16-time WWE champion discloses his intentions to main event WrestleMania 40
Roman Reigns has closed out seven WrestleManias and counting, including the last three editions of WWE's annual extravaganza. The only time Seth Rollins was able to do so was when he cashed-in during his former stablemate's first Show of Shows main event vs. Brock Lesnar in 2015.
Today, Seth "Freakin" Rollins is the World Heavyweight Champion. He has held a title on 16 different occasions in WWE and is scheduled to be part of Saturday night's Payback event, with the contest between him and Shinsuke Nakamura being the sole world title program on the show.
Seth Rollins spoke about having the marquee match and the possibility of finally getting to close out WrestleMania while doing an interview for WWE After The Bell. The red brand's top champion claimed that it doesn't matter if it is against Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes or even Brock Lesnar, Rollins is gunning for the ultimate prize of headlining The Grandest Stage of Them All:
"And [then] I'm always looking at WrestleMania, man. I'm looking at the biggest box office you can get. I'm looking at the main event in Philadelphia next year. That's what I want. I'm always going to be looking at that. Whether that's Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins, whether that's Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins, Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins, I mean, who knows?" [49:57-50:27]
The Visionary continued:
"Anybody on the outside wants to come in and take a shot... Whatever is going to put me on the marquee, the main spot at WrestleMania, my eyes are always there for that," the World Heavyweight Champion said.
Will Seth Rollins face Roman Reigns instead of top WWE Superstar at WrestleMania 40?
While it is still too early for WWE to freeze their plans for the Showcase of Immortals next year in the City of Brotherly Love, it's safe to say that The Tribal Chief's opponent from WrestleMania 39 - Cody Rhodes - is expected to challenge him again. However, the WWE creative team has in its back pocket a match that is just waiting to happen:
Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins at the Royal Rumble in 2022 was a sleeper hit despite the screwy finish. In fact, it is the brilliant conclusion of that match that left fans wanting more. The story is incomplete and the two never got to tussle again.
Would you rather witness the Shield brothers face each other for the first time at WrestleMania or Cody Rhodes finish his story by putting the kibosh on the monumental reign of The Tribal Chief? Sound off in the comments section below!
If you use any of the quotes, please give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription while crediting the original source.