10 New Era Superstars who had to come up the hard way

2. Seth Rollins

Rebuilt, redesigned, still to reclaim.

Considered by many to be one of the most talented wrestlers to step inside the squared circle, Seth Rollins’s path to wrestling glory started in backyard matches which he would put up with his brother every month. He made his professional debut in 2005 for Scott County Wrestling, Iowa under the ring name ‘Tyler Black’. Having soon won the SCW Heavyweight Championship, he had the belt spray painted black, claiming to have begun ‘The Black Era’ in SCW.

Initially a tag performer, Black secured titles in National Wrestling Alliance Midwest and Pro Wrestling Guerilla before embarking on a singles career as a result of an injury which his ring partner had sustained. Moving on to Ring of Honor, he formed the stable ‘The Age of the Fall’, leading to a controversial angle where their opponent Jay Briscoe was hung from a used rigging. In 2007, Black had secured the ROH World Tag Team Championship along with Jimmy Jacobs, only to lose it the following month.

He began competing for the ROH World Championship and in 2010, pinned Austin Aries for the belt . This reign would last for 210 days till his final match at ROH following the signing of a developmental contract with the WWE. Turning heel, Black derided the ROH fans for calling him a sell-out but could not defend his title from Roderick Strong.

Tyler Black’s explosiveness inside the ring would attract several offers post-ROH. Deciding to remain with the WWE, he debuted for Florida Championship Wrestling under the name Seth Rollins. Though he lost his debut match, Rollins would go on to win the FCW Championship as well as the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship. While there, he would have memorable feuds with Dean Ambrose, Damien Sandow, and Leo Kruger.

With FCW getting branded to NXT, there was space for a new championship. Rollins became the inaugural NXT Champion by winning the deciding tournament.

Rollins’s made an impactful debut in the main roster as a part of the notorious stable ‘The Shield’. From then to his return from injury at Extreme Rules, 2016, he has carved out a trail for himself in the business. He has been involved in some of the most jaw-dropping moments in recent WWE history, including a stupefying Money in the Bank cash-in at Wrestlemania 31.

With unparalleled ring psychology, experienced skill set and brilliant mic skills, Rollins’s presence in any WWE program elevates its entertainment quotient, often to stratospheric levels.