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Seth Rollins’ return will be one of the greatest comebacks of all-time. Read on to see who he could feud with upon return.
The WWE Universe is in absolute shock with the news that Seth Rollins’ will be out for 6-9 months and that he will be vacating the WWE World Heavyweight Title.
In the last couple years, the WWE has been undergoing a face lift, and Seth Rollins has been instrumental in the ushering in WWE’s next generation. Until now, Rollins hasn’t missed a Monday Night Raw since his debut with the Shield. His commitment to the fans and the WWE was rewarded relatively early—and deservedly so—with his first WWE Heavyweight Title win back at WrestleMania 31.
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Throughout that time span, Seth Rollins has put on some absolute classic matches with the likes of John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and practically every other main event player on the WWE roster. Night in and night out, Seth Rollins has stolen the show, carrying himself like a true professional every step of the way.
So it’s no surprise that his injury is a devastating blow to the WWE, especially since so many of the major stars that the WWE would usually turn to in a situation like this—John Cena, Randy Orton, etc.—are also off of WWE television for the time being. That leaves a huge void for plenty of rising stars to step up and claim the top spot on the card.
It’s hard to predict what the state of the WWE will be when Seth Rollins returns, but the timing of his comeback is estimated to be close to SummerSlam. The WWE will want to capitalize and set up a huge main event for the biggest show of the summer.
Seth Rollins will be in that main event, and here are five possible to set up that match.
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Sheamus
Two things are pretty much given regarding Seth Rollin’s return:
- He will return as a face
- He will tout the fact that he never officially lost the title
Sheamus, the current Money in the Bank holder, will need to cash in his briefcase before the next Money in the Bank pay-per-view, and it’s very likely that cash-in will be successful. It’s also very likely that people will be chanting “You look stupid” at Sheamus, and that he will still be playing the part of the angry, pasty bully.
Let’s get this straight: no one likes Sheamus.
He plays a heel so incredibly well that it’s rare to find anyone cheering for the Celtic Warrior. That dislike will increase ten-fold if he’s running roughshod across the entire roster as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, bragging and boasting about how he’s a real man and how nobody can beat him.
And that’s where Seth Rollins comes in.
If Seth Rollins’ music hits while Sheamus is standing in the ring with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship around his waist, the crowd will be 100% behind Rollins. Rollins should be able to earn himself a spot as the number one contender since he had to vacate the title, setting up a showdown at SummerSlam.
The concept of Seth Rollins pinning Sheamus—let alone anyone pinning Sheamus—is something everyone can root for. And it could be the start of a long face run for Seth Rollins.
Next: Picking Up Where We Left Off
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Roman Reigns
This one is fitting from a story perspective since it’s essentially picking up where they left off.
Reigns vs. Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Title is on infinite hiatus for the time being, but taking into account Reigns’ current trajectory, he is a frontrunner for being the WWE Champion come next summer.
The intrigue lies in that the crowd will be so much more torn about this matchup if it’s built on the momentum of Seth Rollins’ return. If Roman Reigns is in the midst of a long title run come SummerSlam, odds are that older fans will be sick of him in the same vein as John Cena. Add in the SummerSlam crowd, which has historically been inclined to cheer for the clean-cut babyface, and the atmosphere could rival that of Money in the Bank ’11 when CM Punk faced John Cena for the belt.
By no means would Seth Rollins be the hometown hero that Punk was in the match at Money in the Bank, but Rollins would similarly portray the role of the antihero—the man that the WWE doesn’t want people cheering for.
Under the right circumstances, the match has the potential to keep the crowd on their feet from bell to bell, and could be the true torch to signify the changing of the WWE guard, cementing the arrival of the next generation of Superstars.
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Bray Wyatt
Come next summer, the Wyatt Family could easily have conquered the WWE Universe.
It isn’t guaranteed that Bray Wyatt will ever be the WWE World Heavyweight Champion; however, the timing of Rollins injury could leave the door wide open for the Wyatts.
Seth Rollins was the cornerstone of the Authority, and as it stands they do not have a plan-b (ironic) to take Rollins’ place to maintain control over the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. And while the Authority has significantly weakened, the Wyatt Family is growing stronger every day.
Why wouldn’t they set their sights on the championship?
Between now and Seth Rollins’ return, the Wyatt Family could continue to expand, eventually reaching levels similar to the Undertaker’s Ministry of Darkness. Bray Wyatt and his followers would cast a black cloud over the WWE, destroying everyone and everything in their path.
Everyone except Seth Rollins (cue the drums)…
Just when things are at their bleakest, Seth Rollins swoops in and saves the day. Rollins, whose injury has given him a new perspective on life, rallies the locker room, and as a united front, with Seth Rollins leading the charge, the Superstars take back the WWE from the Wyatt Family.
Confetti rains down from the ceiling, children forever sing songs of Seth Rollins’ heroic feats, and peace returns to the WWE Universe.
That is, until the next night on Raw…
Hey… It could happen.
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Triple H
I mentioned that the Authority doesn’t have a plan-b lined up to take Rollins’ place atop the WWE, but let’s be real: This is the Authority we’re talking about. There is always a plan-b.
Much like what befell Randy Orton during Seth Rollins’ rise, the Authority could phase out Seth Rollins and find some other young gun to be their golden boy. Rollins, who has been the ardent team player—the one who stuck with the Authority even when they were ousted from power—understandably takes offense to being forsaken. And when Seth Rollins returns, he confronts Triple H, who responds with three simple words: “It’s just business.”
Boom. Grudge match.
Rollins goes from being the man who was at the Authority’s beck and call to being the man who makes the Authority’s life a living hell.
It’s trite to think about it as the next generation’s Austin versus McMahon, but the similarities would be thick throughout. Furthermore, Triple H doesn’t appear to be getting out of wrestling shape anytime soon, so Triple H versus Seth Rollins wouldn’t necessarily need to be a one-and-done, either.
Seth Rollins’ return next summer could mark the beginning of a longstanding rivalry between the Man and the Man in Charge.
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Daniel Bryan
It doesn’t get any bigger.
Think about it. Really think about it.
By next summer, Daniel Bryan—pending he’s medically cleared—should be back from injury. He may or may not be the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at that point, but he and Seth Rollins will both have something very important in common: neither of them have ever lost the title.
So maybe we find ourselves in the circumstances we do today, and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship has once again been vacated. Who better to compete for the belt than the two men who are owed an official rematch?
The hype surrounding the match could delve all the way back to Bryan and Rollins’ history in ROH, and it would culminate in two of the arguably most-talented in-ring performers of this generation facing off one-on-one for biggest prize in wrestling.
It would be the type of feud where there would be no good guy or bad guy, just two men who have devoted their entire lives to the same dream putting on what could be the greatest match of all time.
There isn’t a wrestling fan alive who wouldn’t want to see Seth Rollins versus Daniel Bryan for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and Seth Rollins’ return could be the first act of that epic showdown.
With that being said, what do you think? Who do you want to see Seth Rollins face upon his return? What do you think the WWE will be the state of the WWE at that time? Speak your mind in the comments below.
Next: 5 Choices to Replace Seth Rollins as WWE Champion
Follow Eugene Schacht on Twitter @EugeneSchacht or visit his website at www.storyboss.com.