10 Wrestlers Who Got Much Worse (But WAY More Over)

9. Seth Rollins

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In 2015, Seth Rollins was on fire. 

There is such a thing as WWE constraints, but Seth seemed to just ignore them entirely. His matches were blistering, all-action affairs. Context was important - this was so unlike WWE, so it of course stood out - but you put that version of Rollins in a New Japan Pro Wrestling ring, and he has an amazing G1 Climax run. He was up there with AJ Styles as one of the most exciting wrestlers in the world. 

He suffered a devastating knee injury in November. He tore his ACL, MCL, and medial meniscus. He was never again that good. 

It’s reductive, to call post-surgery Rollins a more laggy and derivative Kenny Omega, but not totally untrue. Before he reinvented himself, he lacked a true connection with the crowd that would allow him to mask his athletic shortcomings. There’s a lot of “good, not great” material in Seth’s library of work. 

Now, Seth, no longer explosive, he has made that connection. His bizarre clownish character really connected in 2022, and the mass crowd sing-along elevated him as a main event concern. At this point, those three-star specials opposite Shinsuke Nakamura don’t really matter. 

He has the enduring respect of WWE fans and a sports entertainment-sized act. 

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!