The Evolution of Seth Rollins

Last Monday Night Raw saw the most compelling heel turn in a long time when Seth Rollins betrayed his comrades and unofficially joined the dark side. For those who missed it, Roman Reigns was scheduled to take on Randy Orton in a singles contest. As Orton and Triple H made their way to the ring, Rollins smashed Reigns in the back with a chair and then proceeded to beat down his former stablemates before handing over to the remaining two members of Evolution (as Batista had quit earlier that night).

It was indeed jaw dropping moment but more than anything, it was painful for fans who had followed the Shield since their debut and had grown to become emotionally invested in them. The Shield debuted as a heel stable that targeted the biggest babyfaces at the time such as Ryback and the Rock but it wasn’t long before their impressive ring-work endeared them to fans. During their feud with the Wyatt Family, the group teased signs of dissolving but in the end all members were able to see eye to eye.

On March 7, 2014, the Shield officially turned face by rebelling against the Authority and got embroiled in a feud with Triple H the night after WrestleMania 30. The Shield was a group that epitomized synergy, exerting dominance through their methodical 3-on-1 attacks. After having taken out literally every credible full time wrestler and settling their differences, watching Rollins leave hurt a lot.

It would be interesting to see what Rollins has to say about his actions on Raw. Personally I’d like him to cut a promo complaining about being the most overlooked member of the Shield. Despite being the only one to win the NXT Championship, Reigns was favored by everybody to be the breakout star of the group and the Undertaker challenged Dean Ambrose to a match when it should have been him.

He could then say he was the most giving member of the group in that he always put the Shield first (referencing to Ambrose and Reigns’s arguments leading up to their matches with the Wyatts) and how he has paid dearly for it (in being the member to take the most pinfalls). He’ll claim to go to a group where his efforts will be appreciated and he can grow into a big star and win singles gold. The next logical step would probably be for Rollins to get in a feud with Ambrose while Triple H and Reigns stat building to their big SummerSlam match. The most optimistic of fans may be hoping for Rollins to be an undercover spy still aligned with the Shield, but I doubt this will be the case.

The breakup of this exciting group is a bitter pill to swallow but at the end of the day it’s what’s “best for business”. It finally opens the door for singles pushes for all three members, who undoubtedly can become main eventers in the company.

In addition, it allows Rollins to further develop his character, but most importantly, it proves that despite the predictable behavior WWE has been exhibiting these recent years, they can indeed give the fans a big shock every now and again, which at the end of the day creates a more exciting and engrossing product.

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