The norm nowadays among pro wrestling fans is that whenever a Superstar has a bad patch, the first call of action is for them to turn heel or babyface. But in the case of Seth Rollins, it’s not just been a bad patch, it’s been a sustained patch of mediocrity. The highlight of his babyface run was a below par victory over Triple H at Wrestlemania 33.
WWE officials must accept the fact that this Seth Rollins babyface run is not yielding the results it was projected to. As a heel he was the centre of the show, then the WWE tried fixing something that wasn’t broken. Now we’re left with the question again: why is Seth Rollins not a heel today?
Here are five reasons why Seth Rollins needs to turn heel.
#5 His peak has been as a heel character
Every top babyface of an era needs a foe to make them stand out; Hogan had Piper, Austin had Angle/Rock, Cena had Edge thus leaving Roman to have Seth Rollins. There’s no doubt that Roman and Seth are the two top full-time talents on RAW today, but for effectiveness to be doubled, one must be a heel and the other can be a supposed face.
At the peak of his heel career, Seth Rollins was facing John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Big Show and involved in finishes with The Undertaker. He was wrestling the greats of the industry and coming out victorious, and it was those high-profile bouts that established him as a main eventer. Now he resembles a man struggling to find an identity or place on the card.
I can guarantee you that if Seth Rollins had never turned face, he would have won the Universal Championship by now. Instead, he’s missed the chance to capture it on three separate occasions.
#4 He’s become stale
After a lacklustre feud with Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins is now entering a feud that nobody wants to see, with Bray Wyatt. The Kingslayer is a distant figure on Monday nights, the build up to the Extremes Rules match was the only thing keeping him relevant on the show. Now he’s once again lost in a downward spiral that will take him closer to the mid-card.
Like Stone Cold Steve Austin said on his Unleashed podcast, Seth Rollins is not selling himself well enough as a babyface to the WWE Universe. There’s nothing to support or get behind with The Architect and putting ‘Freakin’ in your name doesn’t count as marketing.
Nobody gets excited to see Seth Rollins anymore because his staleness has prevented him from becoming a draw or person of interest.
#3 He’s more comfortable playing heel
There are some superstars who were just so obviously born to be a heel. Regardless of how much the crowd cheers them, their persona and physique is still more suited to a heel nature. Someone like Kevin Owens just plays the complaining and arrogant heel persona so well, as he has the attitude to go with it.
Seth Rollins is a lean man with sleazy hair that resembles a man capable of evading all situations. That’s his look and the WWE should embrace it to the maximum.
The ‘cut the corner but full of potential’ heel is the one the fans become most invested in. Because they know Seth is capable of achieving more even though he refuses to accept it. Seth clearly excels in such a role and RAW will become more watchable if he’s allowed to do what does best: be the villain.
#2 Always playing second fiddle, a possible turn on Reigns?
Let’s face it, for the next 10 years, no babyface will outshine Roman Reigns on the big stage. Vince has chosen him, and his spot in the company as the no. 1 babyface is pretty much secure. When Vince chose Cena, there were others like Punk and Orton who came close to toppling him, but neither were ever going to sustain any real momentum.
When the boss hand-picks someone, they’re staying in that position for as long as he likes, regardless of fan opinion.
So for Seth Rollins’ rightful place to be restored, The Architect must turn heel to gain prominence in the WWE. It’s impossible to have two alpha males fighting for the same spot, one must step aside or create their own lane.
RAW misses that main event heel that’s slippery and forever finding shortcuts to win. Yes, Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe are dominating the heel scene today, but they’re dominant monstrous ones, not slippery cheating characters. A heel turn on one of his former brothers or Finn Balor too sounds like a perfect way to re-introduce the topheel who once held the WWE title for 220 days.
#1 Nobody would expect it
As Monday Night Raw hits all-time low ratings, the WWE are in desperate need to add much-needed shock value to a lifeless show. It’s proven that ratings are driven up the week after a hot shocking angle on RAW. Nothing would be more shocking than Rollins going back on all his heartfelt apology promos and turning his back on the WWE Universe.
As of today, Seth Rollins is a fully fledged babyface on Monday nights and there doesn’t seem to be any indication that the 31-year old will be turning anytime soon. Such a sudden turn would reinvigorate interest in the former Shield member and set his stock firmly at the top of the card.
Fans react more positively when they don’t see something coming and it still entertains them. The internet age of wrestling has meant spoilers are common and storylines are known before they’re played out on television. So for a moment of true shock, let’s have the least predictable person in wrestling turn heel, again.
