4 WWE Champions who were fined for attacking the referee

#2 Sheamus

Back in 2012, Sheamus was enjoying his WWE World Heavyweight run. But he could not earn a place in the good books of John Laurinaitis – the then General Manager of RAW and SmackDown. Laurinaitis went as far as saying that he expects more out of a champion. He also stated that his champion cannot go around ‘kicking people’s heads off’.

An angry Sheamus responded to the above statements by stating that the only people who get their heads kicked off are the ones who truly deserve it. Shortly after that, Sheamus did something that left the arena in shock.

It was his match against Alberto Del Rio and the latter was fighting to win a shot at the title. During the match, Sheamus picked up a steel chair. The referee for the match, Chad Patton, disqualified Sheamus on accounts of using the chair as a weapon and Del Rio won the match.

An angry Sheamus turned towards Patton and delivered a monstrous Brogue Kick. The latter was knocked out and the medical staff immediately rushed towards the ring.

WWE officially released a statement from a WWE physician which read, “As [Patton] fell backward, he sustained some trauma to the back of his head. We found that he had some dizziness and disorientation ... He’s currently undergoing further evaluation and treatment for his head trauma and we’ll have further updates when they’re available.”

Following that, Sheamus was slapped with a $500,000 fine by WWE for his actions.

About the author

Shruti Sadbhav is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. With a triple major in Journalism, English Literature, and Psychology, she has always been drawn to writing. As an avid sports lover, writing about sports was the finest way to combine her passion with her prowess.

Whenever she writes, Shruti puts herself into the shoes of fans to see how she would appreciate an honest account of anything related to something she follows wholeheartedly with engaging and relevant information to cater to the readers' needs.

Shruti has seven years of experience. She previously worked as a content manager at Fox Sports Asia and as an assistant manager and digital marketer at Kickstart FC. Shruti previously worked in multiple roles in Sportskeeda, where she was a WWE features writer, editor, and content manager. She has over 40 million+ reads across all her writer profiles, giving her an immensely diverse audience across WWE and football.

When it comes to pro wrestling, Shruti does not particularly remember the first match she watched. However, she recalls accompanying her brother and getting hooked when she saw The Undertaker – a fascinating wrestler that she, like thousands of others, believed in.
Her views on pro wrestling evolved as she grew older and understood the intricacies of the business. This allows her to appreciate those who dedicate themselves to the craft and, once in a while, it does become what it has always been touted to be – magical. Her favorite wrestler is Finn Balor due to his persistence.

When she is not working as a writer, Shruti loves to read, enjoy a good cup of coffee, and let Manchester City dictate her weekend plans.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram