When M&F caught up with Sheamus to discuss all things WWE and his role as ‘Rocksteady’ in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, the big man from Dublin was just 2 hours into a visit to Australia, having flown from the states. Fortunately for us, we avoided one of those famous kicks to face, since the Celtic Warrior had managed to get some sleep on the plane. He was in fine form, dishing all the info on diet, training, and life in the fast lane.
M&F: You are the first Irish born WWE Champion. What memories do you have of winning the title for the first time back in 2009?
Sheamus:It was crazy. I was always confident that I would win it, but I didn’t think it would happen that quickly. All of sudden, I have the championship belt and my bag weighs about 50 pounds heavier! It was really cool.
How excited were you to land the role of ‘Rocksteady’?
WWE called me about it, and I had so much fun doing the movie. Being on set with Gary Anthony Williams (who plays Bebop), Brian Tee (Shredder) and Brittany Ishibashi (Karai) was like one big family. I was concerned that I would be tired juggling filming and wrestling but the crew made everything so easy for me, it was so much fun, and that shows in the movie.
How difficult was it to maintain workouts during filming?
I made sure that I did all my workouts whilst I was on the road with WWE doing live events because some filming days were 6am to 6pm. So I made sure to do squats in advance of filming to maintain energy on set. I’m used to swapping my workouts around my schedule. It’s second nature.
How are you approaching nutrition at the moment?
I eat six meals per day and supplement with protein shakes. Nutrition Solutions pre-prepare my meals. I can take those on the road with me. Even the healthier food you see when traveling can be high in sodium, so I try to avoid that. I try to eat a lot of steak, and a lot of chicken, and I’m not really too ‘carb conscious’ because I’m burning energy by being in the ring and working out.
Did your experience as a WWE Superstar help with taking on some of the movie’s action scenes?
A lot of the stunts and choreography is done by the professionals but I took to it really well. There is a scene at the beginning I really enjoyed involving a transit van. Stephen Amell (who plays Casey Jones) is very good at this type of thing and he gave me some tips too. I would have loved to have done my Brogue Kick on someone though!
You are globe trotting at the moment with WWE and will be back in Australia this August. Do you like to travel?
I do. I love going to Australia, Ireland, and the UK, people can understand my accent (laughs) and it doesn’t matter what country we are from, we all came from the same place.
What’s next for Sheamus?
Right now I’m in a very good place were I have achieved 4 World Heavyweight Titles, I’ve won the Royal Rumble, and Money in the Bank. The challenge now is to help some of the new kids that are coming up through the ranks. I’m really excited about getting in the ring with some fresh new opponents and helping to make the next generation of superstars.
Sheamus can be seen on the WWE Network, and in his latest movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows.
