4 biggest mistakes WWE made with Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins has had an incredible career in pro wrestling and more so in WWE. He broke into the industry all the way back in 2004. He rose through the ranks, working in Wrestling Society X, IWA-MS, and Ring of Honor before eventually joining World Wrestling Entertainment.
Since joining the sports entertainment juggernaut, he has found a ton of success. Rollins is a premium live event headliner, including WrestleMania 40. He is a multi-time world champion and he has been a regular on television for over a decade.
Still, not everything has been peachy with The Visionary's run in the biggest wrestling company. With the bulk of his career in the promotion happening under the watchful eyes of Vince McMahon, there have been some major fumbles with his booking.
This article will take a look at four of the biggest mistakes made during Rollins' time in World Wrestling Entertainment. This includes one of the worst matches ever and his general presentation in the promotion.
Below are the four biggest mistakes WWE made with Seth Rollins.
#4. WWE should have turned him babyface upon his return in 2016
Seth Rollins was in a prime spot by November 2015. He was the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and had been for many months. Unfortunately, during a live event, he suffered a serious knee injury and had to give up his title and take time off to recover.
The Visionary returned at Extreme Rules 2016. He nailed Roman Reigns with a Pedigree following The Big Dog's match with AJ Styles. WWE fans erupted and cheered for Seth, excited to see such an incredible performer back, even if he had previously been a heel.
Despite fans wanting to cheer for him, Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment decided to keep him a heel. This just made fans annoyed, but not with Seth, and it likely contributed to the audience further rejecting Roman Reigns as a top babyface. This was a mistake and fans did not like it.
#3. Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch teaming up was a failure
WWE performers are often on the road and in the spotlight non-stop. This can make balancing a personal and romantic life difficult and it often leads to wrestlers dating each other. Seth Rollins is no stranger to this, as he dated and is now married to Becky Lynch.
Due to their relationship getting significant buzz online, Vince McMahon and WWE decided to have Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins team up on television in 2019. The pair feuded with Lacey Evans and Baron Corbin. The storyline did not work. It simply wasn't good television.
Fans didn't buy into the angle at all. Becky Lynch was better off on her own and the chemistry between the two on-screen felt off. It hurt both of their respective stocks as babyface performers and it didn't ultimately elevate Lacey, nor Baron, and thus was a mistake all around.
#2. The Fiend vs. The Kingslayer was tragically bad
Seth Rollins is known for putting on amazing matches almost every time he steps into the ring. Be it utilizing his power or speed, the WWE Universe knows Seth puts his all into every bout. His record for great matches is what made Hell in a Cell 2019 such a disaster.
The Visionary went one-on-one with The Fiend, a character portrayed by Bray Wyatt. The two clashed in a red Hell in a Cell with red lighting, which immediately made an unappealing visual to the eye. The Fiend's unstoppable monster gimmick also made the bout difficult to produce.
As if that wasn't enough, Seth and the referee were practically fighting over how far to take the assault on The Fiend and the match ended via disqualification only for Bray to attack Rollins post-match. It was an all-time bad bout. Things only became worse when Rollins lost the title to The Fiend in Saudi Arabia weeks later. This was a stinker.
#1. He was never treated as a true ace under Vince McMahon
The biggest mistake made with Seth Rollins throughout his WWE career wasn't just one particular action though. Instead, it was reflective of his booking overall throughout most of his run. Rollins was very rarely treated like the absolute top guy, especially under Vince McMahon.
While Seth ruled NXT and later RAW under Triple H, Vince always had him as a heel who needed a lot of help or a second or third-string babyface. McMahon, for whatever reason, never positioned Seth as the top guy of WWE or even of whatever brand he was on. He was often a main event guy by name only.
Not positioning someone as talented as Seth as the top guy was a mistake, but thankfully, it was redeemed under Triple H. His World Heavyweight Title run proved Seth could be a top babyface and the number one star on a brand. Vince just didn't see it.