Csonka’s Best of WWE: Seth Rollins’ Best Matches Review

Csonka’s Best of WWE Seth Rollins’ Best Matches Review

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– From NXT 9.29.12 – For The Inaugural NXT Championship: Seth Rollins defeated Jinder Mahal @ 16:55 via pin [***]
– From WWE MITB 2014: Seth Rollins defeated Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, and Rob Van Dam @ 23:14 [****¼]
– From WWE Summerslam 2015 – Winner Takes All US & World Heavyweight Title Match: Seth Rollins defeated John Cena @ 19:26 via pin to retain the WWE Title and to win the US Title [****]
– From WWE MITB 2016: Seth Rollins defeated Champion Roman Reigns @ 25:58 via pin [***¾]
– From WWE WrestleMania 33 – Non-Sanctioned Match: Seth Rollins defeated Triple H @ 25:45 via pin [**]
– From WWE WrestleMania 34 – WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Seth Rollins defeated Champion The Miz and Finn Balor @ 15:32 via pin [****]
– From WWE WrestleMania 35 – WWE Universal Championship Match: Seth Rollins defeated Champion Brock Lesnar @ 2:33 via pin [NR]
– From WWE MITB 2019 – Universal Title Match: Champion Seth Rollins defeated AJ Styles @ 19:55 via pin [****½]
– From WWE Summerslam 2019 – WWE Universal Title Match: Seth Rollins defeated Champion Brock Lesnar @ 13:20 via pin [****]

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Inaugural NXT Championship Match: Seth Rollins vs. Jinder Mahal: This immediately made me sad, not just because it was a Jinder match, but because Fink did the ring announcing and proud NXT dad Dusty was there. Jinder looks like a fucking cruiserweight here, many years before he learned how to properly work out. They lockup and Seth grounds things. Jinder makes the ropes, cheap shots Seth but Seth fires back, hits a dropkick and lays in chops. The stomp misses but Seth dumps him. Jinder cuts him off, slamming him to the apron and then the ramp. Jinder takes the heat back in, picking up near falls. Post break and Jinder has things grounded, and follows with a knee drop. Seth fires back, but Jinder attacks the back to ground him. He follows with a backbreaker for 2. Jinder maintains control, choking out Seth and follow with a suplex for 2. Jinder hits a slam, a suplex and again covers for 2. He grounds things, Seth fights to his feet and runs into a knee strike for 2. Seth makes the ropes to stop the camel clutch, counters with an enziguri and they trade strikes. Seth unloads with kicks, Jinder misses a knee strike and spills to the floor. Seth follows with the high cross to the floor, and back in, Jinder cuts him off up top, and the superplex follows. Post break and they trade strikes, chops and Jinder hits the side slam for 2. Jinder lock on a full nelson, Seth escapes and hits an enziguri and springboard knee strike for 2. The corner splash follows, and the superkick gets 2. The Phoenix splash misses, and Jinder hits the Khallas for 2. The camel clutch follows, Seth fights and makes the ropes and cradles him for 2. The buckle bomb connects and the blackout connects for the win. Seth Rollins defeated Jinder Mahal @ 16:55 via pin [***] God bless Regal & Ross on commentary trying to sell this as the biggest match in NXT history at the time, they tried. The match is actually good, better than expected, and was a real showcase for Rollins.

MITB Match: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Jack Swagger vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Rob Van Dam: I loved the start as Ambrose and Rollins brawled right away and went to the floor; they are the focus of this match and it made sense. They did a ton with those two, making me want to see a singles match even more. They did a spot where Ambrose had to leave the match to due “popping his shoulder” out. He demanded they pop it back in, but he was taken to the back. I was hoping he’d go Martin Riggs and slam it off the post to pop it back in. Ziggler had an awesome run where he ran wild, wiping everyone out until Rollins took him out. Rollins appeared to be on the way to win, Ambrose returned and beat the shit out of Rollins with a chair. Ambrose had it won, but Kane appeared and stopped him with a chokeslam and tombstone. This allowed Rollins to win. They really did a lot of wild shit in this match. But the booking felt lazy in regards to the finish. Kane’s job in 2014 was to ruin everything fun in wrestling. I was really enjoying things here, but this was an example of the booking taking away from the hard work of the guys in the ring. Yes, in theory it makes sense for Kane to help because of the Authority angle, I was so sick of matches being awesome and then having that completely flat ending because the booking. Tremendous effort from all six men, RVD was motivated, Kofi had the good spots and tease which the crowd bought, same for Ziggler, Swagger was a great power/base guy for the match and Ambrose and Rollins were rightfully spotlighted and delivered. The crowd was spectacular for those guys; this was heading towards something really special before the finish. This one did a great job of recapturing some of the magic and reckless abandon of the early versions of the match. Seth Rollins defeated Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, and Rob Van Dam @ 23:14 []

Winner Takes All US & World Heavyweight Title Match: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins: Seth Rollins debuted new all white gear here, looking like the white Power Ranger. If this were several years ago I would say that it was a perfect “I’m going to bleed like a stuck pig” outfit. With this going on so early, my initial thought is a long and good match with a bad finish. I hope I am wrong on the bad finish. After a slow start, Rollins summoned his AR Fox power card and hit three consecutive dives. Rollins largely controlled early answering Cena and busting out the meteora, a standing shooting star press and the double stomp from the corner. Outside of Cena’s ugly as hell springboard stunner, we were off to a really good start. We had a scary spot as Rollins countered the top rope AA into the buckle bomb, but they almost completely lost it but recovered. Rollins later stole the roll through spot and powered Cena up into an AA for a near fall, which was cool. Rollins continually tried for the pedigree, but Cena would counter, including once into a figure four to play off of the Flair name-drop on Monday. Rollins followed with a great near fall off of the superplex, which he rolled into the falcon arrow. Cena hit an AA, and we had a REF BUMP… UGH. Rollins hit the knee to the face of Cena, and then Jon Stewart ran in with a chair, and hit Cena. Rollins hit the pedigree on the chair and that was it. The match was really, really good and I thought that they were heading for something special, and then that finish just killed it for me. I haven’t been a huge fan of Rollins’ title run, but he looked so awesome here and it felt like we were going to have a special match. Instead, they opted to so what they do and did the shit finish to make sure they get some extra SportsCenter time. Not exactly long, but they had a really good match with the bad finish. Give that a few more minutes and a clean finish and it’s likely a MOTY contender. I guess when you have a match that is for two titles and hyped as important, asking for a clean and decisive finish is too much to ask from WWE. They worked the right match, both guys delivered, I just feel that the booking failed. Seth Rollins defeated John Cena @ 19:26 via pin to retain the WWE Title and to win the US Title [****]

WWE World Heavyweight Title Match: Champion Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins: The match started at 10:54 PM ET, WWE reportedly told PPV providers that the show would go long. With an hour pre-show, these shows really do not need to go long. Rollins used his speed early and looked to out wrestle Reigns. Reigns answered with shoulder tackles, but then ran into a dropkick and running knee, sending Reigns to the floor. Rollins followed with the suicide dive. Rollins tried to pick up the pace, but Reigns hit the Samoan drop and the laid the boots to Rollins. He hit the repeated clotheslines in the corner and then a powerslam for 2. Reigns then shoved Rollins around, asking of he was sure he was ready and Rollins slapped him so Reigns attacked with strikes in the corner. Slaps and kicks by Rollins, which angered Reigns and he sent Rollins to the floor. They brawled on the floor, as Reigns sent Rollins over an announce table. Reigns then started to dismantle a table as Rollins rolled back into the ring, and then back to the floor as Reigns chased. Rollins finally managed to slam Reigns to the steps. Back into the ring and Reigns hit the Razor’s edge into a sit out powerbomb for a near fall. Rollins countered the Superman punch, sending Reigns to the corner and then hit an Enziguri. Rollins then hit a suicide dive and then a big plancha to take control of things. Back in the ring, Rollins hit sling blade for a near fall. Rollins missed the springboard, but looked for the pedigree but Reigns escaped and hit he Superman punch for a near fall. Reigns set for the spear, but ate the knee and Rollins hit the kick and springboard knee strike. Rollins then hit the high fly flow and that got 2. Rollins again went up top, but Reigns cut him off and delivered head butts. They battled up top, and Rollins slipped out and hit the buckle bomb and superkick for another near fall. Rollins fired away with running forearms, set Reigns up top and followed. Reigns shoved him off and Rollins went back up and shoved off again. Rollins then ran back p top and hit the superplex and rolled into the falcon arrow (HE DID THE DEAL) for a near fall! Rollins again went for the pedigree, Reigns fought it and got a roll up into the single arm powerbomb for a near fall. They then went face to face and traded strikes from their knees. They continued to go back and forth, Rollins went for another buckle bomb and got it but Reigns rebounded out with the Superman punch and covered for 2. Rollins bailed to the floor, Reigns followed and charged with the spear and MISSED and went into the barricade. Refs and a trainer check on Reigns, but Rollins rolled him back in and then we got a ref bump. Spear by Reigns, delayed count and he only gets 2 due to the ref bump. Rollins then cantered the spear right into the pedigree for a great near fall, which was cool. Rollins then hit another pedigree, and covered for the win. In a way it’s such an odd match, Rollins returns and feels like a face, they have that special which portrays him as a face, but they make him a heel on TV. Reigns is of course “WWE’s face,” but the fans react to him like a heel. So then they have Seth work mostly babyface here. What an odd dichotomy. This was a very strong match overall, as far as the work goes; the crowd was a bit flat early and I do feel that they went too long Seth Rollins defeated Champion Roman Reigns @ 25:58 via pin [***¾]

Non-Sanctioned Match: Triple H vs. Seth Rollins: Triple H rides out on a three-wheeler with Stephanie and motorcycle police. Triple H is most certainly in WrestleMania shape here. Rollins is sporting a spiffy new gold outfit. They brawled right away, taking the fight to the floor almost immediately with Triple H attacking the legs before they battled over the barricade. Rollins then dumped Triple H over the barricade and then flew off of it with a lariat. Rollins then hit a suicide dive, a second and then slams Triple Hoff of an announce table and starts to dismantle it. Triple H fights off the pedigree and hits a DDT to turn the momentum in his favor. Triple H then attacks the knee of Rollins with chair shots, as he starts to dismantle Rollins. Back in the ring and Triple H continues to focus on the knee. Rollins looks to fight back, slams Triple H to the buckles but can’t follow up. He slowly climbs to the top, gets cut off, Triple H follows him up and they battle back and forth, Rollins looks for the sunset bomb (which hurt his knee and cost him Mania last year) and collapsed as he tried a Liger bomb. They both tease pedigrees, and Rollins manages the buckle bomb and then collapses again. The crowd tries to rally Rollins, who avoids a charge and Triple H flies to the floor. Rollins slowly climbs up top, and hits the high cross to the floor and immediately clutches at his knee. Rollins posts Triple H, and then grabs chairs and tosses them in the ring. He then gets a table. Back in and Rollins slowly climbs up top and hits the high fly flow for the near fall. He grabs the chair, but Triple H begs off and kicks out his knee and then wraps the chair around the knee, hitting knee and elbow drops to punish Rollins. Triple H up top now, but Rollins fights to his feet and tosses a chair into Triple H’s face. He follows Triple H up top, SUPERPLEX and rolls through and hits a falcon arrow (HE DID THE DEAL) for the near fall. the key here is that Rollins keeps struggling after any significant move, selling the knee. Rollins up top, Stephanie crotches him and Triple H locks in the inverted figure four, Rollins escapes and rolls to the floor and Triple His right there to work him over with the chair and apply the hold again. Rollins looks for help from under the ring, and slides out a sledgehammer, which Triple H grabs and then stalks Rollins back into the ring with. They then trade strikes, face buster by Triple H but Rollins fights back with a superkick but Triple H decapitates him with a lariat, turning Rollins inside out. The crowd again tries to rally Rollins, and he hits an enziguri to stop the sledgehammer attack. Rollins grabs the sledgehammer, but Stephanie takes it away allowing Triple H to hit the pedigree for a great near fall. Triple H up top again, pulls Rollins up with him and Rollins backdrops him off to fight off the super pedigree. Rollins then hits the Phoenix splash for the near fall. This is feeling really, really long now. Triple H fights off the pedigree, Rollins again favors the knee, counties a powerbomb and Triple H attacks the knee to escape the Rollins pedigree. Rollins superkicks Triple H into Stephanie, she takes the table bump from the apron and Rollins hits the pedigree for the win. Seth Rollins defeated Triple H @ 25:45 via pin [**] This was a bookend match, it was all about the beginning and the end, with the middle coming across as too long and mostly filler. The crowd was hot at the beginning, and got into the homestretch, but like last year’s Triple H match, needed some of the middle edited out to make it come off better. I thought that a lot of he ideas were really sound, especially from a psychology standpoint, but trimming out some of the middle for some more violent and heated action would have greatly helped this, and probably would have kept the crowd better. You have to play to your audience, and this deep into the show, the crowd didn’t want to see tedious Triple H offense for so long, they wanted a fired up Seth Rollins getting revenge, not selling for Uncle Paul and scraping by with the win, while not really selling the danger of the stipulation or working to its full advantages (which Triple H knows how to do, just look at his SS match with HBK). Unfortunately this is the new Triple H feature match, good ideas, but overly long and completely self indulgent.

WWE Universal Championship Match: Seth Rollins vs. Champion Brock Lesnar: Lesnar attacks before the bell and they brawl on the floor. The F5 follows. Lesnar starts mauling him, just tossing him around with ease. Lesnar tosses him over an announce table, and then again. BROCK SMASH. They finally ring the bell and we officially begin. Suplex city time for Seth. Seth’s back is fucked up from that floor mauling. Ref bump, low blow by Seth. The superkick follows. Blackout connects and Seth hits another. Seth hits the third and we have a new champion. Seth Rollins defeated Champion Brock Lesnar @ 2:33 via pin [NR] Thanks for coming Brock, have fun in the Vegas territory; this was the right call in everything they did and got the main PPV off to a hot start.

Universal Champion Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles: They lockup and work to the ropes. Styles breaks clean, they lock up again and Rollins pie faces Styles. They work into counters, locking up again and Rollins works the arm. Styles counters out with an arm drag, but Rollins follows with a clothesline. He lays in chops and whips Styles to the buckles. The knee drop follows for 2. They trade and Styles cuts him off with a dropkick. He follows with kicks and a side back breaker. Rollins fires back with chops, they trade, and Rollins grounds things with strikes. The flatliner to the buckles follows. They work to the apron and Styles teases the clash, but Rollins escapes and then eats a sliding knee strike. Styles stuns him off the ropes, but Rollins rebounds with a suicide dive, Back in and Rollins dumps him and hits another suicide dive. Back in and they trade strikes, and Rollins follows with sling blade. The springboard clothesline follows for 2. Rollins follows with Kawada kicks, but Styles cut him off with an ushigoroshi. He looks for the clash, but Rollins counters out and they then trade pin attempts and Rollins hits the buckle bomb; the high fly flow follows for 2. Rollins follows with rights, takes Styles up top, follows him up but Styles fights him off and slips out and hits a German, but Rollins counters into a cradle for 2. Styles then hits the rack bomb and that gets 2. Styles to the apron, but Rollins cuts off the springboard, tripping up Styles. Rollins follows him up and hits the reverse superplex and transitions into another suplex for 2. Rollins sets for blackout, hits the superkick but Styles then counters into the calf crusher. Styles cranks back on the hold, but Rollins escapes and both men are down. Styles follows with the Asai DDT and that gets 2. Rollins hits a desperation superkick, and Styles crumbles to the mat. They trade strikes, Styles lays in leg kicks, Styles follows with a flurry and misses the PELE. Superkick by Rollins, but Styles counters blackout into the clash for a great near fall! Styles looks for the springboard forearm, but Rollins counters and hits the ripcord knee, superkick and the blackout connects and that’s that. Champion Seth Rollins defeated AJ Styles @ 19:55 via pin [****½] This was excellent and the best thing on the show to this point with ease. The layout was strong, with good drama and the crowd was invested; it also had that sense of urgency & intensity that the card had really been lacking. This was a really great effort for their first meeting that left a lot on the bone, and hopefully we get more to see if they can improve on it. With the win, Rollins gets his run off to a strong start.

Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins: Heyman is at ringside. Seth is all taped up still, selling the rib injury. Brock attacks right away targeting the ribs. He rushes him to the corner and continues to attack. Seth fires back, counters the German and hits blackout for 2. He follows with the flying knee to the floor, back in and the superkick is countered but Seth counters the German and hits superkicks and then runs into an F5. Brock rag dolls him by the rib tape and stomps away at him. Rolling Germans follow. To the floor and Brock follows with a German on the floor. Back in and Brock hits another German. Back to the floor and the F5 is countered and Seth posts Brock. Back in and Seth flies in with the knee strike and then gets caught with another German. Brock continues to toss him around attacks the ribs and follows with a bear hug. Seth makes the ropes but Brock then chokes him out. He slams Seth to the buckles, but then misses a chare and posts himself. Seth knocks him to the floor, and follows with two suicide dives but Brock catches the third and posts him. Brock dismantles an announce table, but Seth hits the superkick and lands on the table. Seth up top and the high fly flow connects. Back in and Seth heads back up top and hits another high fly flow. Blackout connects and Seth covers for 2. Seth sets and blackout is countered but Seth hits the superkick and blackout for the win. Seth Rollins defeated Champion Brock Lesnar @ 13:20 via pin [****] Other than needed a Summerslam main event, I really have no clue why they did the title change just to retell the Mania story again. But with that being said, this was a great sprint that delivered and hopefully Seth’s second run is better than the first one.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 116. On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka & Kevin Pantoja review Ultima Lucha Dos and start their look at the NXT Takeover: Brooklyn events. Jerome Cusson joins to review Dark Side of The Ring: The Road Warriors. The show is approximately 178-minutes long.

* Intro
* Lucha Underground’s Ultima Lucha Dos (Part I – 7.06.16: 3:35
* Lucha Underground’s Ultima Lucha Dos (Part II – 7.13.16: 14:50
* Lucha Underground’s Ultima Lucha Dos (Part III – 7.20.16: 27:50
* NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 2015 Review: 1:02:52
* Dark Side of The Ring: The Road Warriors Review: 2:05:37

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7.8

The final score: review Good

The 411

Overall, the Best of WWE: Seth Rollins’ Best Matches clocks it at right around four hours and is a really good and enjoyable watch. The only thing really missing were some of those Shield trios bangers.