The 'Visionary' gimmick never really got any more fleshed out than it was at inception, but it started working for people in a big way nonetheless. Meanwhile, his scenery-chewing cackle at long last became endearing, especially paired with the ostentatious outfit and infectious singalong theme. Starting the year working critically acclaimed tag team matches alongside "best friend" Kevin Owens before moving into Feud-Of-The-Year territory opposite Cody Rhodes and Matt Riddle didn't hurt his cause either.
WWE have strangely pulled back on what felt like an organic babyface turn, but perhaps that's Rollins himself figuring out how much is too much when it comes to being a fan favourite. His turns have killed him before, but this one feels like a can't-miss. Kudos to man and management for trying to make this so.
It's been a year of memorable moments for the former WWE Champion, and it's hard to argue he hasn't deserved the lot of them. Especially one that was more about the man across the ring from him...
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
