6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Raw (13 April - Results & Review)
3. A Surprisingly Simple Insta-Feud
As WWE WrestleMania feuds go, Seth Rollins versus Gunther is extraordinarily basic and so rushed that it almost fools you into disliking it for being completely devoid of bells and whistles.
Rather than having an elaborate setup, a convoluted backstory, or a lengthy speech to kick it off, this 'Mania rivalry seemingly grew out of nothing and has a shockingly simple basis: Rollins pissed Gunther off for claiming he was the best wrestler on the roster, which is something that is central to the Ring General’s character.
Gunther revealed the reason for his attack a couple of weeks ago, and it wasn’t Paul Heyman’s doing, nor was it some confusing, twisted rationale that fans would have had to piece together from months of content.
Instead, Gunther said he was pissed at Rollins for walking around “acting like you’re the best in the ring, when in reality, you’re not – I am.” He alleged that Seth never wanted to find out which of them was better when he was World Heavyweight Champion, because Rollins instead became “a useful idiot for Heyman.”
This triggered a brief brawl between the two before the segment wrapped, leaving fans with two good wrestlers at odds and wanting to prove themselves – not by battling for a title, but by seeing who is better on the night.
This is such a simple, quickly built feud that it almost scored negative marks for coming out of nowhere and building out of nothing. But it is as basic and elemental of a pro wrestling tale as possible, and the match should be pretty good on the night, so it shouldn’t be dismissed or overlooked.