The WORST Wrestling Story Every Year (1989-2025)

2015 - The Seth Rollins Vs. Triple H Slow-Burn

The idea here was to position Seth Rollins as a babyface in waiting. As with most developments across the 21st century, it was to ultimately result in a Triple H match.

Seth had turned heel on his Shield stablemates a year prior, captured the Money In The Bank briefcase, and executed the ‘Heist of the Century’ at WrestleMania 31. He was mentored by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon as the leading man of the Authority stable, despite the fact that they didn’t seem to respect or even tolerate him very much, which made for unbearable, pointless television. Triple H and Steph made sure to vocally doubt him at virtually all times, for several minutes on end.

The very premise was profoundly unimaginative - wrestlers had feuded with authority figures for 17 full years with zero respite by 2015 - and the execution was particularly terrible.

A babyface should feud with (and ideally humiliate) the evil boss. Seth was a heel, if even that. He was depicted as a disappointment of a child; fellow Authority member Kane a less mobile paddle on hand to keep him in line. Fans were expected to get behind Seth, which was difficult, since he cheated and was verbally undermined every week. He was a nasally little bitch. That was his character, and you were meant to want him to become Steve Austin.

When the time came for Seth to complete the babyface turn, in 2017 (!) the fans rejected him. Much like Seth’s merely good match catalogue, it’s no wonder.