It is good to be back writing for wrestling-edge after quite a while away.
My return to “The View From Down Under” I thought I would discus and thank Seth Rollins for his title reign. Seth Rollins managed to do what CM Punk could not (or was not allowed) to do, and that was knock John Cena and Randy Orton down off the main event mountain, and give fans the opportunity to see new faces battling it out for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
From the moment he ran down the ramp at Wrestlemania 31, to the cheers and thanks, from not only the fans at the Levi’s Stadium, but those fans watching at home, as his involvement meant Roman Reigns will not be champion, Seth Rollins became WWE’s newest Main event star…… but the question was, could he succeed, or would he follow the same fate as CM Punk, Albert Del Rio, The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan and Sheamus, and fall back down to the mid-card scrap heap.
Seth Rollins title reign started slowly, as the ‘scared/lucky/whinger’champion, and many wrote and complained that this booking was hurting his reign. However, just like Edge did with his ‘La familia’, Seth used his Authority membership to escape defeat, and build his Championship reign slowly. What he was doing while escaping defeat time and time again with the help of The Authority was gaining respect as champion through his performances in the ring. His battles early with Dean Ambrose, produced great show stealing matches, with the endings being the controversial talking points, not the match. In fact many believed that it was the show stealing matches he was having with Dean Ambrose that was proving Seth Rollins belonged in the main event scene. He also produced strong ‘champion’ matches against the likes of WWE legends Randy Orton, John Cena, Sting, Brock Lesner and Kane. In fact it his ability to have great matches with a variety of opponents which is Seth Rollins strongest ability.
Over his Championship reign, we saw and heard his mic work improve, as well as rely less and less from outside interference to win his matches. He has battled in ladder matches, inside cages and against multiple opponents, and of course became the first man to hold both the US Title and the WWE World Heavyweight title at the same time. Even when he lost to John Cena, many were talking about the quality of the matches, and the fact he was not over shadowed by John Cena, but looked as an equal in the ring.
As a heel champion, he unselfishly took his losses, beat downs and embarrassing situations in his stride, as a heel champion is meant to, and what Seth Rollins has also managed to do is stay a hated heel, a heel champion the majority of fans wanted to see lose. He still gets “You Sold Out” chants, 14 months since he turned on his Shield brothers, and can get the crowd hot against him the moment he walks out, real heel heat, something the WWE has been missing.
We were seeing a nice slow build feud with his Authority mentor Triple H which we will have to now wait to his return to see. Seth Rollins time at the top of the WWE has ended in an unfortunate way, but I firmly believe it will not be the last we will see him there.
Thank You Seth, you will be missed over the next 6-9 months
Seth Rollins 2015 TV/PPV title defenses:
– steel cage win vs. Randy Orton (04/26/15 Extreme Rules PPV)
– pinfall vs. Orton, Reigns, Ambrose (05/17/15 Payback PPV)
– DQ retention vs. Dean Ambrose (05/31/15 E. Chamber PPV)
– Ladder match win vs. Dean Ambrose (06/14/15 MITB PPV)
– No Finish retention vs. Brock Lesnar (07/19/15 Battleground PPV)
– pinfall vs. Neville (08/03/15 Raw TV)
– DQ loss retention vs. Randy Orton (08/10/15 Raw TV)
– pinfall vs. John Cena (08/23/15 Summerslam PPV)
– pinfall vs. Sting (09/20/15 Night of Champions PPV)
– vs. Kane (10/25/15 HIAC PPV)
See you next week
Craig Higham
