2 weeks Ago By Corey Michaels, Last Word On Sports
Seth Rollins. The architect. The visionary.
The revolutionary. The Monday Night Messiah. The Drip God.
He’s a man of different names, but his presence remains unchanged. Following WWE WrestleMania 41 Night 1, Rollins has again made a “Mania Moment” after aligning with Paul Heyman at the expense of Roman Reigns and CM Punk. He’s done it repeatedly, especially in that famous chair swing that betrayed Reigns and Dean Ambrose.
Previously, I wrote about The Shield’s impact on modern professional wrestling in the first installment of my Shield editorial series. As they are still around, they dip and curl their fingers into the pot of the industry, albeit mostly individually. Reigns is fresh off a monumental Tribal Chief storyline, now a lone castaway on the Island of Relevancy.
Ambrose now exists as AEW’s Jon Moxley, where he has held the World Championship in 2025. But what has Seth Rollins accomplished in the industry? Though not as efficacious as his former teammates, his influence runs deep. After all, an architect needs to build on blueprints with structures unseen to unaware eyes.
Visionary for the Future A trait shared between Rollins, the persona, and Colby Lopez, the man, is the separate direction they see for the future. Character-wise, Rollins has been one step ahead of the curve while Lopez has learned to think ahead. Following his turn against The Shield, Rollins smartly sat behind the protection of Triple H and The Authority.
Reuniting twice with The Shield after numerous assaults on them by heels gave him further strength once The Authority dissolved. Though they were faces, they were still something Rollins could lean on. Later, he had “disciples” in Authors of Pain and Buddy Murphy to do his bidding.
And now he has Heyman and Breakker, with more to assuredly join. Triple H once told The Shield that “there is always a backup plan,” a lesson that Rollins seems to have taken heartily. Lopez, on the other hand, had quite a road to go to get where he is now in wrestling stardom.
Though he had all the makings of a star, he had a few lessons to learn to keep his head steady. Following and avoiding a few scandals and awkward social media interactions, he’s since tempered his attitude. He grew into a family man, now a husband and father.
However, away from WWE and his family, he trains the next crop of future wrestlers at Black and Brave Wrestling Academy, founded in the 2010s by wrestling veteran Marek Brave. Lopez regularly posts about his improving pupils on his Instagram page . Revolutionary of Relevance It’s not enough to set things in motion for things yet to come.
Realizing this, Rollins stays in the moment by standing out. Wistful viewers may remember his iconic golden streak in his hair and tributes to superheroes and video game characters in grand entrances for pay-per-views and premium live events. Still, after becoming the Drip God, he’s become somewhat of a fashionista.
His outfits are brilliantly loud and bold, like a peacock demanding to be seen. For this, he’s a common topic among fans, especially fashion fans. Furthermore, he adapted his in-ring style after the accrued injuries he’s suffered in his career.
His knee injury in 2015 is a perfect example, leading to his memorable return at Extreme Rules 2016 when he attacked Roman Reigns following The Big Dog’s victory. It took him some time to change course and become a face. Most recently, however, his World Heavyweight Championship reign and past years wore on him in 2024, leading to serious time off.
He even hobbled to the ring during Cody Rhodes’s challenge to then-Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. His style, while safer, capitalizes on the big moments to deliver in grand settings. That’s what’s at the core of him.
Whereas Reigns is naturally charismatic and oozes star, and Dean Ambrose has a heart and voice that resonate louder, Rollins has the flexibility to blend into various roles. He’s embodied different presentations over the years, from a corporate puppet to the visionary, and will make the most of any opportunity to go viral. His name carries weight; why else were fans clamoring for a dream match with him against CM Punk? Rollins is one of the most reliable tools under WWE’s utility belt.
What Could the Architect Be Building Next? On the April 21st episode of Monday Night Raw, Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman came to the ring to speak on their dangerous alliance when CM Punk and Roman Reigns attempted to ambush them. They, for the most part, held their own until Bron Breakker appeared, spearing Roman through the barricade and serving as an equalizer. Due to Breakker’s pre-existing budding relationship with Heyman in the background, this was not hard to predict.
Once Rollins held back on his curb-stomp on Heyman in the weeks leading to WrestleMania 41, he had this all planned out. Laid out in his blueprints. That favor may lead to a partnership or faction that could elevate several careers while furthering his accolades.
Who could get involved? His wife, the newly heel Becky Lynch? His former pupil and his tag team partner, Nathan Frazer and Axiom? The rightfully bitter Karrion Kross and Scarlett? And could the incoming Jeff Cobb have a spot? Only time will tell. Roddy Piper once said, “Just when you think you know the answer, I change the question.” Seth Rollins is an apt representation of that.
Much like the legends Chris Jericho and Matt Hardy before him, he’s slithered into several skins and stayed steps ahead of his opponents. As he slowly approaches the twilight of his career, still in his prime, that mission is still much the same. He is the architect to build on what he burns down.
This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission..
