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Although WWE has scheduled the Universal Championship match between Seth Rollins and The Fiend at Hell in a Cell, WWE fans in Calgary and Edmonton were given the very first opportunity to see a match between the two. Each time the two Superstars met in the ring, Rollins retained his Universal Championship, after The Fiend refused to answer the five count, causing the referee to call for a DQ.
Unlike other house show bouts, the clash between Rollins and The Fiend received attention from all corners of the Internet. One of the most significant parts of the match involved Rollins hitting his patented curb stomp on Wyatt. However, Rollins could not even attempt a pin on The Fiend, as the former 'Eater of Worlds' literally no-sold the move. Wyatt took multiple stomps, but still stood tall in the end.
In this slideshow, we will take a look at a few reasons why The Fiend no-sold Seth Rollins' curb stomps. We extend a special thanks to those who took pictures and filmed video for the event. Readers may view the match in full at the end of this slideshow.
#3. To make The Fiend look like a monster
The Fiend has turned RAW into a must-watch show with brilliant segments, however we have not seen much of his resiliency. The Fiend had a match against Finn Balor, but barely used any defense in his dominant SummerSlam debut.
So far, only a handful of WWE Superstars have kicked out of the curb stomp. The list includes notables like Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar, and John Cena, but gets even shorter when we narrow it down to Superstars who have endured multiple stomps in the same bout. Only Strowman and Lesnar - two of the most resilient Superstars in WWE - have kicked out of multiple stomps in the same match.
With Wyatt no-selling the stomps from Rollins, WWE told us that The Fiend belongs in the top tier of WWE's food chain.
#2. To test the audience reaction
WWE often uses house shows to practice some of the spots that are to be performed during an upcoming PPV, or even an upcoming episode of RAW or SmackDown. This is done to test the live reaction before things are televised to a worldwide audience. Seth Rollins and Baron Corbin clashed at numerous house shows and most of their featured spots were used during the Universal Title clash at WWE Stomping Grounds.
WWE may be trying the same in this case. As previously mentioned, only a few Superstars have ever survived the curb stomp. No-selling a protected finishing move - like the stomp - during an ordinary house show did surprise many fans. Rollins did not even get a chance to pin Wyatt after the first stomp. Without any hesitation, Wyatt rose back up to his feet and sent a tremor across the WWE Universe.
#1. To bring in more eyes to house shows
House shows are important for WWE. In one calendar year, WWE Superstars are on the road for approximately three hundred days and most of these are for house shows.
Much of the WWE Universe does not care about what happens during a house show (or even dark matches after RAW and SmackDown). Many WWE fans simply choose not to attend these shows and that is why there are often sections of the crowd tarped off.
However, things might now be changing. Since The Fiend kicked out of one of the most protected finishers in the company and proceeded to no-sell the move, the WWE Universe began talking incessantly about it.
WWE fans have begun taking sides, with divided opinion on whether no-selling a finisher was appropriate or not. This buzz is exactly what WWE hoped to achieve and will hopefully help bring more fans to house shows.
Video of the Universal Title clash between Seth Rollins and The Fiend Bray Wyatt
