WWE: It’s Time for Seth Rollins to Enter the Universal Title Picture

After defending the Intercontinental Title in an impressive match against the Miz at Backlash, Seth Rollins once again proved that he has the capacity to carry a WWE main event. It’s time to give him a shot at Brock Lesnar and the Universal Title.

Despite a fairly lukewarm and even negative overall reception to 2018’s WWE Backlash pay-per-view, one match stood above the rest at the end of the night: Seth Rollins vs. The Miz for the Intercontinental Title. Even more surprisingly, it was the opening match of the night that turned out to be a standout match. Rollins defeated the Miz to retain, and this added to the list of extremely impressive performances that Rollins has had this year. Will Rollins move up into the Universal Title picture? He definitely should, and there are several reasons for this.

The Monday Night Raw Gauntlet Match

The first signs of Seth being a standout performer in 2018 came on a pre-Elimination Chamber episode of Raw, where the Chamber competitors were pitted against one another in a Gauntlet Match. As we ourselves witnessed, despite Braun Strowman emerging victorious in the match, Rollins was the real star after defeating Roman Reigns and John Cena before being finally taken down by Elias in a 65-minute feat of endurance.

While it was disheartening to see his dominant performance stopped by Elias, two big realizations came from this: first, his defeat came at the hands of his own endurance, not necessarily of Elias’ skill alone. I’m not trying to bury Elias, but we have to understand that 65 minutes is a long time for someone to be in the ring, especially against men like Reigns and Cena. That length of time definitely took a toll, which brings us to the other realization: the two that Rollins pinned are both legendary main eventers. Love him or hate him, Reigns has had his fair share of main events across numerous pay-per-views, and that goes for Big Match John, too. The fact that he was able to defeat these two speaks very highly for Rollins’ chances of moving up.

Wrestlemania 34 and the IC Title

Rollins went on to survive 35 minutes in the Chamber. But, it was his Wrestlemania 34 performance that caught our attention again. This came just before Miz was able to surpass Pedro Morales’ combined reign of 619 days with the Intercontinental Title. Rollins was able to steal the belt for himself in a standout Wrestlemania bout, cementing him among the legendary list of Grand Slam champions. This accomplishment proves Rollins’ versatility, and makes him an even better Universal candidate.

The Greatest Intercontinental Ladder Match

Rollins’ first big defense opportunity came during WWE’s trip to Saudi Arabia during the Greatest Royal Rumble. There was no guarantee that Rollins would win the match. He’d have to contend with Miz, Finn Balor, and Samoa Joe to continue his reign. He didn’t play a large role through most of the match, but his moment to shine came at the finish. As Balor was climbing the ladder to pull down the belt, Rollins rushed to the apron, climbed to the top rope, and used it as a springboard to win. This showed us that Rollins was willing to go the extra mile when the title is on the line.

This was accented by Rollins’ declaration on Raw to be a fighting champion, the opposite of Brock Lesnar. We’ve seen a lot of Reigns vs. Lesnar recently in the Universal Title picture. But that declaration, coupled with his recent standout performances, helped elevate him to the level of Reigns and Lesnar. He vowed that he would be someone who works every week to defend the belt he rightfully earned. That placed him in even higher regard among the WWE Universe.

Defending the Title at Backlash

But it was his most recent performance that, in my opinion, elevates him to the level of a Universal Champion. As previously mentioned, Backlash 2018 wasn’t all that impressive. But, the opening match of the night had the crowd fired up: Seth Rollins vs. The Miz for the IC Title. After kicking out of not one, but two Skull-Crushing Finales, Rollins was able to go on and win the match.

So who else is ready to be elevated to the Universal Title picture? Of course, Roman Reigns will most likely always be involved (because he’s Roman Reigns), but the Universe has made it clear very recently: we want someone else. Braun Strowman would be another excellent pick, as almost everything he does elicits a very positive reaction. Putting Rollins over as ‘the guy’ really means something right now. I think what puts him over Strowman right now in my book (despite my intense love of Braun’s work) is simply his desire to defend his championship.

There’s a story that’s already developing here: superstars are growing tired of Brock’s part-timer attitude. Roman has made it very clear that he doesn’t appreciate Brock taking advantage of the system. Roman’s not getting the job done after a couple of big losses, though. Seth isn’t happy about the situation either, and he’s been defending his belt in some incredible matches. Rollins and Lesnar are against one another, and it’s only a matter of time before they fight. However, it’s important to note that Reigns, Strowman, or someone else could always beat him before Rollins does.

Next: WWE Backlash 2018: Results, Highlights, Analysis, and Grades

What’s Next?

There are a lot of questions that need answered before Seth moves up. Who will take the Intercontinental Title? Does the feud between Reigns and Lesnar end? Where does Strowman stand in the bigger picture? Rollins has a lot of stiff competition for the Universal Title. However, because he’s on such a hot streak right now, it wouldn’t make sense to not put him in the picture. The Universe is growing tired of Lesnar every day. It’s time for the Kingslayer to work his magic again.