It was a striking moment, not least because Seth Rollins was booked to be the gatekeeper of all that is fundamentally good about WWE against the interloper Logan Paul. "Fundamentally good about WWE" might read as a contradiction in terms, but oddly, the former Shield man has located precisely what that is, and has done so while dressing - in his own words at this point - like a clown.
The man who once had the gaul to use a grimly predictable Stomping Grounds Premium Live Event headliner against Baron Corbin as evidence for WWE being the best wrestling on the planet couldn't have been further away from the one that conducted his choir in Phoenix. The tacky cheerleader of 2019 literally leading cheers - millions of them at this point - in 2023, and seemingly hasn't had to compromise his core beliefs to get there.
If you don't think that's genius on its own terms, you're misunderstood. But many of those that have come to accept his universal babyface appeal are still scratching their heads in bewilderment at a phenomenon that's starting to scan as the musical equivalent of the Yes Movement.
It's so...impressive. And to paraphrase certain doe-eyed fans, how did he do it?
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
