WWE Clash In Paris 2025 Results As Rusev Taps Out Sheamus

Rusev has had a lackluster return run in WWE. (Credit: Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)

WWE via Getty Images

WWE Clash in Paris 2025 finally gave Rusev and Sheamus a chance to shine on a major stage, and they delivered.

Over the past few months, “The Bulgarian Brute” and “The Celtic Warrior” had gone back and forth in a solid upper midcard rivalry that was completely relegated to Monday Night Raw. The two bruisers had missed out on wrestling at Summerslam, despite the show taking place over the course of two nights for the first time.

But as it turned out, WWE Clash in Paris was the perfect stage for the hard-hitting encounter between the two bruisers.

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WWE Clash in Paris 2025 Results for Rusev vs. Sheamus

WWE Clash in Paris 2025 marked an important match for Sheamus and Rusev, with the two stars desperately needing a victory and the momentum that could follow it.

Following a smash-mouth style brawl, Rusev was ultimately able to eek out the victory by forcing Sheamus to tap out in the Accolade after multiple previous attempts. Among the key highlights of Rusev vs. Sheamus were:

• Rusev and Sheamus began brawling as soon as the bell ring, taking the match to the outside area, which was adorned with a number of objects befitting a Good Ol’ Fashioned Donnybrook match.
• Back in the ring, Rusev blasted Sheamus with a barrage of kendo stick shots and a series of clubs to the chest. Minutes later, Sheamus returned the favor with some kendo stick shots of his own. Rusev was able to regain control with a steel chair attack.
• Rusev set up the steel chair in the turnbuckle as Sheamus begged Rusev to kick him. The two stars engaged in a tug-of-war over a steel chair before Sheamus let go and demolished Rusev with a running knee to the jaw for a two-count. Sheamus hit Rusev with his 10 Beats of the Bodhran, much to the delight of the Paris crowd.
• Sheamus set up Rusev on a makeshift bar on the outside and hit the 10 Beats of the Bodhran yet again as the crowd ate it up. Sheamus brought Rusev to the first row and then hit the 10 Beats for yet a third time, this time with a shillelagh.
• Back in the ring, Sheamus went for White Noise, Rusev avoided, and then Sheamus sent Rusev shoulder first into the chair in the corner followed by a Celtic Cross powerbomb for a very close nearfall.
• Sheamus fired up the crowd for the Brogue Kick, which Rusev avoided. Then, Sheamus went to the top and tried for a splash onto Rusev on the outside, but Rusev blasted him in the stomach with the kendo stick. He followed that up by hitting Sheamus with the ring steps.
• Rusev climbed on the ring steps and slammed Sheamus through the bar. Back in the ring, Rusev locked in the Accolade on Sheamus as the crowd cheer on “The Celtic Warrior.” Sheamus stood up with Rusev on his back and fell backward, sending Rusev into a pile of steel chairs. The crowd erupted with chants of “This is awesome.”
• Sheamus brought Rusev on top of a setup consisting of whiskey barrels on the outside. Rusev locked in the Accolade yet again as the crowd once again got behind Sheamus, who fought off Rusev, picked him up and leaped off the barrels through a table with a White Noise as the crowd went berserk.
• Back inside the ring, Rusev grabbed the shillelagh, but Sheamus came flying in with a Brogue Kick out of nowhere. In a massive surprise, Rusev actually kicked out. Rusev responded with a kick to the jaw and then avoided another Brogue Kick before Rusev hit a Machka kick and then a shot to the back with the shillelagh. Sheamus shockingly kicked out, too.
• Once again, Rusev locked in the Accolade while using the shillelagh, and Sheamus was finally forced to tap out.

According to announcer Michael Cole, that was just the second time in Sheamus’ 16-year WWE career that he tapped out. WWE Clash in Paris likely marked the end of the rivalry between Sheamus and Rusev, who has had no other significant feud since returning to WWE several months ago.

WWE Clash in Paris 2025 Results: What’s Next for Rusev and Sheamus?

Following his loss at WWE Clash in Paris 2025, Sheamus could find himself without a consistent role on TV once again.

Although Sheamus re-signed with WWE on a five-year deal in 2025, he’s been used only infrequently on Raw and SmackDown in recent years. In fact, Clash in Paris was Sheamus’ first pay-per-view match since 2022, when he found himself putting on “banger after banger” with stars like Gunther and Drew McIntyre.

Sheamus is still a top-level in-ring performer and widely respected as a babyface legend, and he could be a formidable foe for Raw’s top villains. But let’s stress that “could” part. While Sheamus would make for a believable opponent for villains like Seth Rollins and The Vision, WWE seems intent on only using him sparingly on the red brand.

With Sheamus likely to be off TV once again, where does that leave Rusev? That, too, is unclear.

WWE had teased a feud between Rusev and Sami Zayn, but Zayn has been shipped to SmackDown, which makes that highly unlikely. Zayn did essentially get traded to SmackDown for LA Knight, who makes the most sense as a possible feud for Rusev once Knight completes his rivalry with The Vision.

It’s been a slow start out of the gates for Rusev in his second stint in WWE, and with a clear lack of midcard babyfaces for Rusev to feud with on Raw, Knight makes sense as the biggest possible realistic rivalry for him in the months ahead. Outside of another infrequently seen star like Penta, Rusev finds himself stuck in No Man’s Land just below the main event scene.

While WWE Clash in Paris was a step in the right direction for Rusev, he needs a significant feud and more signature wins to prevent his highly anticipated WWE return from being a complete flop.