The return of Seth Rollins has caused a stir in the current WWE landscape. Wrestling fans are overjoyed with excitement after Rollins returned from a severe knee injury that kept him out of action for six months. The shocking moment saw Rollins hit the ring at the end of Extreme Rules to deliver a Pedigree to Roman Reigns as the crowd went nuts. Rollins was shown to continue his heel character on the RAW following Extreme Rules in his promo back, where it was announced that he will face Roman Reigns at the upcoming PPV Money in the Bank. WWE is a better place with Rollins and nothing but good can come from this.

Rollins has had a special career despite his young age with a strong resume of great moments and matches. Rollins' potential was clear from day one with his athletic gifts and drive. Very few people have ever desired entering the world of pro wrestling more than Rollins. The young man has made waves everywhere he has worked for and knows how to leave an impact on the viewer. Rollins delivers great matches just about every single time he is in a wrestling ring. The progression of Rollins from indie star to NXT star to Shield star to WWE main event star is one to treasure.

The WWE Universe actually voted Rollins as the 2015 Superstar of the Year even though he was injured at the time and portrayed a heel. It's obvious that everyone appreciates the work Rollins puts into his craft and that’s why the fan base is happy about his return. Rollins was drastically missed during his time on the shelf and wrestlers like him aren’t easily replaceable. While he is a very public figure, there are many little stories out there that are not very well known or popular. We’ll look at the life and career of Rollins by breaking down fifteen fun facts about him that you may not be aware of.

15 15. Started Wrestling as a Teenager

via en.wikipedia.org
via en.wikipedia.org

The love for pro wrestling has been in Seth Rollins’ heart since he was a young child. Rollins knew this was the path for him and entered the wrestling world at the very young age of 14. The teenager would engage in backyard wrestling on trampolines before getting properly trained to have his first pro match at 17. Rollins earned a great deal of experience working on the independent scene that allowed him to achieve huge success for his age at just about every stage of his evolution. The desire for this job was there from the early stages and Rollins never wavered away from his dream. A man of destiny as it seems.

14 14. Quickly Became a Star in ROH

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via pintrest.com

It is almost offensive to say someone can easily become a star in any pro wrestling company, let alone one with fans as demanding as Ring of Honor’s. Seth Rollins debuted as Tyler Black and was instantly embraced after just a few months due to his overwhelming talent. Everyone knew he was a future star in the business and the movement for him entering the World Title picture began in less than a year. Rollins tore it up with Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, Nigel McGuinness and just about every other big name in the promotion. Given his younger age, Rollins made it known he watched ROH as a teenager and always dreamed of making his name there, so the progression of his career was perfect for him.

13 13. TNA Turned Him Down

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via comicbook.com

TNA's story can be summed up with bad decision after bad decision causing ultimate failure. One of their problems was signing the wrong talents to try and build an identity. TNA took the WCW model and went after aging stars with diminishing name value rather than the prospects of the future and that showed when they passed on Seth Rollins. He worked a match as an enhancement talent taking a beating from LAX but the powers-that-be didn’t think he was worth signing. Rollins would make a bigger name for himself in ROH and that caused TNA to later show interest, but it was too late. WWE wanted Rollins at that point and the decision was a no-brainer that has obviously worked out for both sides.

12 12. Huge Supporter of Crossfit

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via onnit.com

If you follow Seth Rollins on any social media platform, you know how much he believes in Crossfit. Most wrestlers are content just going to the local gym to work on their cardio and lift some weights but Rollins takes another unique route instead. The major difference with Crossfit is that it involves a more intense workout, along with the use of resistance and aerobic exercises to help his conditioning and muscles. Considering Rollins made a faster return to the ring than originally expected, maybe the Crossfit world is the right way to go. The nickname of “Crossfit Jesus” has been bestowed upon him on social media and he doesn’t shy away from it.

11 11. Teamed With CM Punk

The dream match that no one was able to find until very recently featured Seth Rollins teaming with CM Punk against Cesaro and Kassius Ohno. The latter two were a legendary tag team on the independent wrestling circuit and in ROH as The Kings of Wrestling. NXT wasn’t a big promotion at the time, so stars would be sent down to help the young talent learn in the ring and help draw a bigger crowd with name value. CM Punk made his appearance on this night and teamed with NXT Champion Rollins for the first and only time. WWE recently released the match on a NXT DVD set and the two showed a fun chemistry that would have been enjoyable to explore on the main roster, if Punk never left company.

10 10. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn Attended his First WWE Match as Fans

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via pinterest.com

The Shield debuted at the 2012 Survivor Series and all three men had their first match at TLC. Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose battled Daniel Bryan, Kane and Ryback in a classic Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match. The Barclays Center was sold out and two of those seats were occupied by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, who were high up in the rafters. Owens and Zayn wrestled each other in the main event of ROH Final Battle earlier that day in Manhattan, but made the trip to Brooklyn to see their friend debut in WWE. KO revealed in a recent interview that he wanted to see Rollins’ first match in WWE and it helped motivate him to work even harder to get his spot in WWE as well.

9 9. Won a Madden Tournament Among WWE Superstars

Xavier Woods is the host of a very popular YouTube channel in the video game community called UpUpDwnDwn. The videos feature wrestlers playing games backstage and talking about their history with gaming. During the NFL season, the Superstars participated in a tournament of Madden football and it provided some hilarious content. Seth Rollins proved he was “the man” in the football gaming world by winning it all and defeating Jack Swagger in the finals. Rollins is a massive Chicago Bears fan and somehow won the tournament with the less than stellar team. Winning in video games is part luck, but it has to be considered a skill when you lead a team with Jay Cutler as quarterback.

8 8. Was Scheduled to Lose Title to Roman Reigns in 2015

via rollingstone.com
via rollingstone.com

Seth Rollins’ heartbreaking injury in November occurred right before the 2015 Survivor Series event where he was scheduled to defend the WWE World Championship against Roman Reigns. This was the moment that was going to see Reigns win the title for the first time by defeating his former teammate from The Shield. Roman would ultimately win the title in a tournament, but lost it to Sheamus and Triple H each on the road to WrestleMania before winning it back again. Rollins’ injury made the title path sloppier but we are finally getting the match that was supposed to happen last November. Reigns and Rollins have great chemistry and the match should deliver big time at Money in the Bank.

7 7. Triple H and Joey Mercury are his Mentors

via kevineckwrestling.sportsblog.com
via kevineckwrestling.sportsblog.com

Seth Rollins's mentors have two very drastic positions in the industry. Joey Mercury influenced Rollins throughout his career long before they worked together on-screen in The Authority. Rollins worked with Mercury in Ring of Honor and later learned more from him in WWE developmental. In various interviews, Rollins has gone on the record to credit Mercury for being the biggest factor in him making it in WWE. His other mentor is of course Triple H, as seen by their parallels and storylines on television. Triple H has been hands on with the NXT product from day one and Rollins being his first choice for champion shows his feeling. Rollins being paired with Triple H and The Authority following The Shield splitting up was no accident and they worked perfectly together.

6 6. CM Punk Wanted Him in The Shield but not Roman Reigns

via dailymotion.com
via dailymotion.com

The tell-all podcast interview with CM Punk by Colt Cabana featured Punk sharing plenty of details about his time in the WWE, along with the frustrations that made him walk out. One specific story was Punk wanting to form a faction of talented developmental wrestlers to work as a team trying to protect his title reign as a heel. The three men Punk wanted were Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Kassius Ohno. It made sense given they were made on the independent circuit before coming to WWE, like Punk. The podcast showed a bit of resentment towards Roman Reigns being protected by WWE and Punk wanted it to be known that he wanted Ohno (Chris Hero) over Reigns as the third man.

5 5. WWE Told Him About MITB Cash-in Hours Before Title Win

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via bleacherreport.com

WrestleMania 31 was the biggest moment of Seth Rollins career. His Money in the Bank briefcase was used to cash-in during the Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar title match and Rollins captured his first WWE World Championship. Rollins revealed that he was unaware of the title win until the middle of the WrestleMania show, just hours before the moment. Randy Orton defeated Rollins early in the show and Seth likely thought his night was over, but he ended up getting the best surprise of a lifetime. Many wrestlers complain about the unpredictability of pro wrestling, but this moment was one of the cooler stories of a shock being pleasant.

4 4. First Person Younger than WrestleMania to win the WrestleMania Main Event

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via aminoapps.com

Everything that Seth Rollins has accomplished at a young age is fascinating. Despite all he has already done, Rollins will likely be around for another ten-to-twenty years, depending on when he wants to retire. The most staggering stat of Rollins’ career will forever be that he was the first person younger than WrestleMania to win a WrestleMania main event. Roman Reigns followed suit this year by being the second person to accomplish that feat by defeating Triple H. Many more stars will add to that list, but Rollins will always be known as the first person to do it.

3 3. Involved in Very Ugly and Public Love Triangle Which Officially Came to an End

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via primaryignition.com

Seth Rollins’ love life made headlines in the wrestling world in early 2015 with some very controversial posts from his social media pages. The alleged story goes that Rollins cheated on his fiancé with NXT developmental diva Zahra Schreiber and his girlfriend reacted with heavy shots when she found out. A nude photo of Rollins surfaced on his Twitter and a nude photo of Zahra was posted on his Instagram. The popular belief is it was Rollins’ fiancé getting revenge in a very public way by having his log-in information. Rollins ended up breaking up with her for Zahra, but that relationship also ended recently. Rollins' love life is his biggest enemy and he should probably stay single for a while to focus on his WWE return.

2 2. Was Scheduled to Wrestle Triple H at WrestleMania 32

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via whatculture.com

The worst thing about Seth Rollins injury was that it forced him to sit out WrestleMania 32. Following the biggest year of his career, Rollins was in a top position to be a big player in the booking of WrestleMania. The rumored plan was Rollins facing Triple H in a main event level match. The story likely would have seen Triple H turn on Rollins after he lost the WWE World Championship, kicking him out of The Authority. Both men show great chemistry and this match is one we need to see take place at some point in the future. Rollins returning as a heel makes sense for the prior plans to continue at some point and maybe we could even get it at SummerSlam or WrestleMania 33.

1 1. First and Only Man to Win ROH, NXT and WWE World Titles

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via enttertainmentt.blogspot.com/pintrest.com/independent.co.uk

The days of the territories are over and the road to the WWE is a little more confusing. There’s no true path to get there, but the new stars of the last few years have typically found success in the same three places. ROH is the place for young independent wrestling stars looking to make a name as the top unsigned stars. NXT is where new WWE prospects show they are ready for the big time. WWE is where the big things happen. Seth Rollins is the only man to get to the top of the mountain in all three places by winning each of the World Titles. Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe are the only two active stars with a good chance at following the trifecta, but Rollins is currently all alone for that milestone.