Seth Rollins, the current World Heavyweight Champion, has been constantly overlooked as the potential face of the WWE ever since he betrayed The Shield in 2014 and carved his path to the top. Quite frankly, WWE has let so many men pass him by on the hierarchical ladder within the main event scene, including Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, and even CM Punk. Whenever a new superstar debuts or returns to the company, WWE positions Seth as the official gatekeeper whom they can trust to create a compelling program with that newcomer or returning superstar.
WWE executed this exact formula for Seth’s program with Cody Rhodes in 2022, as well as his program with CM Punk more recently. However, that usually translates into a massive push for those stars, rather than appreciation for Seth Rollins himself. No matter how good he is in the ring and on the microphone, this type of booking has made Seth Rollins the undeniable third wheel of professional wrestling. However, there was a moment when WWE did put all the eggs in the Seth Rollins basket, and they unfortunately dropped the ball with that decision six years ago.
They gave him the chip back in 2019, and he failed to run with it after what was a fiasco of a title reign that commenced in an awkward mixed tag feud with his wife, Becky Lynch, and culminated in an abysmal feud with Bray Wyatt that is notoriously remembered for that fallacious finish inside Hell in a Cell. When Seth was Intercontinental Champion in 2018, he worked well as a babyface and was organically popular with the fanbase in what was a revival from his injury setback after breaking away from The Shield. But, when he finally became Universal Champion in 2019, it didn’t click the same.
Some fingers were pointed at the administration for wrongfully micromanaging Seth’s title reign in ways that hindered the organic connection Rollins had with the fans. Other fingers were pointed at Seth for not handling the pressure appropriately as the world champion. After all the WrestleMania victories he attained and massive moments he created, especially the heist of the century at WrestleMania 31, that have been ingrained in the fanbase’s minds, it was questionable as to why Seth did not fit the framework to be the “top guy” in the WWE. It truly became a head scratcher.
However, when one finally takes away all of the injury setbacks he had in his first run as WWE Champ and one takes away all of the managerial setbacks he had in his run as Universal Champ, look no further than this new and improved version of Seth Rollins in 2025, who had the biggest win of his career by defeating Roman Reigns and CM Punk in the same night at WrestleMania 41. When Seth says that he is the past, the present, and the future, he is not lying. He is as timeless as they come. The fact that WWE can put him anywhere on the card and he can fit like a glove is eminently telling.
And to add the cherry on top, he’s paired up with a mad genius in Paul Heyman in an impeccable and dominant faction that is elevating young, rising talent like Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed to ensure the future of this business. Rollins is singlehandedly redesigning, rebuilding, and reclaiming his legacy with the work he is doing at this moment. Now that he performed the ruse of the millennium by faking an injury to cash in MITB and become World Champion, the hard work gets tougher. Can this version of Seth Rollins finally have a memorable title reign at the top of the mountain?
Since he’s at his best as a heel and is the MVP of WWE today, it’s difficult to argue against it. Seth is a big red target with Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Jey Uso, and LA Knight on his tail. That’s exactly what Raw needs: a champion worth fighting against. Unlike other champs before him, Seth brings that urgency back to the table. He’s no longer just the Architect. He’s no longer just the Monday Night Messiah. He’s no longer just the Visionary or the Revolutionary. And most importantly, he’s no longer just the third wheel. Seth Rollins has now become the second top player… right behind Cody Rhodes.
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