WWE Raw: Heading Into 2019, Seth Rollins Is The Closer

Seth Rollins had sensational match after sensational match in 2018, and he closed the Christmas Eve episode of WWE Raw with a big win over Baron Corbin to boost his momentum heading into 2019 in this “new era” of WWE.

When making a shortlist of the best wrestlers on WWE Raw this year, Seth Rollins had to be the first name on the list. Though the likes of Ronda Rousey, Sasha Banks, Finn Balor, Bayley, Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, and Braun Strowman had their moments this year, nobody set as high of a bar as Rollins did night in and night out, and it goes beyond his wins over John Cena and Reigns in a career-defining Gauntlet Match at the beginning of the year.

On the Christmas Eve episode of Raw, WWE‘s resident Architect added another strong performance to his lengthy list this year, defeating Baron Corbin in a must-win match for both men. Corbin was reeling after being ousted as the Raw GM, and he already lost to Rollins on the go-home episode of Raw prior to TLC in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.

Rollins, of course, won that impromptu gimmick match by the skin of his teeth, using his guile and determination to defeat Corbin in the midst of the former GM elect’s underhanded tactics. However, it was a pyrrhic victory for Rollins, who incurred so much damage that it costed him the Intercontinental Championship against bitter rival Dean Ambrose.

With fire in his heart and rage in his mind, Rollins took the fight to Corbin, wailing on the larger opponent and hitting Corbin with jarring suicide dives. He filleted Corbin outside the ring with chops, countered would-have-been devastating moves from the former Constable, and showed off the fleet-feet and fleeter mind that have made Rollins one of the most popular superstars in WWE this year.

To close the Christmas Eve episode of Raw, Rollins stood with his hands raised and his head held high. Though Raw will have the New Year’s Eve episode, this match against Corbin held meaning in capping off Rollins’s sensational 2018. After all, it came soon after Rollins opened up about how much this year has meant to him both personally and professionally, and fans can tell that just by how he carries himself in the ring every time he’s out there.

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Balor, Owens, McIntyre, and Dolph Ziggler are among the many opponents Rollins has had great matches with this year. Whether it’s tag matches, multi-man matches, gimmicked matches, or Intercontinental Championship bouts against surprise opponents, Rollins has managed to capture the imagination of the crowd whenever he’s out there. His matches build on one another, the finishes are creative, and the moves are paced frenetically in a style that mirrors what many WWE fans want to see when they tune in to Monday Night Raw.

And the fact that he main evented the Christmas Eve show speaks volumes. Rollins is WWE Raw’s “closer” going forward. In baseball, the closer is the pitcher who has ice in their veins and delivers in high-pressure situations to end the game. The closer isn’t just the person you trust; they are the person you want to see with everything on the line.

Seth Rollins is that guy for WWE’s flagship show. When the fans chanted “This is boring” at his match against Dean Ambrose, it wasn’t out of any sort of animosity or even ambivalence towards Rollins, whom they cheer forcefully during his comebacks or his stomps. No, it was a statement that they were disappointed that the Ambrose vs. Rollins match was paced slower and didn’t feature those big moves from Seth. They voiced their disappointment and not getting to see the version of Rollins’s wrestling that has carried Raw for months this year.

In spite of the rumors, WWE hasn’t soured on Rollins. If they were so upset by the crowd’s reaction to that match, why would he main event the Christmas Eve episode of Raw over two championship matches and a Triple Threat involving three other big stars on Raw? Why would Michael Cole, Renee Young, and Corey Graves continue to hype him up on commentary? Why would he essentially dominate Corbin in a showcase match on a holiday episode.

The reasons are two-fold. Firstly, they believe in Rollins, and in this alleged “new era” that gives the fans what they want, Rollins will play a key role for WWE in delivering on this promise (particularly when it comes to putting on higher-quality matches).

Secondly, they wanted to send the crowd home happy. To do that, they picked Rollins, because they know how much the Raw crowd gets behind him. And that’s why he’s become the closer.