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At Hell in a Cell, Sheamus will face literally the biggest challenge of his nearly seven-month World Heavyweight Championship reign when he takes on Big Show.
The World’s Largest Athlete earned the title opportunity by defeating Randy Orton on SmackDown. (The Viper was reeling from a backstage assault by Alberto Del Rio). Now, Big Show is in line for the same title that he lost in 45 seconds last December.
On the Oct. 1 episode of Raw, the two competitors faced each other in an unfamiliar setting — a World Championship Debate that pitted The Great White against The World’s Largest Athlete. Answering questions posed by the WWE Universe on Twitter and Tout, Sheamus and Big Show debated a variety of topics, ranging from whose finishing maneuver is more dangerous to who will walk out of Hell in a Cell with the World Heavyweight Championship.
The exchange was heated, to say the least, and at one point, The World’s Largest Athlete even destroyed his podium while arguing a point against The Great White. The debate ended in a standoff between the champion and his towering challenger, leading Big Show to exit the ring. While the debate ended in silence, the meeting between the two Superstars at Hell in a Cell will be anything but silent.
The Sheamus vs. Big Show matchup carries major intrigue. The Celtic Warrior and The World’s Largest Athlete have never crossed paths in singles competition, and the WWE Universe is salivating to see WWE’s two most destructive super-heavyweights lock horns. Also, both Superstars possess knockout power: Sheamus prefers booting opponents’ heads off with the Brogue Kick, while Big Show caves in faces with the WMD. Will one of these lethal strikes prove more damning than the other?
Moreover, Big Show has a big chip on his shoulder, and it relates directly to the title around Sheamus’ waist. Big Show had almost no time to celebrate his World Heavyweight Championship win over Mark Henry at WWE Tables, Ladders and Chairs event last year, thanks to Daniel Bryan, who cashed in his Money in the Bank championship contract unannounced and ended Big Show’s reign in less than a minute. The irony is that Bryan went on to lose that same title to Sheamus in a blistery 18 seconds at WrestleMania XXVIII. Big Show now seems almost embarrassed that The Celtic Warrior so handily dismantled the very Superstar who beat him in less than 60 seconds.
Since winning the Royal Rumble Match in January, Sheamus has carved out a niche of invincibility. With Big Show entering the title picture just now, is it possible that The Great White has only appeared unbeatable because he has avoided the biggest dog in the hunt? On SmackDown, Big Show described himself as the only Superstar on the roster capable of defeating Sheamus, and no matter how much the “Sons of Sheamus†may disagree, Big Show could have a point.
Over the course of this summer, The Celtic Warrior’s double-tough constitution allowed him to survive multiple sneak attacks by Del Rio (and, in turn, prolonged exposure to The Mexican Aristocrat’s Cross Armbreaker). Sheamus also matched wits with veteran Chris Jericho, and he overcame super-heavyweight Tensai. But as the World Heavyweight Champion, The Great White has not encountered the punching power of Big Show. Sheamus’ grit and determination have been put to the test repeatedly, but his jaw has not yet been the target of Big Show’s precision strike.
That is not to say the dominant World Heavyweight Champion is anything but eager to test himself against the angry giant. After all, The Celtic Warrior knows a thing or two about knockout power. As the keeper of the Brogue Kick, Sheamus has blown by one challenger after another.
In Big Show, however, Sheamus faces a taller hurdle than ever before. The World Heavyweight Champion’s prized finishing maneuver might not even reach the 7-footer’s jawline, let alone prove effective against the monster. If the Brogue Kick fails to connect, can Sheamus rely on his other offensive options, such as the Cloverleaf submission hold or the White Noise, to do the trick? It is hard enough to picture Sheamus lacing his arms around the massive tree-trunk legs of Big Show, never mind positioning the 440-plus-pounder for the inverse slam known as White Noise.
On top of that, a more-than-peripheral concern for the World Heavyweight Champion is "Mr. Money in the Bank" Dolph Ziggler's promise to cash in his championship contract and win the World Heavyweight Title at Hell in a Cell. Will The Showoff make good on his guarantee?
Until the pay-per-view, the WWE Universe can only speculate about the possibilities. On Oct. 28, at 8 ET/5 PT, 17 years to the month that Big Show debuted and won the WCW Championship, The World’s Largest Athlete will again try to score championship gold. Has Sheamus finally met his match?
