What Does the Return of the Curb Stomp Mean for Seth Rollins?

Seth Rollins has been the biggest success story of NXT so far. Chosen by “The Game” Triple H himself to be the shining star of the new generation, Seth was poised to blaze a trail for him and his peers into a new era of professional wrestling. Fans were chomping at the bit to see his inevitable rise to the main event scene, which began with the massive debut of The Shield.

Seth was instantly made into a star for a new, mainstream market. Alongside Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, Rollins stole the show on numerous occasions, proving that he could have chemistry with pretty much anyone you put him in the ring with. He shined as a flexible performer who could adapt his in-ring style and character to fit the desires of the crowd. There was no doubt that Rollins was going to be a breakout hit.

After the well-timed breakup of The Shield, Seth was surprisingly chosen to be the villain, despite most speculating that Ambrose was the impending heel. Rollins instantly took to his new bad guy persona, finding ways to get under every fan’s skin. He was a natural fit for the title of Mr. Money in the Bank, which not only propelled him into superstardom as a singles competitor, but also confirmed that he would eventually take the top championship and begin his legacy.

Of course, this all built to WrestleMania 31. Dubbed ‘The Heist of the Century’ (in a brilliant call from Michael Cole), Seth stunned audiences by charging down the ramp mid-match with his briefcase in hand, entering himself into the main event championship bout. The memories of witnessing Rollins nail Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns with consecutive Curb Stomps was indeed a WrestleMania moment. It solidified his character and gave fans of “The Architect” vindication, seeing this generation’s indie darling rise through the ranks of NXT and WWE. In truth, Seth was the first to do so with the company’s blessing. He hadn’t forced their hand like CM Punk or Daniel Bryan, it was mind-blowing to see the amount of trust Triple H and Vince McMahon had in this young upstart from Davenport.

Seth’s stock continued to rise throughout 2015, as his title reign resided in the main events of almost every episode of Raw and SmackDown. Eventually, he would succumb to injury and have to cut his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign short. It was a real shame to see his momentum come to such a crushing halt. Nevertheless, it could only mean that when he did make a comeback, Seth Rollins would be an even bigger star than before.

Unfortunately, this is where the story comes to a slight interlude. Since returning from injury, Seth has meandered about the Raw roster, failing to capture his former status. He remains a regular haunt of the main event scene, even flirting with the Universal Title picture on more than one occasion, but unfortunately never being given that same trust to be a flag-bearer for the new generation. Granted, he’s currently one half of the Raw Tag Champions alongside Jason Jordan, but does this truly feel like the same Seth Rollins we witnessed mature from NXT potential to being touted as “The Man”?

It’s hard to imagine how the chosen one managed to fall so flat on his face. For someone that was picked to face Triple H at WrestleMania last year and even be the cover star for the latest 2K game, something pretty huge must have happened to kill off the buzz.

Personally, I believe it’s down to the Curb Stomp.

Perhaps a menial thing to accuse for being the catalyst of this downfall, but nevertheless something which has sparked a lot of controversy in the industry. The Curb Stomp was the signature finishing move which Rollins had used for the better part of his entire solo run in WWE. It was the move that won him his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship and created such an unforgettable moment at Mania 31.

A superstar is defined and immortalised by a select few things: their character, entrance, and finisher. If you strip them of one of these defining aspects, then they’re bound to be lost in the ether.

WWE were justified in their reasons behind this. At the heart of it all, WWE is a publicly traded company which has a plethora of sponsors to be sucking up to at all times. The Curb Stomp isn’t necessarily the first move you want associated with your product. The act of curb stomping someone is absolutely brutal (and oftentimes fatal), and has been a part of some of the most vicious eras of human history.

Naturally, some questions were going to be raised, even if those delivering and taking the move were fully aware of what bumps to take in order to remain as safe as possible. Not only that, but WWE have taken a highly anti-concussion stance since the results and actions following previous competitors’ injuries, so a move which could lead to head trauma isn’t going to go unchecked for long.

It seemed like Seth Rollins had his identity stripped from him when he lost the Curb Stomp. He had built his character around this impactful finisher which had been so well protected that it rivalled the likes of Brock Lesnar’s F-5. Seth was left with a shoddy version of Triple H’s Pedigree, which didn’t quite have the same effect as they’d hoped. I appreciate that they were trying to establish that student/mentor relationship between him and Hunter, but it carried on undressing Seth’s credibility as a unique individual that stood out amongst the new breed.

Following his feud with Trips around Mania, Seth began using a variety of different signature moves to try and redefine himself as the new top babyface. A move which has come to be known simply as ‘The Knee’ slowly took over as Seth’s choice of climax. A twist on the ever-popular Rainmaker/Ripcord Lariat, but instead… it’s with a KNEE! I’m still unsure as to whether it’s meant to be a call-back to his major injury, but the logic behind him using his protective brace or his surgically repaired bone structure as a weapon is beyond me. Either way, it never truly got over in the same way as the Curb Stomp.

Thankfully, this past week on Raw saw the sudden return of Seth’s former finisher in a match with Finn Bálor. It was a total shock to everyone watching, who had no idea that WWE had loosened up on the use of the move. Perhaps it’s a one-time deal? Or maybe even a move that is only brought out to defeat the trickiest of opponents? WWE made a massive deal about it following the broadcast, plastering it all over social media and claiming that it was the second coming of the Curb Stomp.

Now I’m sure there are a few out there that don’t see the big deal surrounding just one move that really isn’t that impressive to look at. But what you need to understand is that this move was more than that. It was a statement of character and personality, it carried weight as the final stanza of a match. It would be like taking away Randy Orton’s RKO or Rey Mysterio’s 619. These performers have had this one constant since they began to rise into superstardom, and have come to be recognised by that constant for years. It’s like the soul of a wrestler lies in these small nuances; when taken away, they become a lifeless husk of their former self.

Seth Rollins can hopefully return to form now that he has been reunited with his iconic finisher. For now, he’s tied down to a tag team with Jason Jordan, but with the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania season on the horizon, this is the perfect opportunity to break out again as a top singles performer who has the ability to carry a big money feud.

Seth Rollins deserves to be known as this generation’s front-runner. Every diamond needs to be tested under pressure, so here’s hoping he can recover and continue his inevitable rise.