Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins finally finished their 10-year-old story: 3 reasons it ended in The Tribal Chief's downfall

The ending of WrestleMania 40 Night Two's main event match witnessed absolute drama and acclaimed storytelling when Seth Rollins interfered and became one of the pivotal factors that cost Roman Reigns his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

The Visionary knew that to defeat The Tribal Chief physically, one needed to defeat him mentally, which only he could do. Therefore, Rollins worked as a pawn, luring his former Shield brother to hit him with a steel chair the same way he did 10 years ago.

Roman Reigns had the opportunity to hit the chair shot on Rhodes and win the match. However, he decided to take revenge on Seth Rollins for betraying him in 2014 because, after all these years, he finally got a chance. However, his decision to do so has backfired on him, and he dug his own grave.

Let's look at three reasons why The Visionary became the reason for Reigns' downfall at WrestleMania 40.

#3. Seth Rollins pricked on Roman Reigns' old scars

Prior to his appearance in the match, Seth Rollins played The Shield's theme song which in itself was a shot at Roman Reigns' weakness. Rollins then appeared with his black tactical vest and a steel chair in hand, which gave Roman flashbacks of the time he was betrayed.

The Visionary did not intend to attack, as he brought the steel chair only to rub salt in Roman's wounds and defeat him mentally. The Shield's theme song, along with its attire, was all set up to remind Roman Reigns of the time he regrets the most and divert his attention from Cody Rhodes.

Seth Rollins pricked on his former Shield brother's old scars, which became the reason for the latter's downfall. He knew that Roman would not be able to resist re-enacting that moment by using the steel chair the same way Rollins did on him 10 years ago.

#2. Seth Rollins became Cody Rhodes' shield

Seth Rollins promised Cody Rhodes to be his shield in his battle with Roman Reigns, and he did exactly that at WrestleMania 40. The Architect knew exactly what was necessary to bring down the monster he created a decade ago through his own actions.

Therefore, Rollins dedicated his entire WrestleMania to being Cody's shield, which later paved the way for Reigns' downfall. He shifted The Tribal Chief's attention towards him in the match and gave him the opportunity to hit the steel chair on his back to derive a sense of satisfaction, only to get diverted from Rhodes.

Seth Rollins kept protecting The American Nightmare throughout, even after losing his own title match and injuring his knee. His sacrifice paved the way for Cody Rhodes to end his story, which eventually fulfilled Rollins' promise.

The former World Heavyweight Champion acting as Rhodes' shield became one of the reasons for Roman Reigns' conquest at The Showcase of the Immortals.

#1. To add another chapter to Reigns-Rollins saga

Seth Rollins is the only superstar that Roman Reigns could not defeat in his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship run. The Visionary secured a victory via no-disqualification at Royal Rumble 2022, as he was successful in playing mind games with the former champion.

A similar story happened at WrestleMania 40 in the match between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, when Rollins once again proved to be his former Shield brother's biggest nightmare. He became the catalyst for ending The Tribal Chief's indomitable reign.

WWE seemingly wants to add yet another chapter to the Reigns-Rollins saga, which could culminate in the near future. Therefore, The Visionary played a predominant role in Roman's downfall, as the company laid the foundation at WrestleMania 40 for their potential storyline, which could be in the works.

In an attempt to exact his 10-year revenge on Rollins by hitting him in the back with a chair, Roman Reigns dug his own grave, which led to his downfall.

​