Might this be the time a Seth Rollins babyface turn actually clicks?
The (as-of-writing) United States Champion has entered one of the best in-ring years of his career in 2022, working critically acclaimed programmes alongside Kevin Owens and against Cody Rhodes and Matt Riddle, and has approached his preposterous 'Visionary Of Drip' gimmick with such conviction that fans have fallen in love all over again.
Perhaps learning from the mistakes he made trying to do it in kayfabe several years earlier, Triple H has nurtured this well as WWE's creative chief. The switch happened gradually enough that it was almost imperceptible, and - crucially - Rollins hasn't really changed his gimmick to go alongside it. His offence getting jacked all the way back to his dazzling best doesn't hurt either.
Additional to all of that, it's perhaps no coincidence that the latest unlikely twist in a unique tenure has coincided with the belt currently slung over his shoulder too...
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 almost 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 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL 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
