After months of anticipation and verbal feuds on and off of official WWE platforms, Seth Rollins and Logan Paul finally got to mix it up in the ring at WrestleMania 39 for more than a few seconds in the Royal Rumble, or at the end of an Elimination Chamber match at its namesake Premium Live Event in Montreal.
The results? A legit five-star classic.
Taking the ring in front of 80,000 fans at a ruckus SoFi Arena in Inglewood, California, Rollins and Paul tore the roof down with a flurry of hard-hitting, fast-paced maneuvers that made both men look like stars and legitimized “The Visionary” as a performer worthy of holding a World Heavyweight Championship, even if such a title didn't exist on the first weekend of April.
Discussing his experience in the ring with Paul, Rollins expressed satisfaction with how the bout came together and even weighed in on whether or not he'd actually accept a rematch in the future.
“It’s different. It’s 100% different. Obviously, there’s a lot more pressure on me to carry the weight of a match, carry the burden of a huge WrestleMania match where you’ve got someone like Logan Paul, who brings so many eyes that normally don’t pay any attention to our industry and put a huge spotlight on our industry at the biggest event of the year. So there’s a lot of pressure on you. The company is basically saying, ‘Here, we trust you to handle this and do this well.’ Then you’re in there with a guy who has very little experience,” Rollins told Mark Andrews via Fightful.
“But I’ll say this about Logan. Say what you will about his personality and how he conducts himself outside of the ring and his different exploits and all that, I don’t pretend to comment or know about all that stuff. But he’s a hard-working cat, he is a hustler, and I don’t think you get to his level of success just kind of phoning it in. He’s a hustler, he did everything that he needed to do to get himself as ready as someone in his position could be for a match like that, and I think you saw the end result. It’s on par with any of the other WrestleMania matches that I’ve ever had. That’s a testament to me and how fantastic I am, but also it’s a testament to him and how much hard work he put in, and got himself in the absolute best possible position to succeed. So it was a great time, and I’d love to do it again.”
Could Paul challenge Rollins to a rematch, this time with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line? Not only could he, but he probably should, as that first match was legit, and adding even more stakes to the contest could form an even brighter diamond in WWE's cap.
SummerSlam anyone?
Dave Meltzer explains why Seth Rollins could be heading to NXT.
Turning attention from a hypothetical match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to an official challenge laid out by none other than former NXT Champion Bron Breakker, fans have been wondering if Seth Rollins will actually make his way down to developmental to wrestle the second-generation Steiner for the top prize on the Red Brand.
Is Rollins actually going to join the likes of Mustafa Ali and Baron Corbin on NXT? Maybe, maybe not, but Dave Meltzer explained why WWE is sending down more established stars to developmental and who is behind the decision.
“During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that the decision for main roster talent to go to NXT is a Nick Khan move,” Thomas Lowson wrote for SE Scoops. “Khan's reasoning is that the influence of main roster talent will boost ratings, and therefore lead to a higher asking price when it comes to media rights negotiations. NXT currently airs on the USA Network, and the rights for the gold brand will expire in late 2024. Higher ratings could also result in networks other than USA making higher bids to secure the rights to WWE NXT.”
Now, for fans out of the know, NXT‘s media rights deal, like the rest of WWE's flagship shows, is going to expire in the next two or so years, with the company agreeing to join Ari Emanuel's Endeavor to maximize future earnings from television deals for RAW, SmackDown, and yes, even NXT. If getting a big ratings pop to see Seth Rollins on Tuesday nights can help to turn a number from a seven to an eight or even a nine in future negotiations, why not send the WWE World Heavyweight Championship back down to developmental and see if he can do something “revolutionary?”
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