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WWE SummerSlam is one of the longest-running pay-per-view events in the history of the company, starting all the way back in 1988. In these three decades, several Superstars have left their mark, carrying out unforgettable feuds and delivering remarkable matches. Seth Rollins is undoubtedly one of them.
"The Monday Night Messiah" has made quite a name for himself at SummerSlam over the years, winning all but one of his last six matches. This year, he is set to face Rey Mysterio's son, Dominik Mysterio, who is desperate to avenge his father at SummerSlam.
Seth Rollins took out one of Rey Mysterio's eyes at the Horror Show at Extreme Rules back in July. Now, Dominik is all set to seek revenge on his father’s behalf. He has dished out some serious beating to Rollins using a Kendo Stick and some of his father's moves. However, taking out Rollins in a SummerSlam match is a whole other story.
With SummerSlam 2020 just one day away, let’s take a look back at all the matches of Seth Rollins on the pay-per-view, ranked from worst to best.
#6 Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler – WWE SummerSlam 2018
Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler were engaged in a feud for weeks leading up to WWE SummerSlam 2018. It heated up when "The Showoff" beat "The Architect" for the Intercontinental Championship on the episode of WWE RAW right after Money in the Bank. The two competed in an Iron Man Match at Extreme Rules, where many expected Rollins to win the belt back. Instead, Drew McIntyre came to Ziggler’s aid to distract Rollins like the weeks before.
Because Ziggler secured a tainted win, Angle gave Rollins another chance to regain the title at WWE SummerSlam 2018. To even the odds for Rollins, Dean Ambrose returned to television after eight months and accompanied Rollins as his enforcer for the match. In the final moments of the championship match, Rollins pushed Ziggler out of the ring only to pull him back in and hit him with a leap from the top rope. Then, he sealed the match with a final superkick, recapturing the Intercontinental Championship.
The win marked the beginning of his second reign with IC title in WWE. This match was good enough, but the feud simply doesn't match up to some of the Monday Night Messiah's other rivalries.
#5 Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs. Sheamus and Cesaro – WWE SummerSlam 2017
In the buildup of SummerSlam 2017, WWE teased a possible reunion between The Shield brothers, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. For weeks, WWE kept the fans wondering if Ambrose would be able to trust Rollins again after the latter notoriously betrayed him to join Triple H and The Authority in June of 2014.
The two finally fist-bumped on the August 14 episode of WWE RAW to fight Cesaro and Sheamus, but couldn't secure a win over them. The RAW General Manager, Kurt Angle, immediately announced a RAW Tag Team Championship match for SummerSlam.
Both sides displayed great teamwork early on. There was a huge pop from the crowd when a beach ball appeared in the stands. The fans erupted as Cesaro grabbed the ball and ripped it in half. The climax of the match saw Seth Rollins jump onto the top turnbuckle, catch Cesaro with his legs, and hit him with a Hurricanrana onto Sheamus. Then, Rollins and Ambrose put "The Celtic Warrior" down with a superkick and the Dirty Deeds, making them the new WWE RAW Tag Team Champions.
WWE did a pretty amazing job teasing The Shield reunion and it paid off well in the end with their trademark fist bump, even though they hilariously messed it up. However, the fans couldn't see "The Architect" dominate in the ring all by himself like he usually does in SummerSlam as it was a tag team title match.
#4 Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar – WWE SummerSlam 2019
Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar fought it out over the WWE Universal Championship at SummerSlam 2019. Although it was an action-packed match, the feud leading up to it was often repetitive in a been-there-done-that way. The two had already met at WrestleMania that year. Before that, Lesnar cashed in the Money in the Bank contract on Seth Rollins at Extreme Rules and became the Universal Champion for the third time. Their long-running feud dated all the way back to WrestleMania 31.
In the weeks before the SummerSlam 2019, Lesnar dished out some similar-looking attacks on Rollins, including one where he slammed "The Architect" against an ambulance after multiple F5s. In the match, Rollins came in bandaged up, nursing a rib injury, but he successfully overcame some early German suplexes from "The Beast Incarnate." His mid-match comeback was well written, and Rollins delivered the performance with a fiery passion that was somewhat missing in his build-up promos.
The crowd watched in anticipation as Lesnar kicked out after The Stomp and got ready to pull off another F5. However, Rollins reversed out and hit "The Beast" with a superkick and then a second Stomp to win via pinfall. Not only was the feud a repeat of what happened at WrestleMania, the match was also short. It lasted a little more than 13 minutes.
#3 Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose – WWE SummerSlam 2014
Seth Rollins faced Dean Ambrose in a Lumberjack Match at WWE SummerSlam 2014, and the match can be described with two words, utter chaos. Once brothers-in-arms as members of The Shield, Rollins and Ambrose were at each other’s throats by the time SummerSlam 2014 rolled in. "The Architect" betrayed his teammates and joined The Authority.
"The Lunatic Fringe" never forgave Seth Rollins and attacked him every chance he got. He even prevented Rollins from cashing in him Money in the Bank contract. Back when they fought alongside each other, both Rollins and Ambrose had made quite a few enemies. Some of them made up the lumberjacks for the SummerSlam match.
Seth Rollins betrays The Shield
The Usos, Kofi Kingston, Titus O’Neil, Cesaro, Goldust, Fandango, and Damien Sandow, who dressed as an actual lumberjack, were among many others. They were there to keep the two Superstars inside the ring, and they did their job quite well.
After they took their fight all over the STAPLES Center, the lumberjacks brought them back to the ring. Ambrose was about to pin Rollins with a clothesline followed by a Curb Stomp. However, Kane intervened to prevent the pinfall.
Enraged at the interference, Goldust confronted Kane and got slapped in return. Absolute chaos broke out in the ring as the lumberjacks started picking fights amongst themselves. Finding an opportunity amidst the pandemonium, Rollins brutally struck Ambrose in the head with his metal Money in the Bank briefcase and finished the match.
The WWE Universe remembers this match as one of Rollins’ best, and not just at SummerSlam. His feud with Ambrose and the in-ring action lived up to the fans' expectations, especially after Rollins’ betrayal.
#2 Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor - WWE SummerSlam 2016
In 2016, Seth Rollins faced NXT call-up, Finn Balor, in the only SummerSlam match he has lost to date. The two fought for the inaugural WWE Universal Championship that was unveiled before the match by the then RAW Commissioner, Stephanie McMahon, and General Manager, Mick Foley. Balor didn't disappoint the crowd in his debut pay-per-view on the main roster, showing up as his nightmarish avatar—The Demon King.
The action picked up quickly enough. There were several near falls throughout the match, including a close one when Balor hit his trademark Bloody Sunday on Rollins. "The Architect" dodged Coup de Grace from The Demon King and turned it into a Pedigree, but Balor kicked out. It was then Rollins’ turn to miss a Phoenix Splash off the top rope. Balor used the chance to hit a Shotgun Dropkick into the turnbuckles and finish the match with a Coup de Grace.
For the longest time, Balor had been hyped as one of the best prospects outside WWE. When he signed with NXT, he had a spectacular run on the developmental brand at the same time Rollins was doing the same on the main roster. When the two met at Barclays Center, it set up a dream match worthy of SummerSlam.
#1 Seth Rollins vs. John Cena – WWE SummerSlam 2015
Any WWE match that stars John Cena has the potential to be among the top three on any list. Before their match at SummerSlam, Cena and Seth Rollins faced each other several times. They restarted their feud when Cena mocked the reigning WWE Champion, calling him a "poor champion."
On the July 27 episode of RAW, Cena defeated him in a US title match, but he had to leave the ring with a bleeding and broken nose. Seth Rollins took this opportunity to challenge "The Leader of Cenation" to a Winner Takes All match at SummerSlam with both titles on the line.
The injury cast a shadow of doubt over whether Cena would be able to show up for SummerSlam or not, but he did true to form. Despite a broken nose, Cena showed up without any protective gear and powered through Rollins initially with takedowns and shoulder blocks. Then, Rollins brought out his trademark moves like a top rope chest stomp, neckbreaker, and more.
Seth Rollins successfully reversed a Figure Four Leglock from Cena, and he retaliated with his opponent's finishing move, the Attitude Adjustment. In the process, he knocked out the referee, leaving Cena and the crowd confused. Amidst the distraction, the SummerSlam host, Jon Stewart, rushed down to the ring with a steel chair. At first, it seemed like he might be aiming at Rollins. Instead, he struck a worn down Cena, allowing Rollins to land a final Pedigree onto the chair.
The victory made Rollins only the second Superstar to win a Winner Takes All match after Jeff Jarrett. Becky Lynch later became the third at WrestleMania 35. The controversial finish left the WWE Universe talking for the months following SummerSlam 2015.
