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I worked in IT before chance encounter with WWE icon in nightclub helped me make WrestleMania history
Life works in ‘Mysterious Ways’ – but there’s no need to tell that to the WWE star who worked at a nightclub where Bono used to visit. Since those days, Sheamus has joined the U2 frontman in becoming one of Ireland’s most famous exports after finding fame overseas. Sheamus is still in incredible shapehttps://www.instagram.com/p/CrbY5gwr7kY/?hl=en The 47-year-old is now one of the most decorated stars in WWE history, but had a myriad of jobs while he chased his dream, including protecting the U2 frontman from flying beer. The future Hall of Fame star became WWE’s first Irish World champion and is only the second wrestler ever, after Edge, to win all three of King of the Ring, the Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank. Sheamus also holds the record for the fastest WrestleMania title match in history, following his 18-second victory over Daniel Bryan in 2012. However, while learning his trade in the Irish and UK independent wrestling scene, he worked as an in-house IT technician. Sheamus then worked as a security guard at the now-defunct Lillie’s Bordello nightclub in Dublin, which Bono frequented. His role saw him shield the singer from drunk punters before he made the move to London to pursue his wrestling dream. Or to use his version, Sheamus was one ‘was one of the guys who made sure he [Bono] didn’t get his head wrecked.’ It was at that nightclub where he came across WWE legend Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, who helped him start his transition to pro wrestling. Speaking to Virgin Media, he said: “I was doing IT. I think everybody in the late 90s and early 00s just ended up doing up IT. Somehow it was a thing, it was like ‘what are you going to do’ and it was ‘I’ll just do IT’. I ended up getting into IT that way.” Sheamus continued: “Funnily enough, I met Bret Hart in Lillie’s on a night off. He gave me some information about schools. In 2002, I packed up the job and went over to New Jersey… The Celtic Warrior has tangled with some of the biggest names in combat sports Bret Hart is one of the best performers WWE has ever hadWWE “I saw him there and went over and talked to him. He was super cool man, very chatty and very conversational. “He gave me his agent’s number. I emailed her and she gave me a bunch of schools.” During an exclusive interview with talkSPORT in 2023, Sheamus revealed he was competing in small shows while working in London’s Canary Wharf before he had a successful WWE tryout in Manchester. He explained to us: “I always believed I would make it. “I didn’t know how successful I’d be, but I always knew that I’d have the passion to do it, and I always believed in myself, but that belief has grown over the years. “I actually, believe it or not, went over [to America] pretty confident from my old independent shows I did, but when I got to FCW, which is now re-branded as NXT, I was in there at the training school with Steve Keirn and Dr. Tom Prichard, the two trainers. Sheamus (right) signed for WWE alongside Drew McIntyre (left)Drew McIntyre Instagram “Dr Tom trained the Rock, [Kurt] Angle, Mark Henry, and he’s probably the most respected, renowned wrestling trainer in the world, and they were a massive slap in the nuts. “They were like, ‘You’re doing everything wrong…you’re all over the place… You can’t tell a story…I don’t know what you’re doing.’ “That to me was the point where I was like maybe I don’t really know what I’m doing. “When you’re on the indies, no one tells you what you’re doing right because WWE has a particular style, so I had to swallow a big glass of humility and restart myself.” Sheamus, in his own words, stood out in WWE because of his ‘pasty white skin, red hair’ and aggressive style. The Dubliner’s own charismatic personality and signature look eventually took him to Hollywood. Sheamus is now a huge mainstream starGetty Sheamus starred as Rocksteady in 2016’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, while he also featured in an episode of NCIS: Los Angeles months before joining us for a chat on talkSPORT. His breakthrough came during his first world title win at TLC 2009, where he put wrestling icon John Cena through a table. But the man himself admitted to talkSPORT his career was almost over before it began after he failed to impress WWE’s top brass. He said: “I went to ECW and it was an hour show, it was taped after SmackDown, and I wrestled Goldust and that was great, that got me off to the races. “Goldust is a legend – we beat the absolute b******* out of each other, and right away I got on the map. Sheamus holds the record for the fastest WrestleMania title matchWWE “Then I went to RAW, the idea was that Cena and [Randy] Orton ran through each other at like 15 pay-per-views, so they were setting me up for Cena and Kofi Kingston up for Randy. “But I wrestled Jamie [Noble] in a quick match, and I thought it went well, but all of a sudden, I get to ECW the next
Life works in ‘Mysterious Ways’ – but there’s no need to tell that to the WWE star who worked at a nightclub where Bono used to visit.
Since those days, Sheamus has joined the U2 frontman in becoming one of Ireland’s most famous exports after finding fame overseas.
The 47-year-old is now one of the most decorated stars in WWE history, but had a myriad of jobs while he chased his dream, including protecting the U2 frontman from flying beer.
The future Hall of Fame star became WWE’s first Irish World champion and is only the second wrestler ever, after Edge, to win all three of King of the Ring, the Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank.
Sheamus also holds the record for the fastest WrestleMania title match in history, following his 18-second victory over Daniel Bryan in 2012.
However, while learning his trade in the Irish and UK independent wrestling scene, he worked as an in-house IT technician.
Sheamus then worked as a security guard at the now-defunct Lillie’s Bordello nightclub in Dublin, which Bono frequented.
His role saw him shield the singer from drunk punters before he made the move to London to pursue his wrestling dream.
Or to use his version, Sheamus was one ‘was one of the guys who made sure he [Bono] didn’t get his head wrecked.’
It was at that nightclub where he came across WWE legend Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, who helped him start his transition to pro wrestling.
Speaking to Virgin Media, he said: “I was doing IT. I think everybody in the late 90s and early 00s just ended up doing up IT. Somehow it was a thing, it was like ‘what are you going to do’ and it was ‘I’ll just do IT’. I ended up getting into IT that way.”
Sheamus continued: “Funnily enough, I met Bret Hart in Lillie’s on a night off. He gave me some information about schools. In 2002, I packed up the job and went over to New Jersey…
“I saw him there and went over and talked to him. He was super cool man, very chatty and very conversational.
“He gave me his agent’s number. I emailed her and she gave me a bunch of schools.”
During an exclusive interview with talkSPORT in 2023, Sheamus revealed he was competing in small shows while working in London’s Canary Wharf before he had a successful WWE tryout in Manchester.
He explained to us: “I always believed I would make it.
“I didn’t know how successful I’d be, but I always knew that I’d have the passion to do it, and I always believed in myself, but that belief has grown over the years.
“I actually, believe it or not, went over [to America] pretty confident from my old independent shows I did, but when I got to FCW, which is now re-branded as NXT, I was in there at the training school with Steve Keirn and Dr. Tom Prichard, the two trainers.
“Dr Tom trained the Rock, [Kurt] Angle, Mark Henry, and he’s probably the most respected, renowned wrestling trainer in the world, and they were a massive slap in the nuts.
“They were like, ‘You’re doing everything wrong…you’re all over the place… You can’t tell a story…I don’t know what you’re doing.’
“That to me was the point where I was like maybe I don’t really know what I’m doing.
“When you’re on the indies, no one tells you what you’re doing right because WWE has a particular style, so I had to swallow a big glass of humility and restart myself.”
Sheamus, in his own words, stood out in WWE because of his ‘pasty white skin, red hair’ and aggressive style.
The Dubliner’s own charismatic personality and signature look eventually took him to Hollywood.
Sheamus starred as Rocksteady in 2016’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, while he also featured in an episode of NCIS: Los Angeles months before joining us for a chat on talkSPORT.
His breakthrough came during his first world title win at TLC 2009, where he put wrestling icon John Cena through a table.
But the man himself admitted to talkSPORT his career was almost over before it began after he failed to impress WWE’s top brass.
He said: “I went to ECW and it was an hour show, it was taped after SmackDown, and I wrestled Goldust and that was great, that got me off to the races.
“Goldust is a legend – we beat the absolute b******* out of each other, and right away I got on the map.
“Then I went to RAW, the idea was that Cena and [Randy] Orton ran through each other at like 15 pay-per-views, so they were setting me up for Cena and Kofi Kingston up for Randy.
“But I wrestled Jamie [Noble] in a quick match, and I thought it went well, but all of a sudden, I get to ECW the next day, and they slated it.
“All of a sudden, I’m on a high, I’m on RAW, and then I got told you messed up big time, that was a horrible match, horrible job. Now I’m like, ‘oh no’ because you only get one crack at it.
“I got told you’re wrestling Jamie next week, and this is your last chance. I’ve gone from this guy’s a prodigy, he’s going to get in there with the top guy right away, to if you mess this match up, you’re done, so imagine that type of pressure.
“It’s a fun old gig, but it’s a lot of stress on!”
