After Seth Rollins won the money in the bank back in 2014, everyone knew that he would win when he cashed it in. Seth had so much heat after he betrayed his brothers in the Shield and then joining the Authority was just the cherry on the #HeelTurn sundae. Seth had the world in the palm of his hand. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon backing him, Kane watching his back J and J Security being...cannon fodder when Dean Ambrose came looking for him, and the fans actively hating his character and then loving his matches.
Then the came the Coup de grâce, WrestleMania 31 when Seth cashed in the Money in the Bank briefcase during a match involving of all people Brock "I made John Cena look weak" Lesnar. And what does Seth do? He wins. He leaves WrestleMania The WWE Champion after losing that same night to Randy Orton. Seth Rollins had done what no one had been able to do. Take the title from Brock Lesnar. Seth Rollins was ready to start his reign. While the expectations for this run was high, it has so far been very lackluster.
Reports have come in that ratings are down since Seth has become champion and while that can't be blamed on him solely, you have to start with our champion. What happened? Wrestling fans were excited for Seth after WrestleMania (maybe because people thought Roman Reigns was going to win) and all of a sudden, he just got boring. His matches haven't been bad. As a matter of fact, his last two Pay Per View matches have been good. And maybe that is one of the issues. The matches have been good and not great. It's one thing to have a good match when you're a mid-card or an opening wrestler. When you are the WWE Champion, you're expected to blow the roof off the arena night in and night out.
That belt means you are the guy the company has trusted you to carry them. During Elimination Chamber, a friend of this writer brought up a good point about Seth. He hasn't defended his title and won clean yet. J&J Security or Kane always have to interfere in his matches to help him win. He was right. Every heel finds a way to win a match by hook or crook, but Seth absolutely has to find a way to start winning matches without the help of his goon squad. Since he is also no longer using the curb stomp and his pitiful looking Pedigree during Extreme Rules, Seth absolutely has to find a way to win matches on his own just like all of the great heels from Ric Flair, to Edge, to Triple H have done before him. While it's understandable that Triple H would pass down his move to "The future of the company" Seth should maybe get his own finisher.
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Another thing that has been weird is the WWE forcing us to watch Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins fight or interact every week. While the feud is great and has the potential to be among the greatest of all time, it seems forced. When Stone Cold and the Rock were rivals, they even took time away from each other to fight someone else. Whether it was Mick Foley, Triple H, Benoit, or Jericho, there was a good amount of space in between their conflicts. Dean and Seth won't fight for a month and will have matches away from each other and then they go right back to Dean versus Seth again. Seth still has unfinished business with Orton who beat him a WrestleMania.
Even if Orton weren’t the answer, it would be a great idea to have him fight someone other than the same three or four people. Kane is a perfect person for him to go after. The story line has been that they don't like each other. Seth thinks Kane is being too hard him and Kane thinks Seth is being a whiney little female dog. Why have the two not fought? No clue. Maybe it's in holding until the right time. Or how about giving a guy like Dolph Ziggler or Zack Ryder an actual shot. Both of these guys are great performers in and outside the ring and could easily give Seth some real competition and a new bread of person to fight.
He could fight someone almost as athletic as he is which means he'd have to find a new strength or talent to win the match and it also gives the fans something new to see. Maybe even bring up someone from NXT to fight him a few times on Raw. We would all love to see Seth go up against Sami Zayn or Finn Bálor. Even better, what about Seth versus "The Man that Gravity Forgot" Adrian Neville? He is easily more athletic than Seth Rollins is. That's not to say you give the NXT guys a title shot, but there is nothing wrong with them fighting on Raw a few times then on a Pay Per View. If we have learned anything from Brock Lesnar as champion it's to appreciate the world title and that it doesn't have to be defended every week or every Pay Per View.
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Long story short (TOO LATE), Seth Rollins hasn't been given the type of opponents or real opportunities to become a great champion. There is no doubt that he will one day be a hall of fame guy when the smoke clears. He can perform in the ring and as a heel he is very Edge like in a sense that he does things that make you hate him and hope he loses. Hopefully the WWE doesn't take this title run and never give him another chance at taking the ball and going with it. Seth can be the man, he just needs to be given a legitimate chance and not a half butted one.