10 Reasons Why Seth Rollins Will Never Eclipse CM Punk's Success
5. CM Punk Never Stood In Anyone's Shadow
Though it may seem insignificant, the idea that Seth Rollins' finisher is Triple H's Pedigree actually does Seth Rollins no favors in as far as Rollins defining his own character. Iconic WWE performers are those who, like Triple H, expand outside of the perceived shadow that they are under in comparison to another WWE superstar. As compared to CM Punk who borrowed his finish from now WWE superstar Hideo Itami (but not while Itami was employed in WWE), Rollins' inability to yet carve out his own unique persona free of any comparisons to other WWE superstars is an issue. Ever since Seth Rollins has left The Shield, defining a unique character for him has been an evolutionary process that feels like it's started from scratch as compared to Punk whose evolution felt like he'd climbed a hill as a character and was on his way up a mountain. In that sense, Rollins has quite the journey to make to meet and surpass Punk's WWE legacy.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
