Ranking Seth Rollins' run in WWE

On August 8, 2010, Seth Rollins signed a developmental contract with WWE. Over the last decade, Seth Rollins has become an indispensable part of WWE programming. While his WWE career has had its share of ups and downs, Rollins has proved why he is one of the best of his generation. From his in-ring style to his character work, the Iowa native has aced every aspect when it comes to pro wrestling.

Starting as someone renowned for his in-ring acumen, Rollins has been able to transform himself to become one of the most intriguing characters in the business today. One of the best things about Rollins' run in WWE has been his character arc. Starting as a white-meat babyface, The Monday Night Messiah's character has witnessed several changes over the last 10 years.

As The Black Hand of RAW completes a decade with the world's biggest wrestling promotion, here's a look back at the different versions of Seth Rollins in WWE:

#5 FCW/NXT Seth Rollins (2010-2012)

A former Ring Of Honor World Champion, there was a lot of hype surrounding the man formerly known as Tyler Black. Seth Rollins' debut match on FCW took place on September 30, 2010, against Michael McGillicuty (later known as Curtis Axel). Rollins defeated Hunico on January 13, 2011 to become the inaugural holder of the FCW Jack Briscoe 15 Championship.

Rollins would also win the FCW World Tag Team Championship alongside Richie Steamboat in an FCW show on March 25, 2011.

One of the highlights of Seth Rollins' run in FCW was his rivalry against Dean Ambrose. The duo clashed in a trio of matches over the FCW 15 Championship. While the first two ended in a draw, Rollins won the third and final match in the series. This feud is widely regarded by many as one of the highest points of FCW and WWE's developmental territories as a whole.

At a time when NXT was essentially a reality show, Ambrose and Rollins were able to put on matches that not only captured the imagination of the local Florida fans but also became a hot topic on fans following along on the internet.

Following his series against Ambrose, Seth Rollins would defeat Leo Kruger to win the FCW World Heavyweight Championship, thereby becoming an FCW Grand Slam Champion. When FCW folded in 2012, the company would once again turn to Rollins. Rollins would defeat Jinder Mahal in the finals of the NXT Gold Rush Tournament to become the inaugural NXT Champion.

Rollins' rise to the top of WWE development wasn't easy. It is common knowledge that he constantly butted heads with higher-ups during his time in developmental. Seth Rollins himself revealed that he was on the verge of getting fired before his mentor, Triple H, intervened on his behalf and ensured that he wasn't let go. Clearly, Seth Rollins is a Superstar who has had a decorated and successful run both in developmental and on the main roster.

# 4 Seth Rollins as The Monday Night Messiah (2019-Present)

Rollins has been at his absolute best as 'The Monday Night Messiah'

Following RAW's abysmal performance at the 2019 brand-versus-brand Survivor Series, Seth Rollins would conduct a town hall meeting to open the episode of RAW after the event. The segment saw Seth Rollins ripping the RAW locker room. He targeted Superstars like Randy Orton, Charlotte Flair, and Rey Mysterio during his verbal tirade, calling them out for losing their respective matches.

One by one, the Superstars surrounding Rollins during his segment would start to leave until only one remained, Kevin Owens. Rollins would call out Owens and dub him "Mr. NXT." Owens, however, didn't respond and instead hit Rollins with a Stunner to end the segment.

The main event of the night saw Owens and Rollins face off against one another. The match ended in a disqualification win for Owens following interference by Akam and Rezar of The AOP. In the weeks that followed, Owens would accuse Rollins of being in cahoots with AOP, but Rollins would deny those allegations. Finally, on another episode of RAW, Rollins would reveal himself to be the mastermind behind the attack on Owens, thereby turning heel for the first time since 2016.

A few weeks later, Seth Rollins would recruit Murphy into his stable. Rollins and Murphy would even hold the RAW Tag Team Championships for a brief time. Rollins' heel turn saw him go from a mob boss to a delusional, cult leader type of figure. One of the best things about the character has been the variety of emotions that Rollins has been able to convey.

Seth Rollins' turn as "The Monday Night Messiah" has not only revived his career but also revealed a side of Seth Rollins that fans had never seen before. From his impeccable character work to his promos, Rollins has aced every aspect when it comes to this gimmick.

#3 Seth Rollins in The Shield (2012-2014)

Rollins would refer to himself as 'The Architect' of The Shield

The main event of Survivor Series 2012 saw CM Punk defend his WWE Championship against John Cena and Ryback in a Triple Threat match. The finish of the match saw a group of men storm into the ring and attack Ryback, thereby allowing Punk to pin John Cena and retain his championship. The trio of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose would declare themselves as The Shield, vowing to fight injustice.

The Shield would run roughshod over the WWE roster for the next two years. While Reigns was the muscle of the group and Ambrose the mouthpiece, Seth Rollins would be the glue that held the stable together. He wowed fans with his athleticism and daredevilry. The Shield's debut match in WWE took place at TLC 2012 where they would defeat Ryback and Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan) in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match. Seth Rollins would then capture the WWE World Tag Team Championship alongside Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules 2013.

The Shield was a part of some of the most memorable six-man tag team matches in WWE history. The faction was virtually undefeated in trios matches for the majority of their run together. Their feud against The Wyatt Family and Evolution were highlights of this period.

But, as they say, all good things come to an end. Following The Shield's win over Evolution at Payback 2014, Seth Rollins would stab his brothers in the back. Seth Rollins' turn on his Shield brethren, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, is considered by many to be one of the most shocking moments in WWE history.

The trio would reunite for a brief period in 2017, 2018, and finally, in 2019 before Ambrose departed from WWE.

#2 "Monday Night" Seth Rollins (2016-2019)

Rollins was the most beloved babyface on RAW during his run as IC champion

Seth Rollins' run as a full-fledged babyface began after his mentor, Triple H, betrayed him during the Fatal Four Way elimination match for the Universal Championship on the August 29, 2016 episode of RAW. Rollins would unsuccessfully challenge for the Universal Championship during the summer of 2016.

Rollins would finally get his hands on Triple H in an unsanctioned match at WrestleMania 33. He would defeat The King of Kings at The Showcase of Immortals after hitting The Game with a pedigree. Following his win over Triple H, Rollins would feud with Samoa Joe and Bray Wyatt before reuniting with Dean Ambrose and winning the RAW Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam 2017.

Following Ambrose's injury in late 2017, Rollins would once again venture into singles competition. Seth Rollins' performance in the gauntlet match on the February 14, 2018 episode of RAW is regarded by many to be one of the best in the show's history.

Rollins would then capture the Intercontinental Championship in a Triple Threat match featuring The Miz and Finn Balor at WrestleMania 34. Rollins' run as the Intercontinental Champion saw him put on great matches against the likes of Balor, The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, and Elias, to name a few. Rollins was the hottest babyface on the Red brand during this period. He garnered the loudest reactions every time he stepped inside the squared circle.

Seth Rollins carried this momentum into 2019 by winning the men's Royal Rumble match. He would then defeat Brock Lesnar in the opening match of WrestleMania 35 to win the Universal Championship. Seth Rollins' run as Universal Champion wasn't as well-received as his run with the Intercontinental title due to a variety of reasons.

His feud against Baron Corbin wasn't able to pique fan interest. This was followed by the company pairing him up with his real-life partner, Becky Lynch, which once again failed to click with the audience.

Seth Rollins' comments in defense of WWE didn't go down well with a large section of the IWC. His Twitter beef with Will Ospreay and his comments regarding Dean Ambrose's WWE departure led to fans souring on Rollins as a babyface. The final nail in the coffin, however, was Rollins' match against The Fiend for the Universal Championship at Hell in a Cell. Bray Wyatt's alter ego had become the hottest act in the company and putting him up against a babyface like Seth Rollins was always going to be a risky proposition.

But, the company went ahead with the match and what happened next only be described as disastrous. The Sacramento crowd booed Seth Rollins out of the building throughout the match. The absurd finish of the match infuriated them even more with the crowd chanting for refunds and hyping up WWE's new competitor, AEW. This was the beginning of the end for Seth Rollins' time as a babyface.

#1 Authority Seth Rollins (2014-2015)

After defeating Evolution at Payback 2014, The Shield were on the top of the world. The trio of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose had silenced their doubters and cemented their status as one of the best factions in WWE history. On June 2, 2014, episode of RAW, Rollins would turn on his stablemates Reigns and Ambrose, and join The Authority.

Rollins would ascend to the main-event spot after joining forces with Triple H. He would win the 2014 Money In The Bank ladder match and then he cashed in his contract in the main event of WrestleMania 31 to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

Seth Rollins' cash-in is considered by many to be the best in MITB history. Rollins would then establish himself as the top heel during his run as World Champion.

His world title defense against the likes of Randy Orton, Sting, Dean Ambrose, and Kane showed that Rollins could go toe-to-toe with the best that the company had to offer.

Seth Rollins' time as WWE Championship would come to an abrupt end as he injured his knee in a match against Kane on November 4, 2015. This led to him relinquishing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, ending his reign at 220 days.

While Seth Rollins' character has had numerous incarnations over the last decade, his heel run from 2014-15 tops them all, purely based on of the amount of work that he had put in during that period.