10 INSANE Risks WWE Took With Their Biggest Stars

4. Seth Freakin' Rollins

Stone Cold Steve Austin Sable
WWE

A change made bang on time of writing that may already have been abandoned by the time you read this, WWE have elected to formally rebadge Seth Rollins as "Seth Freakin' Rollins".

Not to get lost in another shoegazing lament about wrestler monikers but typically, getting heated about a name is more of an in-the-moment gut reaction than something that sticks around long term. Observers were proved correct when, in 2008, they opined that somebody called Dolph Ziggler could never main event WrestleMania. But that was nothing to do with his Boogie Knights sound-alike label and more total systemic ineptitude for well over a decade.

Had he been pushed in reasonable scale with his growing gifts, Dolph Ziggler very well might have main evented WrestleMania, just as Seth Freakin' Rollins might if he keeps his new middle name for more than a week. Getting used to it will take longer, but WWE never stops and we all glumly make the time to do just that.

It really could go either way - Vince McMahon's instincts gifted the world "Burn It Down" in his entrance theme, and for about two years it was the hottest element of his act. What do we freakin' know?

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett