Former WWE Champion Sheamus will be departing the company when his contract expires.
The news was broken by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select on July 5. The report states that the Irish wrestler turned down a contract extension and was not released from his current deal. It is also added that the company approached Sheamus about a new contract while he was recovering from injury, which was “swiftly rejected.” The contract was also set to expire within a few months of that conversation, so there was no reason to add the release and standard 90-day no-compete. Fightful adds that there is no specific date of expiration, but it is happening soon. As there is no non-compete attached, the former WWE Champion can appear for another promotion as soon as his deal expires.
The Celtic Warrior is the latest high-profile departure from WWE in 2026, with The New Day and Kairi Sane having previously departed shortly after WrestleMania 42.
Sheamus Departing WWE After Nearly 2 Decades With The Company
Signing with WWE back in 2007, Sheamus was given a prominent position on the card early on as he defeated John Cena to win his first WWE Championship. In total, Sheamus held the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships 4 times while with the company. The veteran star won just about every accolade in the promotion, including King of the Ring and Royal Rumble, but famously never captured the Intercontinental Championship.
Sheamus’ final match was back in November 2025, where he teamed with Rey Mysterio and John Cena to defeat The Judgment Day.
Away from the ring, Sheamus also has his own YouTube channel, Celtic Warrior Workouts, which has more than 1 million subscribers.
Featured image: WWE
