Photo credit: WWE.com.

Sheamus Praises Big E, WWE Raw Ending Explained, Elias Talks Jeff Hardy Feud

Mike Chiari

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

    

Sheamus Thinks Big E is World Champion Material

Sheamus recently concluded a feud with Big E on SmackDown before getting moved to Raw as part of the WWE draft, and he came away impressed by the former New Day member.

In an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Sheamus praised Big E for his performance in their Falls Count Anywhere match and expressed his belief that Big E showed off his range as a performer during their rivalry: "The world saw a different side of Big E [during that match], a guy that should be world champion. I hit him as hard as I could, and he hit me back even harder. That's a credit to him. He brought it, and I still have the marks on my back to prove it."

Big E has largely been a tag team competitor with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods over the past several years, but while Kofi and Woods were out with injuries, WWE started to push Big E in a singles capacity.

The reaction from fans on social media has been positive, so WWE decided to go full bore with the push by breaking up New Day and moving Kofi and Woods to Raw, while Big E remains on SmackDown.

Big E has mostly been a jovial character involved in comedic situations, but Sheamus suggested he took it upon himself to help show the world what else Big E is capable of: "My intention, as soon as I learned I was working with Big E, was to show he is a tough bastard. I wanted to show a side of him that no one had ever seen. We all know he can joke and crack people up, but when it comes to a fight, he can also hold his own against anybody."

Sheamus, who is a former WWE and World Heavyweight champion in his own right, called Big E the "full package" during the interview.

All signs point toward Big E becoming one of the top babyfaces on SmackDown. That means he could be the favorite to win the Royal Rumble and then go on to face Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.

Fans often call for WWE to do something different and push new talent, and there is no question that putting Big E in a main event position would satisfy those desires.

Big E has been a huge part of one of the most popular acts in WWE for years, and now it is time for him to prove that he can be just as successful on his own as he was with New Day.

     

Ending of WWE Raw Went Off as Planned

Monday night's episode of Raw ended in unique fashion, as Drew McIntyre used bolt cutters to get inside the Hell in a Cell structure with Randy Orton.

Rather than a brawl breaking out to close the show, McIntyre and Orton simply stared each other down ahead of their WWE Championship Hell in a Cell match at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on Sunday.

According to PWInsider (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), the segment was by design, and it occurred just as WWE Chairman Vince McMahon wanted it to.

Some questioned whether WWE ran out of time based on the way the show ended, but it instead seems as though the WWE creative team wanted Raw to end with a cliffhanger of sorts.

McIntyre and Orton have gotten physical quite often over the past several weeks, so it can be argued that another brawl between them prior to the pay-per-view wouldn't have accomplished much.

Also, by not having McIntyre and Orton do anything inside the cell, perhaps it will entice more viewers to tune in and see their match Sunday on WWE Network.

Ultimately, WWE had already done all the buildup it needed to do for McIntyre vs. Orton inside the cell, and nothing that happened Monday was likely to make fans any more or less excited than they already were for the match.

      

Elias Hopes Feud vs. Hardy Leads to Main Event Push

Elias and Jeff Hardy are embroiled in a feud that is leading to a match at Hell in a Cell, and Elias hopes it could mean even bigger things for him in the future.

In an interview with Barrasso, Elias discussed the angle with Hardy and what it could lead to moving forward:

"This story is going to be fun. I grew up a huge wrestling fan, and I love when stories make sense and fans can connect the dots in their own mind as to why things are happening, along with some mystery and reveal.

"I know exactly what is ahead of me, and I'm ready for it. I'm willing to put all my effort into my story. I'm ready for Jeff Hardy, and I'll be ready for big stories with guys like Drew McIntyre and AJ Styles. Jeff can be a stepping stone right to that main event picture."

The rivalry between Elias and Hardy dates back several months to an angle that occurred on SmackDown. Elias was hit by a car, which landed him on the injured list, and it was initially thought that the car was driven by an inebriated Hardy.

Hardy was later exonerated based on the belief that he was framed, most likely by Sheamus. Despite that, Elias returned from injury last week by hitting Hardy with his guitar during a Triple Threat match between Hardy, Styles and Seth Rollins.

The rivalry is a welcome callback to the previous angle since what often happens in WWE and professional wrestling in general is that storylines come and go without any long-lasting impact.

Going back to the car accident angle instantly made Elias vs. Hardy feel important, and although it is an undercard match at Hell in a Cell, there is still plenty of intrigue surrounding it.

Elias has been a hugely successful act in WWE even without any title wins to his credit, as he has gotten tons of television time and mixed it up with some of the top stars in the history of the business.

If things go well with Hardy, perhaps it will finally be time for Elias to take that next step and get into the main event picture.  

     

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

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