Seth Rollins’ laughter can sometimes seem ridiculous, but when you’re a top-tier superstar, you can take risks. Rollins had been hovering on the edge of the main event scene, finding the need for a change to avoid becoming stagnant.
In the world of sports entertainment, reinvention is crucial for success. Many enduring wrestling stars have achieved greatness through evolution. From “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan to The Rock, and even Chris Jericho, who has continuously tweaked his character, the ability to adapt is key. Rollins understood this and made a dramatic shift from a cocky, black-clad killer to an outlandish Met Gala model.
Rollins explained, “I think I learned a lot about how to take chances and have a little bit more confidence in myself. I lived in my comfort zone for such a long time that I thought I knew better. I thought I knew what I was. I was comfortable with my identity. And it was hard to look in the mirror and go, ‘OK, this is working but what can we do to go to the next level?'”
He added, “Revamping your whole presentation is a difficult choice to make. You think it won’t work. You think it’ll fail, people won’t like it or you won’t be able to do it. All of these types of things. Sometimes you just have to dive in and see what happens and have confidence in your ability to make anything work. If you are experienced and talented and committed and passionate, no matter what is given to you or no matter what you choose to do, you can find a way to make the absolute best of it.”
Check out the full interview with Seth Rollins below.
The current version of Rollins in WWE is a reimagination of flamboyant gimmicks used by wrestling legends like Gorgeous George, Ric Flair, Rick Martel, and Shawn Michaels. It’s more akin to the cartoonish Joker from “Batman: The Animated Series” than the psychologically complex versions portrayed by Heath Ledge and Joaquin Phoneix. While it may be a bit over the top, it has garnered immense support from fans who enthusiastically sing along to Rollins’ theme song every week.
Rollins’ flashy attire began to take shape during the COVID-19 pandemic. WWE created the ThunderDome, a crowd-less arena, in response to government restrictions. Without a live audience, superstars were given the liberty to be more creative. However, it’s challenging to gauge the success of a gimmick without the immediate feedback of a crowd.
Rollins shared, “When I really started to notice what I was doing was hitting was during my rivalry with Edge because people really started to take notice of the colorful outfits. They started to make fun of them. They started to have fun with them. If you can get baked potato chants based on what you’re wearing, I think you’re onto something. It took a while to grasp that moment, hone it and figure it out, but it started to catch on. People started to wonder what kind of outlandish crap I was going to wear the next week and it caught fire.”
Rollins has always been recognized for his in-ring skills. Over the years, he has been entrusted to welcome Cody Rhodes into the main event scene, provide formidable challenges for Roman Reigns, elevate United States champion Austin Theory, and even lead Logan Paul through a WrestleMania match. Despite being in a supporting role, Rollins’ hard work and popularity as a character were finally rewarded with a championship title.
In response to Roman Reigns’ absence as the undisputed WWE universal champion on SmackDown, Triple H introduced a new world heavyweight championship exclusively for Raw. Some viewers immediately regarded this new title as secondary. For Rollins, who constantly desires more, this doubt served as the motivation he needed as he prepares for a second title defense against Finn Balor at SummerSlam.
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Reflecting on this, Rollins said, “Oh, there’s always a chip on my shoulder. It never goes away. I’m never just coasting. I’m never just being OK with being OK. If it’s not wanting to win a world championship or establish a world championship… I’m out here trying to prove everybody wrong on that. I’m not going to be naive and think that we ain’t got a lot of work to do… Establishing a new title is difficult work. It is a hard job. Somebody’s got to do it. And I am very honored to have the responsibility to be the guy to do that.”
Rollins draws motivation from the legendary Michael Jordan. Just like Jordan, he finds something that fuels his fire.
He explained, “Anytime we go to any arena in the country and anybody else gets credit for filling a house or being on top or popping a rating or anything like that, I’m always going to feel slighted by it. Not in a way that I’m jealous. I’m thrilled… But I’m always, always wanting to be the guy. Always wanting to be the marquee. Whatever it is. That’s where I want to be. And if I feel like I’m not there, I’m going to be hustling. I’m like Michael Jordan, man. I’m going to find something… I’m going to find something that I can sink my teeth into. I’m going to make an enemy out of somebody so that I got something to work for because that’s just how I operate. That’s how I flow. I don’t know how to do it any other way.”
