WWE

WWE Hot Take: Seth Rollins Is the Remedy to Revive Roman Reigns' Title Run

Chris Roling

When one needs to build or remake something special, bring in an Architect.

It's a line of advice WWE could use right now as Roman Reigns' historic title run atop the company flounders and the only viable solution is to once again bring in Brock Lesnar.

Seth Rollins is the obvious fix.

Fans bemoan WWE for repeating history instead of forging new storylines and Superstars, but in this instance, repetition and predictability is nothing short of a good thing. Rollins cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania 31 to swipe the title from Reigns and Lesnar in the main event is one of the best moments in pro wrestling history—and even got WWE the non-wrestling, mainstream attention it so cravenly desires.

So do it again. That's the fix. Who could complain if Rollins goes out and wins the briefcase on July 2? Who could complain if, in the main event of SummerSlam, he makes the cash-in attempt? It doesn't have to be exactly the same. It can be an interesting twist, with both guys expecting him to do it. Having Rollins prevail anyway would right so many wrongs and be quite a bit better than another snoozefest exclusively between Reigns and Lesnar.

Because right now...the current plan just isn't working. This title run's goal is to cement Reigns as the GOAT before he presumably goes part-time to pursue things like acting.

Instead, he's feuding with Lesnar again. He's holding both shows' main event scenes hostage by "unifying" the titles. WWE is refusing to throw a new Superstar at him in the wake of injuries to Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. It's Lesnar, even after their last 'Mania match was a letdown because it has been done so many times.

Reigns vs, Lesnar without Rollins involved is predictability in the worst way. They'll hit the spear-through-the-barricade spot outside. They'll spam finishers. They'll tease the Paul Heyman involvement. Reigns will win, again confirming to fans that everything up until next 'Mania is skippable because the end goal is Reigns vs. The Rock.

In the end, it will make Lesnar look like a doofus who can't get a win, Reigns not as impressive as the last time and the legacy of their feud once again takes a hit.

Unless Rollins enters the fray.

And we have to talk about just how much Rollins deserves it, too. We're a long, long way removed from the disaster that was his feud with Bray Wyatt's The Fiend that got him booed out of arenas and eventually into a total character change while leaving the main event scene.

Since, Rollins has been absolute money in everything he does while working with all sorts of opponents. He's everything WWE wants—he's one of the best in the world in the ring and on the mic, he's the perfect brand ambassador, he's a workhorse without injury concerns, etc. Any fears WWE might have with propping up a new top guy simply don't exist with Rollins.

Rollins is arguably the top asset in the company, and he has no business doing anything outside the main event scene. The backstory, including The Shield and encounters with both men there, just make it so much easier to build something engaging compared to other ideas or recent attempts (remember how quickly they failed Big E or the weird Bobby Lashley run?).

None of this prevents WWE from getting its Reigns-Rock showdown at the next 'Mania. Even if Rollins ends up as an interim champion, the shakeup gives fans something fresh and, ironically, already proven to work. It lets the Reigns-Lesnar feud retain some of its legitimacy historically and it even allows Lesnar to eventually feud with somebody else without taking major damage.

Reigns dropping one or both of his titles to Rollins, even briefly, is quite a bit better than the harm another mid match with Lesnar would bring. This could also give WWE an out after Reigns inevitably beats The Rock and has no idea how to actually get the titles off him in a way that makes sense.

It's Rollins again, with a little bit of long-term booking in mind.

WWE has to shove some stubbornness aside, but the answer is staring its decision-makers in the face. Rollins is a get-out-of-jail-free card that bails them out of a self-imposed corner in a way that will have fans rejoicing, which likely won't be the case however a straight-up Reigns vs. Lesnar match ends.

Harsh? Perhaps, but Rollins is the only reasonable path forward for everyone, fans included.

   

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