NXT Career
On August 8, 2010, independent wrestler Colby Lopez signed a contract with WWE and was sent to the company’s developmental territory, FCW. He made his debut a month later under the ring name Seth Rollins.
When FCW rebranded into NXT in August 2012, Rollins was positioned as one of the show’s top stars. On August 29, 2012, Rollins defeated Jinder Mahal in the Gold Rush Tournament finals to become the inaugural NXT Champion. He held the title until January 2013, when he lost it to Big E.
The Shield And Betrayal
On November 18, 2012, Seth Rollins made his main roster debut at WWE’s annual Survivor Series. He was now a part of WWE’s newest trio: The Shield. Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns ran roughshod over WWE together for the next year, fighting for their own vision of justice. Despite their heelish personas, The Shield quickly became fan favorites.
On June 2, 2014, Seth shattered the hearts of the WWE universe when he betrayed Ambrose and Reigns and aligned himself with The Authority. A few weeks later, Rollins competed in the annual Money in the Bank ladder match and won, earning the MITB briefcase. Rollins then entered a months-long feud with Dean Ambrose that culminated at Hell in a Cell 2014, where Rollins defeated Ambrose inside a steel cage.
At WrestleMania 31, Seth Rollins cashed in his MITB briefcase to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and secure his place at the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, Rollins had to relinquish the title that November due to a severe knee injury, bringing his reign to a close at 219 days.
The Beast Slayer
On August 29, 2016, Triple H attacked Seth Rollins and cost him the vacated WWE Universal Championship. Seth consequently turned face for the first time since his betrayal of The Shield. Rollins spent the next few years trying to regain the trust of his former Shield teammates and reigning as Intercontinental Champion.
After winning the 2019 Royal Rumble, Seth Rollins challenged Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 35. Rollins defeated Lesnar, earning the moniker “The Beast Slayer.” For the next several months, Rollins served as the top babyface in WWE. However, his relationship with the WWE universe soon turned very sour.
The Monday Night Messiah
Following Team Raw’s loss at Survivor Series 2019, Rollins scolded and belittled the rest of the Raw roster. Rollins then entered a feud with Kevin Owens and turned heel once again. He began referring to himself as “The Monday Night Messiah,” declaring that he was working toward “the greater good.”
Over the next few months, Rollins began collecting “disciples,” most notably Buddy Murphy. The two of them won the Raw Tag Team Championship on January 20, 2020, in a match against The Viking Raiders.
In the Fall of 2020, things began to fall apart between Murphy and Rollins and their alliance came to a dramatic end. Shortly after losing the ensuing feud to Murphy, Seth took a two-month hiatus from WWE.
The Visionary
Upon his return at the 2021 Royal Rumble, Seth Rollins introduced an anti-hero persona dubbed “The Visionary.” He dressed in gaudy, flamboyant outfits and mocked his opponents with his signature cackle. Over time, what was intended to be an annoying act actually became very popular with the WWE universe. Seth became a fan favorite once again, and fans became enamored with his theme song.
At Night of Champions 2023, Seth defeated AJ Styles to become the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion.
