WWE: Seth Rollins proved some of his critics wrong this weekend

Seth Rollins capped off SummerSlam 2019 with a stunning upset over Brock Lesnar to regain the Universal Championship. The win could go a long way to sway even his most staunch critics.

Seth Rollins has had an eventful, and sometimes head-scratching, year so far. After he lost the Intercontinental Championship to Dean Ambrose in December, he clawed his way back to the top of the card when he won Royal Rumble and went on to challenge Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania.

Rollins defeated “The Beast” at the “The Show of Shows” and finally became the “top guy” on Monday Night Raw. However, his first reign as Universal Champion was underwhelming.

“The Architect” had reached the height of his success with the company since he returned in 2016. He’s dating the current face of the women’s division, Becky Lynch. Even more, he delivered an acclaimed dream match with his longtime idol, AJ Styles, at Money in the Bank in May.

Still, something seemed like it was missing. Rollins was popular as ever, but he didn’t receive the reception you would expect following his hot streak in 2018. It didn’t help that WWE put him in an extended feud with Baron Corbin for the last few months. No disrespect to Corbin, but it wasn’t the type of program that would excite most fans after such a good match with Styles.

His highly publicized onscreen relationship with Lynch also slowed his momentum. Some fans felt it was contrived and the couple didn’t have the chemistry to justify so much screen time. Rollins also rubbed a lot of people the wrong way with his now notorious press run over the last few weeks and his recent behavior on Twitter.

When Lesnar cashed in to regain the Universal Championship at Extreme Rules, it felt like Rollins’ reign never got the chance to reach its full potential. It also didn’t get a chance to ascend past the weight of his new overbearing company man schtick. Despite what anyone may think of his attempts to defend WWE, he is one of the best wrestlers on the roster and he didn’t get to showcase that much as the champion.

Rollins’ chances of regaining the title looked slim after Lesnar brutally attacked him two weeks ago on the Jul. 29 episode of Raw. Still, the challenger defiantly marched into SummerSlam and guaranteed he would defeat “The Beast” again. This all just felt a lot like Roman Reigns’s quest to become Universal Champion in 2018, so we all expected similar results.

Instead, Seth Rollins delivered the type of gutsy performance that left fans in awe in the past. He nimbly countered Brock’s german suplexes and surprised him with a stiff superkick. Then he quickly followed it up with a Curb Stomp for the first near fall. Then the champion predictably targeted his rib and regained control.

The crowd seemed tentatively invested. Nonetheless, when Rollins somehow managed to execute a painful-looking frog splash through the commentary table, he effectively gained their support. After he hit Lesnar with a second Curb Stomp, you could feel the tide of the match change but a win still felt unthinkable.

So, once he landed a third and pinned the champion to regain the title the Toronto erupted for one of – if not, the – loudest pop of the night. Yes, it was a tad unrealistic, but it was exactly the kind of feat of willpower that made most of us fans of professional wrestling. It was a pleasant surprise and the definitive win “The Beast Slayer” needed to prove he’s a better champion than Lesnar four months ago.

Watching Seth Rollins turn that skeptical crowd was amazing. It’s a moment many wrestlers dream of when they perform on such a big stage. There may be some valid criticism of Rollins outside of the ring, but his performance on Sunday silenced the detractors who claimed he’s not a capable world champion.

If nothing else, it proved he has the mettle and storytelling ability to continue to carry Raw as its main champion.