When Seth Rollins injured his shoulder last October (a few months after being involved in a fake injury storyline), the future looked uncertain for one of WWE’s biggest stars of this generation. And while he’s still not out of the woods just yet, in terms of recovery, the six-time world champion wants to be a part of the upcoming WrestleMania 42... one way or another.
During an appearance on the Sal Licata Show (via Fightful) ahead of the Royal Rumble, Rollins opened up about his desire to be on the biggest show of the year when WrestleMania returns to Las Vegas this April, and I don’t blame him. Though he didn’t say one way or another if he’ll be medically cleared to compete this spring, the former champ said his goal remained the same as always:
Ultimately, the decision is not up to me. I do everything that they put in front of me, try to hit all my markers as far as rehab is concerned, get myself ready. Any time you’re in our profession, WrestleMania is the main goal. I’m eyeballing WrestleMania, I’d love to be involved in some capacity. At the end of the day, I don’t make that final call. The doctors have to make that decision and let me know if I’m good enough to do that. If the timeline fits, we’ll see.
Rollins has had his share of iconic moments at the “Showcase of the Immortals,” ranging from the “Heist of the Century” back in 2015 to his alignment with Paul Heyman at last year’s event. So it would be very much on brand for him to show up and shift the paradigm once again.
However, I have an idea for the “Visionary” and “Revolutionary,” even if he’s not cleared to compete. It’s obvious, but it’s also quite perfect.
How I Would Use Seth Rollins At WrestleMania 42… Even If He’s Still Injured
Though people weren’t too receptive to Seth Rollins’ commentary during Netflix’s Skyscraper Live coverage in January, I thought his charisma and excitement heightened the drama of Alex Honnold’s nerve-racking 1,700-foot climb. That said, I bet you know where I’m going with this.
If Rollins is still on the sidelines, at least in terms of in-ring competition, come April 18 and 19, I think WWE should just put him on commentary at some point over the weekend. The man knows how to work an audience, his understanding of the sport is better than just about anyone, and he has history with one of the biggest rumored matches: Bron Breakker vs. WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk.
The match is still not confirmed, but there’s been talk of Rollins’ former Vision stablemate winning the Rumble and challenging Punk at WrestleMania. There’s so much history together, and if that happens, having him involved as a commentator would be gold. Punk was on commentary when Rollins lost the WHC to Drew McIntyre at the all-timer WrestleMania 40, and that extra factor made the Night 2 opener even more fun.
While I would much rather see the “Monday Night Messiah” lace up his boots and get back into the ring this April, I won’t be mad if he takes a less-physical role either. That said, WrestleMania will be streaming live for anyone with an ESPN Unlimited subscription in the U.S. (it’s available with a Netflix subscription everywhere else) on April 18 and 19.
