Why Seth Rollins’ Heel Turn Was Perfectly Timed

Redesign. Rebuild. Reclaim. That was Seth Rollins’ mantra when he made his epic return from injury in 2016. Since then he has gone on a tear that netted him the Intercontinental and Universal Championships as well as the coveted #1 wrestler on the PWI list of top 500 wrestlers in the world, all of which are no easy feat.

Seth Rollins is a fantastic wrestler, who time and time again puts on some of the most thrilling matches of the night. Despite all of that, fans are beginning to turn their backs on The Kingslayer.

There are many reasons for the recent fan souring on Rollins. From the repeated clashes with Brock Lesnar for the Universal title, his penchant for Twitter feuds, as well as lashing out a former Shield brethren Jon Moxley when he left for AEW. These paired with his lukewarm feud with The Fiend that left him cowering in the corner have lessened Seth as the image of a fearless champion.

It has been a rough period for The Architect, whose character growth has stalled when compared to other popular acts like The Fiend or Daniel Bryan. For these reasons, the events of Monday Night Raw were very exciting. Rollins ran down the entire Raw roster for coming up short at Survivor Series. He was then given a stunner by Kevin Owens, which set up the main event for later in the night where Rollins got his revenge by laying out KO with some vicious stomps after KO was attacked by AOP.

Not only is a heel turn a breath of fresh air for the character, but a feud with fan-favourite Kevin Owens is a great rivalry to cement the heel turn. Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins have already shown they have the chemistry to pull off exciting matches with clashes over the Intercontinental and Universal Championship in the past. Still, the reversal of roles, with Owens as face and Rollins as a heel, paint a new layer on the rivalry that makes it fresh. Especially if the Authors of Pain roll with Seth Rollins as his muscle; you need to look no further than 2015 to see what many would argue was Seth Rollins’ peak in WWE, with Rollins as the WWE Champion, handpicked by the Authority and flanked by Kane and J&J Security. Rollins faced a plethora of worthy challengers including Dean Ambrose, John Cena, and the legendary Sting. This time saw Rollins grow as a wrestler and as a character, which allowed the fans to connect with him on a deeper level.

The events of Monday Night Raw also mark a rare instance of WWE going with the flow of turning a character heel when it’s time, as fans are eager to boo Seth right now. The handling of the heel turn will be essential in the difference of this being a run of the mill heel turn, that sees Seth become a coward that runs from a fight or a Ciampa level heel turn that will leave a lasting memory in the annals of wrestling.

Character work is a vital aspect of what makes a wrestler engaging. What it means to be a good or bad guy is changing in professional wrestling. The recent face turn of Kevin Owens got off to a great start, as he would stun everyone in sight endearing himself to fans as a rebel they could live vicariously through. His hot streak cooled off as he began to do Shane McMahon’s bidding and the feud devolved into a legal battle, before finally Owens got the better of Shane and sent him packing. As a counterpoint, could you imagine Stone Cold and Mr.McMahon’s legendary rivalry involving lengthy court proceedings?

Hopefully, WWE can avoid the same mistakes with Rollins. While we as fans enjoy more nuanced storylines and evolving versions of heels and faces now, again look at Ciampa’s betrayal of Johnny Gargano in NXT, The Fiend or eco-warrior Daniel Bryan. Separating yourself from the pack is essential, but it is also necessary to keep it simple.

Something to make Rollins stand out from the standard “you people turned on me so now I turn my back on you” heel turn is letting his accomplishments go to his head and Rollins living in his own twisted headspace as the perfect wrestler. He can have a chip on his shoulder and lash out on Twitter in character to blend the storyline with real life. He could continue to call out CM Punk, include Kazuchika Okada, and Kenny Omega both in the ring and online, to come fight him so he can show he is the best. Let Rollins represent WWE in this larger wrestling world. He should take it personally that others want to lay claim to being the best wrestling company or best wrestler, and he should be upset that seemingly no one else cares enough to step up and say it. The best characters are extensions of the real person, and this storyline would be great for Seth. It allows him to express himself, has a practical motivation, and gives fans something to connect with and discuss.

We know Seth is capable of doing more and we are eager to see it. Rollins has run his course as a face, and there is nothing left for him to do in the role, but as a heel he can tap into something new. He has captured the top prize on RAW, and led the charge against the NXT and Smackdown invasion. Now is the perfect time for Seth to return to the dark side and let us again hear the infamous cackle that made us hate to love Rollins in the first place. This could be a heel turn for the ages, as with this change of character, Seth has the opportunity to reinvent himself. You can see the renewed energy in Rollins’ eyes, as many stars say they prefer the freedom of being a heel as opposed to being a face. Hopefully with this heel turn Seth Rollins can again take his place as the most exciting superstar in WWE.