At that point, I was told that he knew, like, ‘All right, creative is just cooked. It is what it is.'"

Sheamus needed only the Intercontinental Championship to become a WWE Grand Slam Champion. Despite his loyalty to the company, Sheamus inexplicably never got the opportunity to complete his last WWE goal.

AEW Should Make a Serious Push for Sheamus

AEW has been the popular home for ex-WWE superstars, so they immediately stand out as the ideal landing spot for Sheamus. His longtime tag team partner, Cesaro (Claudio Castagnoli), left for AEW in 2022 and has enjoyed tremendous success there.

Tony Khan and AEW have done very well in maximizing the talents of former WWE superstars who were getting little usage before their departures. So, don't be surprised if there's mutual interest here between Sheamus and AEW.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jul 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 4:16 PM.