Seth Rollins has been one of the best wrestlers on the planet for a long time now. He has been heavily featured on WWE television ever since moving up to the main roster as part of The Shield back in 2012. His time as a main event attraction has been rocky at best though.
He would be the one to turn on Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose to break up The Shield and side with The Authority. That would ultimately lead to one of the memorable cash ins in Money in the Bank history, as he walked out of WrestleMania 31 as WWE Champion.
Rollins has won three more world titles since that night and been one of the most decorated performers in the company. For all his brilliance though, Rollins has never quite been 'the man' and has not even been a regular in the main event scene, like his old stablemate Reigns.
Seth Rollins Has Never Managed To Become The Face Of WWE
While always a featured performer, Rollins has never quite managed to establish himself as the face of WWE. He has had memorable feuds and matches, no doubt, but that real 'breakout' moment has never really happened for him.
The WWE Universal Championship win over Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 35 was supposed to be that moment in the eyes of many, but the reign that followed left a lot to be desired. Rollins' last world title run came in late 2019, meaning it has been almost three years since he was a world champion.
Over that period of time, Rollins has had an interesting time to say the least. The Monday Night Messiah gimmick was terrible and hopefully fans have forgotten about it by now. On the other hand, he has had memorable feuds with the likes of Cody Rhodes and Edge, but has been on the losing end of both.
Since the takeover of Triple H as head of creative, things are changing. It feels like Seth Rollins' character might be headed in a new direction.
The Storyline Between Seth Rollins And Matt Riddle Created A Buzz
For two wrestlers who have a lot of comedic elements to their gimmicks, the feud between Rollins and Riddle was certainly very intense, and not PG at times.
That led to it creating a buzz among the fans, and it actually went from being just another match on the Clash at the Castle card to one of the most anticipated in a very short amount of time.
That is great for both Rollins and Riddle. It built 'The Architect' back into one of the centerpieces of WWE programming and made him feel like a world title contender. On the other hand, while Riddle might have come out on the losing end in Wales, the rivalry certainly elevated him and introduced the fans to a more serious version of his character.
Seth Rollins Finally Got His Big PPV Win Against Matt Riddle
Here is a fun fact: Rollins' win at Clash at the Castle over Riddle was his first singles victory by pinfall or submission at a PPV event since he beat Cesaro at Hell in a Cell in June 2021!
That's how often Rollins has been losing in recent years. Yes, it is commendable that he has always been able to keep his heat as a heel despite suffering so many losses, but at the end of the day, how seriously can you take a guy as a main event star if all he does is lose on the big stage?
One would be hoping that the win over Riddle opens up the floodgates for Rollins, and he goes on a good run of wins, so that he can be presented as a legitimate threat to Reigns. This year's Survivor Series will be the 10th anniversary of The Shield's debut. Thus, that might be a logical stage for Rollins and Reigns to face off for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
The Unnecessary Comedic Elements Of Seth Rollins' Gimmick Have Been Taken Away
While always one of the best in-ring performers in the world, one aspect that Rollins struggled with for a large part of his career in the WWE was his character work.
His work with The Shield and The Authority was great, but once he moved away from that group setting and had to work as a solo performer, it never quite clicked. Whether it be Monday Night Rollins, the Monday Night Messiah or the Beastslayer, nothing really stuck.
Rollins has finally struck gold with his Elton John meets The Joker gimmick though. And since Triple H has taken charge, some unnecessary comedic and over the top elements have been taken away from it as well. Thus, we might be about to see the best version of Rollins soon.