LAS VEGAS — Ahead of WrestleMania 41, Paul Heyman was asked by USA TODAY Sports who needed to win the triple threat match between Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Seth Rollins in the main event of night one.
The WWE Hall of Famer said he could go in front of the Supreme Court and spend hours advocating why each star should win. It was easy – and it makes sense – for him to make a case for the two stars he’s represented in his career. He said it would be unfathomable for Reigns not to win, and he could say with 100% certainty Punk needed to be victorious.
And then there was Rollins. Even though he hadn’t been his advocate, Heyman said Rollins would need a victory ‘or everything falls apart.’
What is everything? We found out on WrestleMania 41 night one.
WrestleMania 41: Five takeaways from shocking Night 1 for WWE
It was as shocking as a WrestleMania moment can get Saturday night inside Allegiant Stadium; Heyman – advocating for Punk over Reigns – not only turned on Punk, but turned on the ‘Tribal Chief’ in the process. Rollins didn’t even need to look at what unfolded to know the plan had been executed: he put his hand out and Heyman gave him the steel chair en route to the main event victory.
Stunning for sure, but it shouldn’t be a surprise to see Rollins become the big star at WrestleMania.
In 2015, Rollins created the most memorable moments in WWE history at WrestleMania 31 when he pulled off the ‘Heist of the Century,’ cashing in his Money in the Bank contract to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Flash forward 10 years later, and Rollins is still doing the same on WWE’s grandest stage.
‘Seth did become a highlight, right?’ said WWE chief content officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque. ‘That’s long deep into his career, to still have that fire to go that next level, to get there and have that connection with people, that’s impressive to me.’
What transpired is really a punishment for fans seemingly dismissing Rollins in the triple threat match. Yes, it was a bout with plenty of history, but it was expected either Reigns or Punk was going to leave victorious given their stature. Rollins was just seen as someone that could tie all of it together.
It felt somewhat reminiscent of WrestleMania 40. Going into the tag team match with Cody Rhodes against Reigns and The Rock last year, he was just seen as someone who could connect the rivalry. Nothing more, nothing less.
Instead, Rollins played a critical role in the event, essentially costing Reigns his title to allow Rhodes to become the new champion. Even more, he did it with a critical knee injury. The performance was so outstanding, The Rock declared Rollins the true MVP of WrestleMania, even when he went 0-2 and took a chair shot to the back.
People needed a reminder of how magnificent the Rollins character is. He’s always going to give a great performance in the ring, but it’s his ability to draw such dramatic reactions that elevates him to a different level.
Rollins is a man of many names and looks. His flashy outfits and ability to get in people’s heads with his eccentric personality is what makes him such a popular star.
But underneath all of the flamboyant costumes and orchestrating the crowd to sing his music, people cannot forget he’s a visionary. He’s always looking forward, trying to do, in his eyes, what’s right for business. Sometimes it looks good, sometimes it looks bad.
Regardless of right and wrong, Rollins has the ability to change the entire course of WWE in an instant. At WrestleMania 41, he had a vision of what could happen if he emerged victorious in Saturday night’s main event. And as he and Heyman smiled on the stage while Reigns and Punk looked in disbelief, Rollins knew he not only altered the careers of three prominent stars, but turned the rest of WWE on its head.
Heyman summed up the perception of Rollins perfectly prior to WrestleMania: ‘he has been the straw that stirs the drink in this entire scenario.’ It’s something he’s always done and excelled at.
At WrestleMania 41, he didn’t just stir the drink. He smashed the cup it was in, and best believe he’ll continue to do it.