After Seth Rollins defeated John Cena, he earned an accomplishment few WWE superstars have ever achieved: being a double champion. While cementing his place in the record books, a question arises: is Seth Rollins the new Shawn Michaels?
These two share some similarities in their respective rise to prominence in the company. Michaels entered the WWF as one half of the high-flying tandem of the Rockers. After achieving moderate success as a team, the newly dubbed “Heart Break Kid” dropped Marty Janetty like a bad habit, breaking the hearts of fans (as well as the Barbershop window) and he never looked back. He rose through the ranks of the company as a heel and eventually won over the fans at Wrestlemania 12. However, his association with HHH as the dastardly D-Generation X saw him return to being an antagonist. The rise of the Internet and a change in fans’ attitudes saw him cheered and celebrated despite continuous villainous actions against celebrated favorites from the days of yesteryear, namely Sgt. Slaughter and Bret Hart.
Mr. Wrestlemania then stole the European title from The British Bulldog in England to a chorus of boos and a steady stream of garbage launched by irate fans. He continued his feud with the Harts, culminating in taking the WWF Championship from Bret Hart in controversial fashion at Survivor Series 1997. After the “Montreal Screwjob” Michaels was both WWF World and European Champion, but he never truly defended the latter, allowing his crony HHH to pin him after being ordered to defend the strap.
Rollins likewise came into the company as part of a popular group. Although originally a heel faction, The Shield grew to become fan favorites, largely in part to their abhorrent actions that cost John Cena and Ryback championships- actions that were viewed as a fresh of breath air by certain fans. Just as the group seemed poised for a lengthy face run, Rollins turned his back on his partners, claiming to be the most important member of the trio. By aligning himself with HHH, Michaels’ old ally, Rollins began his ascent to the world title, culminating in cashing in his Money in the Bank contract successfully during the Wrestlemania 31 main event, effectively stopping the show.
Fast forward to SummerSlam and Rollins defeated the face of the WWE in controversial fashion, celebrated by “smart” fans that are fed up with Cena’s schtick. Thus, the Architect of the Shield is the WWE World Heavyweight and United States Champion. This is where the two stars seem to diverge: Michaels made no effort to carry both titles. His farcical match with Helmsley showed the two to be team; Shawn was sharing with his friend. Rollins makes no bones about his projected status as a legend and it may not be kayfabe.
Historically, wrestlers holding two titles at once have been limited to a singles title and one half of the tag titles, unification of the belts, or relinquishing possession of the lesser accolade. When the Warrior beat Hogan, he immediately relinquished in the Intercontinental Championship. Names such as Diesel, Stone Cold Steve Austin and most recently the Miz held two titles at once, but one of those was a tag title. Even when Chris Jericho won both the WWF and World (WCW) titles, they were unified into the Undisputed Championship.
At Night of Champions, Rollins will do what HBK never did: he will defend both straps against two bonafide legends. If Rollins is able to best both Sting and John Cena in one night, perhaps the question won’t be whether or not Seth is akin to Michaels but rather, we will be asking if he is better than the Showstopper altogether.
Main Photo:
