Why The Curb Stomp Can Save Seth Rollins

It only served to illustrate Seth’s plight in stark contrast. In 2015, he was genuinely among the elite performers on the entire planet; two years later, he was a pale imitation of the Elite pro wrestler on the planet: Kenny Omega. Rollin’s “knee” lacked entirely the sudden, audibly sickening smack of the Cleaner’s V-Trigger. Laborious in set-up and unimpressive in execution, the “knee” was a finisher, alright. Having committed regicide at WrestleMania 33, Rollins no longer had any storyline need to bait the Game with the Pedigree - but “the knee” visibly confirmed that, once redeemed, creative had little for Rollins.

No: Rollins, following an opportunistic Jason Jordan assist, Curb Stomped Bálor’s face into the mat on RAW in what was a far more powerful redemptive moment than that silent Orlando night.

The Rollins character required redemption in storylines - but did the main event career of Colby Lopez require saving, in reality?

The elbow injury suffered by Dean Ambrose underlined the extent to which their relationship had become symbiotic. Subsequently thrust into a strange bedfellows pairing with Jason Jordan, it’s telling that Rollins was demoted, and not promoted to the main event scene.

The reunited Rollins and Ambrose tandem buoyed RAW in the summer and autumn months. Their reconciliation made for stirring television, their feud with the Bar yielded several blinding doubles bouts - but, really, few clamoured to see Rollins ascend to the headline bracket in spite of his vastly improved babyface performances. In that regard, he was neither company-anointed megastar, nor the next CM Punk or Daniel Bryan - a man fans chose to get behind and make themselves through sheer force of will. Ultimately, the upper reaches of the midcard suited Rollins.

Ahead of Rollins’ bout with Brock Lesnar at Battleground 2015, in an atypically excellent lengthy Triple H promo, the Game deftly filled the plot hole: why would he sacrifice his chosen face of the company to the ‘Beast’.

“If you want to know what you have with a lump of coal, you stick it under immense pressure. The pressure does one of two things: the pressure either causes it to crumble and turn to dust and render it useless, or that pressure turns it into the diamond that you always hoped it could be.”

Under the pressure of a transformative babyface turn, Rollins failed to truly stand alone, literally propped up by the man he had once betrayed. What’s also telling is that Rollins, prior to Monday night, was removed from the meritocratic protests that often define the wrestling fandom. His opponent on the night, Finn Bálor, has drawn support for his damaging mini-programme with Kane. Many are anxious over Asuka’s main roster prospects - despairing over when, not if, creative will contrive to ruin the honeymoon. Will WWE match the enthusiasm directed towards Rusev with an enthusiastic push?

Rollins, until now, barely made the radar. To use the nomenclature of his former Authority faction, Rollins has settled into the “good little hand” groove merely as a welcome presence on Monday nights. CONT'D...