The first NXT champion. The first man to cash in Money in the Bank at WrestleMania. The man that slayed the king. The man. The cover athlete of WWE 2k18. Seth Rollins is one of the biggest stars in the WWE today. But who is he? What does he want? What makes him tick? And why in the world is WWE dropping the ball with him?
Who Is Seth Rollins?
Few believed that Seth Rollins would be the breakout member of the Shield. True, he was the highflyer, and he had all the cool spots, but he didn’t have Roman Reigns’ look or Dean Ambrose’s microphone skills. Honestly, that’s what made his heel turn so dramatic. It really was out of nowhere. After the turn, his run as the Authority’s “chosen one” was gold. He could get just about any crowd in the world to boo him with a minute on the microphone, and he was so damn good in the ring that even his biggest critics had to admit he was talented.
When Seth Rollins finally turned face late last year, it was a flop. Usually, when a bad guy sees the light, it makes sense. Either by proving to have great heart, a change of heart, or the last name Hart, there’s just a moment. There’s just a moment where a superstar flips over a new leaf and becomes a good guy.
Who could possibly forget when Batista gave Evolution the thumbs down? What moment lives longer in WWE history than Stone Cold Steve Austin refusing to submit to Bret Hart’s Sharpshooter? If I say the words Macho Man and Miss Elizabeth, you tear up a little, don’t you? I don’t have to say any more than that, you know what I’m talking about. But when it comes to Seth Rollins and his glorious redemption, what did we get? The most poorly constructed face turn in recent memory. Triple H didn’t screw Seth Rollins, Seth Rollins didn’t screw Seth Rollins, WWE creative screwed Seth Rollins.
The Road to Hell…
Rewind to the summer of 2016, and you have the beginning of Seth Rollins’ babyface turn. After being handed title shot after title shot, the Authority had had enough. Triple H emerged in the middle of an elimination fatal fourway, helping Rollins eliminate Reigns. However, when it came time to help Rollins beat Kevin Owens for the Universal Title, he didn’t. He turned on Rollins, pedigreeing him and literally handing the title to Owens instead.
And then Triple H didn’t appear on television again until January. He screwed Rollins on August 22nd, 2016, and didn’t reemerge until January 30th, 2017. For months, Rollins maintained a pseudo-feud with Stephanie McMahon (which still isn’t over), while feuding with Triple H via Kevin Owens via Chris Jericho. For months, Rollins was screwed out of meaningful victories, before literally limping to a win over Triple H at WrestleMania that meant almost nothing.
So, why did Seth Rollins become a good guy? Because Triple H screwed him out of a title. Is he really a good guy? Sure, he’s justified in wanting to get revenge, but didn’t Triple H screw Roman Reigns in that same match? Rollins didn’t seem to care then. He only cared when it hurt him. Sure, he ran in to save Roman Reigns a couple times, but c’mon WWE, you’ve gotta know better. Saving Roman Reigns isn’t going to make anyone more popular.
Moving Forward
It seems like WWE might be building something for the architect. It seems like his current character is similar to the one he had in NXT as an outsider that encourages people to be themselves. In a way, his current opponent, Bray Wyatt is the perfect foil. But why should Rollins care about Bray? Because he interrupted a couple of matches and cut his trademark nonsense promos?
The biggest issue with Monday Night Raw is their lack of a real main event scene. Brock Lesnar’s infrequent televised appearances are underwhelming and until Brock faces Roman Reigns, he’s not going to drop the title. A meaningful main event storyline for Rollins could help flesh out a three hour show that has entirely too much filler. So, why not just address the elephant in the room?
The Lunatic
C’mon. The minute the superstar shakeup sent Ambrose to Raw, the Shield reunion talks began. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the group should reunite, but there’s no reason to keep the three away from each other. Dean Ambrose is about to exit the Intercontinental Championship picture, and maybe he has to earn another shot?
Why not let Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins beat the hell out of each other for a few months? They’ve clashed several times since signing with WWE, and it’s always been quality. How do you keep it fresh? You turn Dean Ambrose heel. He’s been face since the Shield broke up, and his character is stale as moldy toast. A heel Ambrose could bring out the best in a face Rollins, and both men could really use a boost.
