Sheamus’ Raw Return Marred by Overweight Allegations Online Following 8 Month Hiatus

The latest episode of WWE RAW saw two returns – Sheamus, and his old entrance theme, ‘Written in My Face.’ After being out of action for eight months he came back to pick a win over Ivar in a typical hard-hitting contest. But while ‘The Celtic Warrior’ was warmly received by the Montreal crowd, fans online did notice that he had gained some extra pounds.

The former WWE champion had since been out of action for about eight months with a shoulder injury. His last match saw him beat current AEW star Edge in August last year and after the long break and rumors of a move to AEW, his return was welcomed but him carrying some extra weight was a surprise to many.

The Celtic Warrior was set to return at the Royal Rumble. However, due to his recovery, it was pushed back. He wrestled his last match in Canada and made his in-ring return to the country, something he addressed after his first win back. “It’s kind of ironic, my last match before tonight was in Toronto, Canada in August, and my first match back is in Montreal, Canada. I couldn’t have ever expected the response that I got from these Canadian fans tonight in Montreal. It was off the charts,” Sheamus said backstage in a Raw Exclusive.

“And that’s why it’s been so hard sitting at home for the last couple of months… But if you want me to send a message to everyone in the WWE locker room. I only have four words: You don’t want this,” said the Irishman.

At 46 years old, he showed that he still had it, winning the bout against Ivar while putting up another underrated match. Still, online fans took to social media to express their thoughts on Sheamus’s new look and the former WWE Champion even addressed the comments in his own way.

“Going full fat Gunther” fans debate Sheamus’ weight gain

Sheamus being noticeably heavier did startle some fans given his grueling workout regimens showcased on his YouTube channel. He is usually seen in ripped shape, however, this time, he looked different. Much different. While he was not as ripped as some of his colleagues, he was never this bulked up and it didn’t escape the eyes of the fans.

A fan simply surprised by Sheamus’ look posted a message on X.

Sheamus has been known to pull off “bangers“. Last year at WrestleMania, he battled Drew McIntyre and Gunther for the Intercontinental championship in a match rated a rare five-star by Dave Meltzer. A fan believes that Sheamus can put up even better performances despite being a little overweight. The former King of the Ring did put on an underrated classic against Ivar. The bout featured some hard-hitting spots with both super heavyweights giving it their all.

Gaining weight might not be the worst thing to happen to Sheamus. Fans who watched the rise of Gunther in NXT UK will recall how the Austrian was not in the best of shapes, but still put on memorable matches. Fast forward to his move to the main roster, the record-breaking Intercontinental Champion got into shape and has one of the ripped physiques while constantly wrestling some of the best matches on the roster.

A fan expressed his hope that come next year Sheamus will be the “best wrestler in the world.”

Sheamus’ WWE return coincides with interesting developments in WWE, especially on RAW. We have a new World Heavyweight Champion in Damian Priest and with the likes of Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins taking a backseat for a while, it will be interesting to see if Sheamus gets himself in the title picture. Sheamus, of course, has been a world champion before and would like to get the opportunity to challenge again.

Meanwhile, one more fan spotted Sheamus having gained weight but was supportive in their comment. Later, Sheamus also acknowledged these online comments and a funny retort.

The former World Heavyweight Champion wrote, “I’m just big boned,” in an X post later.

What do you think about Sheamus’ new look? Do you think he’ll have a successful run on his return? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.