Seth Rollins: The *REAL* Standout Star Of The Shield?

[Jack-Hammer]

Over the course of the past year or so, we haven't had many opportunities to see Seth Rollins or Roman Reigns wrestle singles matches. A lot of The Shield's dominance has been in various tag team situations. Tonight on SmackDown!, however, Seth Rollins looked like a star in a great 20+ minute match against John Cena.

Rollins went toe to toe with Cena and came close to beating him at several points in the match. In some ways, the match put me in mind of Cena's match against Daniel Bryan in that Rollins just kept on coming while always on the cusp of scoring the win. Ultimately, Rollins came up short, which I expected as much, but I was surprised to see Rollins having such a strong performance against Cena. If anything, of the three singles matches booked for tonight's show, I expected this one to be the weakest because...well it's John Cena. Dean Ambrose is the US champ and Roman Reigns is pegged to get a major singles push in the near future, reportedly, so Rollins just seemed like the odd man out without as much going for him.

Rollins has shown himself to be pretty good in promos thus far, not as strong as Ambrose, but he's quite solid in my eyes. We've seen Rollins have standout segments in the various tag matches he's been in but, as I alluded to, this is one of the few times he's really had an opportunity to shine in a singles situation and he made the most of it. Because of Ambrose's constant use of psychology & mic skills and Reigns' look coupled with his power & his favor with the WWE brass, I think Rollins has been overlooked in all the various talks as to who'll make it "big" in the group first. Rollins is a guy who strikes me as being similar to Punk, Bryan, Jericho and a few others as a workhorse; someone that can have a great deal of success and be counted on for quality.

 

[MizisAwesome]

I don't really see it. I think he's just going to be at too much of a disadvantage coming out of the group comparing to the other two. Reigns has the look/lineage/backstage support to get him a push. Ambrose already has the heel asshole persona down and the ability to cut a good promo. Rollins may have the best technical skill and aerial moveset, but I don't see that getting him over well enough. I haven't watched many of their matches in the last few months if I've missed something there, but I don't really see Rollins getting much beyond a few midcard title runs and then similar treatment as Ziggy and Sandow.

 

[wrestlingxp]

Yeah, I honestly don't see it either. After hearing so many good things about Tyler Black before he came to the Wwe as Rollins, I was pretty let down. I do think out of the three he is definitely the weakest. To me, Ambrose and Reigns have that 'it' factor and Rollins can't seem to cut a promo to save his life and I think that is gonna be the thing that really holds him back. As well, compared to the other two, he seems too thin to me. Ambrose isn't all that muscular especially compared to other guys on the roster, but he has a wider frame, if that makes sense. Rollins just seems too skinny, kind of like XPac before he bulked up a bit. Don't get me wrong, I think the guy can go in the ring, but so can a lot of other guys on the roster and a lot of them can cut promos and they can't catch a break.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I don't really see it. I think he's just going to be at too much of a disadvantage coming out of the group comparing to the other two. Reigns has the look/lineage/backstage support to get him a push. Ambrose already has the heel asshole persona down and the ability to cut a good promo. Rollins may have the best technical skill and aerial moveset, but I don't see that getting him over well enough. I haven't watched many of their matches in the last few months if I've missed something there, but I don't really see Rollins getting much beyond a few midcard title runs and then similar treatment as Ziggy and Sandow.

Sounds like by your definition all thee have a certain quality that can make them a star. If Reigns has the look, and Ambrose has the promo skills, why can't Rollins get over with inring skills? I think all these qualities are equal in terms of getting someone over.

 

[MizisAwesome]

Sounds like by your definition all thee have a certain quality that can make them a star. If Reigns has the look, and Ambrose has the promo skills, why can't Rollins get over with inring skills? I think all these qualities are equal in terms of getting someone over.

I guess I would say that I think the qualities would be ranked look > promo > ring skills. The guys with ring skills don't get the big pushes that last nowadays.

 

[kumarjtk]

i dont think rollins got much opportunity than ambrose and rr. The way shield spilt is between ambrose and rr. They fought each others so rollins had no chance after shield breakup. He gets some random matches with some mid carders then he back nxt program like alex riley, mason ryan.

Future of sheild is like this
Ambrose became top level heel of wwe
Roman reigns became top level face or heel of wwe
Seth Rollins became good mid card face or heel of wwe

 

[MillionDollarMan]

All 3 are going to be big stars. I could see them passing around the major titles for years to come. Rollins will have to take a similar road to Punk in getting to the next level which makes sense considering that's who he is most like.

 

[Rhodes2TheFuture3313]

I'm a fan of all 3. The Shield has been an awesome faction. All I've kept hearing rumors about is their demise, but why? They've been the most dominant force in quite some time. They and The Wyatt Family are on a collision course (hopefully WM 30). That by no means should be the last, but the 1st in a series of matches that could keep the WWE Universe entertained for 3-4 months. If a break-up is to occur I would start planting the seeds after WM and have things begin to unravel for the group at the MITB ppv. After that a short regrouping only to have something major occur at SummerSlam. The best storytelling is told over the longhaul. Remember how many times Evolution or The Legacy was teased to break-up before it actually happened? If a break-up is to occur in 2014 I hope WWE heeds these words "slow build". The payoff will only benefit all 3 members.

 

[thebarber]

ROMAN REIGNS is clearly going to be the breakout star of The Shield. He has a superb look, an talk, can wrestle, and Vince loves him. He has the right guys in the power spots who believe in him, Rollins will have a solid mid card career, but Ambrose is more chance of a main event run than Rollins, but Reigns is the shit, he will dominate the Royal Rumble and possibly even win the Chamber match,or have a huge impact on it which will probably lead to his Wrestlemania XXX path becoming clearer

 

[RicSpade]

When Rollins was in NXT I assumed he was going to be the next star he was NXT champion, he had some fantastic matches and then he was put into the Shield now don't get me wrong as a team they have been dominate, but he took a backseat to Ambrose who was suppose to get a singles push in his own right had They debut at seperate times I would say Rollins is the next breakout star, but without getting the time Reigns and Ambrose gets I don't see him being more then a mid card player which is sad because watching him with guys like Punk Rollins work is up there, but his lack of Mic Skill and his appearance won't let him break that glass ceiling, but we never know people said that about Daniel Bryan, but he's still a focal point so I guess we'll never know until we know.

 

[BigThunder]

This has been the year of the Shield and all three will be huge. Heck, as a stable, they already are huge. They're clearly the most impressive stable since Evolution.

I see Rollins as taking CM Punk's spot when Punk steps down, with less well developed mic skills but more Jeff Hardy sex appeal thrown into the mix.

 

[MWRedskins]

i think all three members of the Shield will do well after the group breaks up. i expect Reigns and Ambrose to get major pushes fast, i expect Rollins to come along slowly and eventually get a Bryan or Punk like push where he finally gets his shot and does well. i like Rollins in the sense that he just looks like Punk, his promos are Punk-like (though not as great) and his matches are also great. the only thing he doesnt have is McMahon size, but he has the ability to sell a feud. so i expect all three to break out, but Rollins likely takes his time to break out.

 

[Reflection]

Seth Rollins is talented. As we have seen, whenever it comes to The Shield getting an asskicking or eating finishers from the faces, its Seth Rollins that is chosen for the job, and it has to be because he is good at it. He sells really well, he has the looks and the physique, a sick finisher, and now he has shown that he can last long matches too. Surely, when you keep delivering, you cannot be held back for too long. Sooner or later you will rise.
On the other hand, it is worth noting that Dean Ambrose seems to have stopped evolving. It is a constant cycle, a constant race, and if you stop you will fall behind. Seth Rollins have taken the number 2 spot in the gang after Roman Reigns, and I expect big things in the future for him.

 

[deadman talking]

all three members of the sheild are gonna be huge, by themselves. roman reigns will be the first to break into the main event of course. dean ambrose has just something about him that i just really enjoy, but i see him as upper midcard for the first part of his singles run. he seems like a heel that will eventually be liked so much to the point of being taken as a face. love that guy, super talented and entertaining. seth rollins is definitely being overlooked by everyone. this dude is gonna be a major player in the wwe. hes gonna do whatever it takes to get your attention. he will, as others posted, be compared to the likes of cm punk and daniel bryan, not bad company to be in. he has great potential but it will take time, like punk and bryan, to finally get his due. i also see him in upper midcard for awhile to come, but then elevated to main event status. i see him as being a great intercontinental champion. i think he is better in the ring than the other two shield members. he is alot bigger than most believe him to be. as of now though, reigns has a whole lot of main event appeal, but whether it works is yet to be seen. he is the most promising big man main event superstar to be talked about in some time, i believe. there have been a lot of them, who did not reach what was expected of them. has to be alot of pressure, im sure. i hope they book him and give the time he needs to become the next badass big guy main eventer. that is why rollins is being overlooked , the other two are just so good. lets just hope they are all booked right because in 5 years, or so, they can/will definately be major players in the wwe. i actually think the shield and even rollins by himself, have more promise than someone like big e langston. BELIEVE IN THE SHIELD.

 

[Chococat]

You guys just won't face facts that there's NOTHING special about these three guys that cannot already be found in the typical Superstars/Main Event jobbers.

Ambrose = typical overseller who tries waaaaaay too hard to be "eccentric" or "unique" that it just comes off as stupid. Every time he takes a backdrop, he acts like he was just whipped.

Rollins = I REALLY see this guy just disappearing into Justin Gabriel land. Nothing but a spot monkey who sounds like a chain smoker. I don't think I could ever feel threatened by a guy with highlights in his hair talking trash to me.

Now to the "chosen one" Roman Reigns. He has Ted Dibiase JR written all over him. The faster you guys accept this, the faster we can move on. HE IS ONLY IN THIS POSITION BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS RELATED TO! MOST OF THE PEOPLE ON THE WWE ROSTER WOULDN'T EVEN BE THERE IF IT WASN'T FOR THEIR FAMILIES.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Seth Rollins is the best out of the three in the ring. I have no doubt in my mind that all three members of The Shield will be big stars once all is said and done. Rollins might very well become the biggest star, he honestly has the most potential. He could do very well as both a face or a heel in a top tier role. I've stated before that a heel Dean Ambrose VS face Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is a match we should get later down the line, and one I would greatly look forward to. He needs to be allowed to showcase his skills more like he did in this match.

Ambrose gets to show off his promo ability the most, Reigns gets to show off his finisher the most, with Rollins being the best in-ring worker of the stable he should too be allowed to showcase what he does best. The best part is he's good on the mic too, combine that with his underrated in-ring ability, and a decent finisher in his Diving High Knee, you have a recipe for success. You don't hear as much about Seth Rollins and the truth is you should. I personally think Ambrose will be the biggest star, but Rollins absolutely has the potential to become a huge star too. I can't wait to see how the future unfolds for all three of The Shield members!

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Any faction has the same foundation you have someone who MUST get over from it, someone you WANT to get over from it and someone who you'd LIKE to get over if they can... if they don't it's not an issue.

Go back to The Horsemen - Flair was the focal point who had to get over from it, Arn was the guy they wanted over as a potential opponent for Flair (although they never really pulled that trigger) and Tully was the "bonus" guy. Ole didn't need it, wasn't considered to be in need of push and there to "make up the numbers" while adding credibility. Later iterations saw Arn and Hennig move into that role, but it then became about getting Sting, Sid, Pillman, Benoit. The bonus guys were guys like Mongo and Roma. Mongo got a little over, while Pillman and Benoit both did so that was a good return. Roma failed but wasn't a loss as it was a guy you'd like to get over.

Look at Evolution - Flair was over regardless and so was Trips but he was in that "bonus role" that Evolution revitalised him was a bonus. The goal was Orton - and it was focused around getting him over at all costs. They wanted Batista over and that worked too.

So we come to the Shield - when it started Ambrose was the Must, Reigns the Want and Rollins the bonus... now there seems to be some confusion over Reigns and Ambrose swapping places but they haven't. WWE will still put more effort into Ambrose and it is showing that he got a title first, is still holding it and seems likely to for a while yet. Regins got his moment in the sun and that process has now begun to get him over which is what they wanted if they could.

Rollins however is still only that bonus guy, they haven't really done anything with him to show they care enough to want him to succeed. Right now it comes across more that they have 2 stars out of the group and they'd rather focus on getting Bray and Harper over before Rollins (the must and want of that group) so he may suffer, even though he hasn't done anything wrong.

It happened to Barry Darsow, it happened to Jim Neidhart, Terry Taylor and Ted DiBiase Jr. Where you've been part of a stable or managerial group that was over, did everything asked of you but once it was done the E had gotten what it wanted and it wasn't you after all so now they're looking elsewhere. Neidhart could easily have been a Hogan foe in the late 80's just as DiBiase could have been a main eventer now had Vince cared enough about them but they were bonuses...the mehs. Unless Rollins has a moment very soon, he's destined for the same as there just aint enough spots.

 

[MCMG]

It was a great match and Rollins has had plenty of those. The brilliant thing about The Shield is that they are all talented. This year they have been incredible and is incredible to think that Rollins is the least talked about when he has so much talent.

I do think, however, that Ambrose and Reigns are better (or have at least impressed me more) Like I said, all three are superb in the ring and ranking them is very difficult. Ambrose is probably the best on the mic which in my estimation places him above Rollins. Reigns as just been so damn impressive, paired with his look, ensures that I also rate him higher than Seth.

Rollins is fantastic and can definitely be a success but, thus far, I have been more impressed with the other two and feel they have greater futures. If I was to predict right now, I would say that Reigns and Ambrose will definitely be future WWE Heavyweight Champions; Rollins is only a maybe.

 

[Diet Soda]

As much as I hate his hair, I do have a soft spot for Rollins, and enjoyed watching him more than the other two in FCW. Could he emerge as a top singles star? Perhaps.

His physique might be a hindrance if you are one of those who believes that McMahon only prefers big guys as world champs, but as Jeff Hardy showed (almost exactly same height and weight as Rollins) you don't have to be jacked to get over big time. If they packaged him in the same way - a kooky, flippy guy - then I can see him with a chance.

He certainly has more charisma than the aforementioned Justin Gabriel. Seriously, Gabriel just comes out, stands there for a bit, clutches his ribs, does a 450 splash, and that's it, that's every Justin Gabriel match ever.

Ultimately though, I don't want it to happen anytime soon. I mark for the Shield too much, they're just too good. The Shield really is the ideal three-man stable; you've got the big, intimidating powerhouse, an athletic spot-monkey, and the sloppy brawler who also is better than most at talking - the complete set. Just no boobs to look at.

Why can't we have a breakout star of the Shield, who also goes on to win the world championship, but the group stays together? Why can't they strive to be the best ever and go for all the belts between them? Imagine that, the WWE World Heavyweight, Intercontinental, United States, and Tag Team Championships all held by just three men.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

You have to be freaking kidding me... it was a 20 plus match with John Cena, not even Ryback blew it up, so why would Seth Rollins? There is absolutely no way Seth Rollins is the breakout star of anything, specially The Shield. He's a great highflyer, good worker and I'll give him that but so are Ambrose and Reigns, I mean we are talking about the THREE breakout stars of the year.

Clearly, but clearly people want to cheer for the awesomeness of Roman Reigns that has had some good bouts, both tag team and singles. He's a star look and you can't deny it, it's attitude and the little things scream money for the guy and he'll be in that Batista spot if WWE continues to bet on him.

Then you have Dean Ambrose, sure the guy isn't the best in the world as some people thought he was but sure as hell he showed that he will be great on his own without having to share the spotlight with two bad talkers. He can cut a promo and I don't know about you, but that's something I really love to see, a good promo most of the times sells a match and Ambrose has the capability to do that EASILY. Also he has good matches, unless you are counting and remembering that slow fest with Kane, but that's the norm with Kane... His matches with Punk tell a story, the little things where he thrash talks in the right situation, where he scratches the face of his opponents and looks at the crowd... that things get you over.

Seth Rollins, what? His he going to sell me a main event between himself and Randy Orton by telling me how "greath" he is? How can I take the guy seriously? Would I want to see the match happen as far as in-ring competition goes? Yes, but the prospect of a good match will not make me pay $60. I want to know that the match matters, I want to feel that there is a rivalry and with Rollins I never do, he's just awkward. He's fantastic in the role he is and I'm sure he'll be a great hand in the midcard/uppercard position but he isn't anywhere near the other two. If Rollins is the star to you, you probably love Kofi Kingston and are an idiot.

 

[darkrain888]

I think the Shield is one of the reasons that WWE has been good. After their debut things got a little bland and repetitive but once they gave them matches and titles they seemed to get more and more interesting. With the tease of a breakup (which will happen eventually) it gets us glued and anticipating when that will happen. As singles stars we know Reigns and Ambrose have it. what about Rollins? I've been familiar with him since he was Tyler Black, and ROH wrestlers are good in ring performers since the focus is more on wrestling. His promo skills do need improvement but he's still young and can improve. I wish WWE allowed him to do the moves he did in ROH. His finisher would really get over with the wwe fans. We know what we're getting with Reigns and Ambrose, but Rollins is very underrated. He has the most untapped potential of the three. Will he be a bigger star than he is? Only if Vince McMahon lets him be. Sad but true.

 

[Cody Trail]

I remember back in 2009 when Randy Orton and The Legacy ran wild on Raw. Everybody, from the fans to the management, saw Ted DiBiase, Jr. as the breakout star of the stable, and Cody Rhodes was just the weak link of the trio that would quickly fade into lower-card obscurity once the group broke up. How very wrong we all were. Rhodes is, as of right now, one of the most solid, decorated mid-carders in the company, and seems destined to be a MITB winner a few years down the road.

So I'm optimistic about his future in the WWE. All the talk is on Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose right now, and I can understand why, but Seth Rollins might surprise us and become bigger than both men. You never know for sure.

Just my two cents.