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Just a year ago, if someone would've told us that not only would Seth Rollins turn heel but also form a stable, we would have laughed it off. This time last year, Rollins was at the top of his game as a babyface. He was the most beloved male superstar on the Red brand, courtesy of his incredible reigns as Intercontinental Champion.
Rollins had earned the nickname of 'Monday Night Rollins' by constantly putting on the best matches on Monday Nights. Rollins was firing on all cylinders and was primed to be the one to dethrone Brock Lesnar and win the Universal Championship.
Rollins shocked the world at WrestleMania 35 by quickly defeating Lesnar to win the Universal Title. He followed it up with a MOTY contender against AJ Styles at Money In The Bank. This was followed by The Beastslayer feuding with Baron Corbin for the next few months which failed to click with the fans. Rollins' on-screen with Becky Lynch wasn't as well-received as one would have hoped and all of a sudden, Rollins found himself in deep water for the first time in years.
This was followed by Rollins' comments on social media defending WWE and his Twitter spat with Will Ospreay. Fans were turned off big time when The BeastSlayer decided to come to the defense of the company. But, the tipping point for Rollins as a Babyface was the finish to his match against 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt at Hell in a Cell. Fans were dejected by the abrupt ending to the match and Rollins had to face the brunt of the criticism. The cheers started turning into boos every time Rollins came to the ring. Rollins dropped the Universal Title to Wyatt at Crown Jewel.
After weeks and weeks of sub-par booking and the fan negativity surrounding Rollins, WWE took the unconventional route of turning their top Babyface heel. It all began with Rollins lashing out at the entire RAW roster following the brand's dismal performance at Survivor Series. Rollins fully embraced his turn to the dark side when he joined forces with the AOP and led an attack on Kevin Owens. The trio has been running rough shots over the entire RAW locker room since joining forces and thus week's RAW saw the group another member in the form of Buddy Murphy.
Rollins has been able to regain the trust of the WWE Universe with his recent turn to the dark side. Fans have been overtly positive about the pairing of Rollins and AOP.
Here are five potential opponents for Rollins at WrestleMania 36:
#5 John Cena
John Cena is at the rear end of his WWE career. The Cenation Leader has been away from WWE for over a year now. Apart from a few sporadic appearances here and there, Cena hasn't competed in a match in well over a year. With the 16-time World Champion signing one big Hollywood project after another, his WWE career has taken a backseat.
But, much like his predecessor, The Rock, Cena continues to be a great ambassador for the company. But, with WrestleMania 36 on the horizon, one can't help but think that the company has some plans for the man who was its 'franchise player' for over a decade.
There were reports of WWE wanting Cena to play a major role in WrestleMania 36 since it is being held in Tampa, Florida, a place where Cena lives. This will be the perfect opportunity for Cena to return to in-ring competition and have a short feud that would ultimately culminate in a match at WrestleMania 36. At 42 years of age, Cena is at the rear end of his run as an active WWE superstar and with a thriving career in Hollywood, Cena's time in the ring is very limited.
It will be a treat to see Rollins and Cena lock horns on The Grandest Stage of Them All. The duo has good chemistry and they have had a plethora of incredible matches over the past few years. If this feud were to materialize for 'Mania 36, we just hope that it doesn't go the Cena Vs The Nexus route and ends in Rollins getting his hand raised.
#4 Kevin Owens
It is kind of poetic (and ironic to an extent) that it was Kevin Owens who triggered a change in Seth Rollins' character. Just over three years ago, Rollins turned babyface after being betrayed by his mentor, Triple H, who would hand over the Universal Title to Owens. Rollins' transitioned into a good guy during his feud with Owens during the fall of 2016. It was initially reported that a match was scheduled between the two at TLC but it was shelved due to Rollins suffering a broken finger.
WWE has taken quite an unorthodox approach with Rollins-Owens feud. Instead of having the duo go at in Singles matches, they have stretched out the feud by adding in new characters like Samoa Joe, AOP, Big Show and most recently Buddy Murphy, to create a bigger story arc. This has meant that Rollins and Owens are yet to have a match with a proper finish.
Perhaps, the company is setting up a mouth-watering clash between the two at WrestleMania 36. WWE hasn't had a good track record when it comes to telling long-drawn stories but the way they have handled this feud does inspire confidence.
If Owens isn't going to be the one to face Brock Lesnar at 'Mania 36, it would make sense for him go up against The Beastslayer in Tampa. Rollins and Owens are two of the best in the business today and their match is surely going to be one of the highlights of 'Mania 36.
#3 Samoa Joe
Seth Rollins made an enemy out of 'The Samoan Submission Machine' after he had AOP attack, Samoa Joe after the trio had an altercation with him on RAW a few weeks ago. The attack on Joe by the AOP led to the former United States Championship ditching the announcer desk and returning to in-ring competition. Joe would align himself with Kevin Owens to try to take out Rollins and The AOP.
This isn't the first time when the 'Samoan Submission Machine' and 'The Architect' are at loggerheads. Back in 2016, Samoa Joe debuted on the main roster when he attacked Rollins on the behalf of Triple H on the RAW after Royal Rumble. The duo had a brief feud following WrestleMania 33 which sadly wasn't as great as many had hoped.
However, now with the roles being reversed and Joe back to being to a babyface, this feud already feels like a bigger deal than it was four years ago. Joe defying Seth isn't something the Monday Night Messiah is going to take lightly and we can all be assured that he will do everything to make life difficult for the California-native.
#2 Randy Orton
Seth Rollins has an almost near-perfect record at The Showcase of Immortals. The Monday Night Messiah made his 'Mania debut at WrestleMania 29 teaming up with his Shield Brethren, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, to defeat the team of Randy Orton, Sheamus, and Big Show. Rollins has been victorious at every WrestleMania that he has competed with his lone loss at The Grandest Stage being the one against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 31.
Orton and Rollins have had a storied history dating back to their time together in The Authority. As the Authority's golden boy, Rollins feuded with Orton after the later was stabbed in the back by the group following his return from injury. The duo faced off in a scintillating match at WrestleMania 31 which is remembered for the finish that saw Orton hit Rollins with a gravity-defying RKO.
As the self-proclaimed Messiah of Monday Nights, Rollins would like to remove the one blemish from his near-perfect Wrestlemania record. Silencing The Viper at The Grandest Stage will be a perfect way for The Beastslayer to enforce his will on the Red brand.
#1 Aleister Black
One of the fastest rising superstars on the main roster, Aleister Black has been on a hot streak for the past few weeks. His series of matches against Buddy Murphy has earned him praise from both fans and critics. Black has been an unstoppable force ever since his move up to the main roster at the start of 2019. The Dutch Destroyer is undefeated in Singles competition and has been on a hot streak for the past few weeks.
Rollins has repeatedly said that he is a leader who likes to lead by example and what better way to prove that than by taking out the biggest foe of his newest stable member, Buddy Murphy. Murphy's losing streak against Black was the catalyst for him joining forces with Rollins and the AOP. Therefore, it would make sense for Rollins to go after Black.
Black vs Rollins is a dream match of epic proportions. It has all the makings of a big-money feud. A win over an established name like Rollins would skyrocket Black into the upper echelons of stardom. Black vs Rollins has the potential to be one of those WrestleMania matches which are forever etched in the minds of wrestling fans.
