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Sheamus did it, just as we predicted the night before. He defeated Drew McIntyre at the end to win the Gauntlet Match on RAW. As a result, Sheamus will now be the last entrant into the Elimination Chamber match and will be the odds-on favorite to win the WWE Championship at the Elimination Chamber match.
Not that we expect Sheamus to win, but he is in the most important spot as a singles star that he has been in years. We're happy to see The Celtic Warrior having a bit of a career resurgence, even if it means not winning the WWE Title.
But the fact that it's 2021, and he is still in the WWE Title picture speaks volumes about how far he has come and how good he still is. Some would argue that this is Sheamus' best singles run in years, and it's hard to disagree.
In the main event of RAW, Sheamus was the final entrant to the Gauntlet Match and attacked Drew McIntyre from behind before eventually securing a relatively easy victory.
Here are five reasons why Sheamus pinned Drew McIntyre and qualified as the final entrant into the Elimination Chamber match this Sunday.
#5. Sheamus was the most logical option
When looking at the field of competitors for the Gauntlet Match, the options were - AJ Styles, Kofi Kingston (who replaced The Miz), Drew McIntyre, Jeff Hardy, Randy Orton, and finally, Sheamus.
Going with each competitor, there are individual reasons why they wouldn't have made sense. For AJ Styles, he isn't receiving a WWE Championship push now and is in a good spot where he is. Kofi Kingston wasn't going to get the 2019 push anyway, so it didn't make sense to go with him.
Drew McIntyre was the Iron Man of the match, and his role in this case was to get pinned by Sheamus. Jeff Hardy has been on a losing streak, while Randy Orton has been involved with Alexa Bliss.
Of all the competitors, only Sheamus made sense as a logical winner of the Gauntlet Match on RAW. That's why the outcome was slightly predictable, albeit well-executed.
#4. To get heat for Sheamus after Drew McIntyre's performance
Drew McIntyre's quality of in-ring performances has increased drastically, and we hope Sheamus can get the best out of him as well. Every year before Elimination Chamber, there is a Gauntlet Match on either RAW or SmackDown.
In that Gauntlet Match, there is one star-making performance from a Superstar who goes a long distance but ultimately falls short. In this case, it was Drew McIntyre who lasted for a long time, going the distance until Sheamus took him out.
Sheamus winning the Gauntlet Match on RAW was a great way for him to get heat after Drew McIntyre's phenomenal performance. The WWE Champion ran through AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, and Randy Orton (who got counted out) before The Celtic Warrior eliminated him.
It's a classic way to build up a heel, and Drew McIntyre continued to impress. While we were initially skeptical about the Gauntlet Match (as it didn't have the same hype as the years before), it delivered, and Sheamus was the right choice to go with.
#3. To build towards Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus for the WWE Championship between Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania
As we mentioned, it's been over five years since Sheamus was WWE World Champion. In 2015, it was an entirely different Sheamus with a new look altogether. He won the Money in the Bank briefcase that year and cashed in on Roman Reigns at Survivor Series after the latter defeated Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley) to win his first World Championship.
Sheamus' reign, however, would last all but three weeks, and he was made to look weak throughout - minus a TLC win over Roman Reigns. The Irishman lost it on the RAW after TLC in December 2015 and hasn't been near the World title gold since then.
This is the closest he has come, and a WWE title match between Drew McIntyre and Sheamus is inevitable, even if the Scotsman retains at Elimination Chamber.
Unfortunately for Sheamus, it's unlikely to be a spot at WrestleMania. We can see the two going at it in between Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania (possibly at Fastlane) before Drew McIntyre likely advances to his match at The Grandest Stage of Them All.
#2. WWE has been building Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus for a while now
Sheamus and Drew McIntyre were allies on RAW for a few months before the inevitable heel turn. It was a fun alliance as well, especially since McIntyre and Sheamus have a legitimate in-ring history together. The two men have gone to war all the way back in 2005-06, and when they said that they were long-time friends, they meant it.
However, it wasn't hard to see that Sheamus' heel turn was coming, and while we first thought that we would see a singles match at Elimination Chamber for the WWE title, it will be taking place inside the namesake stipulation match.
WWE had been building to Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre for a while now, and a part of that story has to involve The Celtic Warrior pinning the WWE Champion. It was a part of an organic build, and this storyline between Sheamus and Drew McIntyre is proof that even predictability isn't a bad thing if done right. So far, the feud has been playing out perfectly.
#1. Sheamus' win was due to a need for top heels on RAW
Sheamus could still be in line for a big push. When looking at RAW, some of the top heel names include Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and Bobby Lashley. While 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt could belong to that list, his character status seems uncertain, with some arguing that he is beyond the "face" or "heel" dynamic.
Sheamus isn't, and as we mentioned before, a heel turn was something that WWE was building to, and it wasn't hard to see coming. RAW is always in need of top heels, and Sheamus is being established as one in 2021. Even if he doesn't walk out as WWE Champion, he could still end up having a good run.
Bobby Lashley is one such example. While he fell short to Drew McIntyre in his challenge for the WWE title, he still ended up having a great year in 2020, and his momentum as United States Champion has rolled on to 2021. Losing to Drew McIntyre doesn't instantly mean that Sheamus will be demoted in the card.
