Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins will be out for the foreseeable future as he is recovering from knee surgery.
Rollins hasn’t appeared for WWE since his loss to Drew McIntyre at WWE WrestleMania 40: Sunday. During an appearance on RTE One’s The Late, Late Show, Becky Lynch was asked about how she and Rollins handle wrestling and being parents and disclosed her husband’s recent surgery.
“So he just got surgery on Tuesday, he had knee surgery. He tore his meniscus a little while before WrestleMania. His rehab, I suppose, is running after a little 3-year-old now. That’ll be great for his knee.”
News of Rollins’ surgery shouldn’t come as a massive surprise to fans. In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, much had been said about the physical condition of the then-World Heavyweight Champion. Post-WrestleMania, it was reported that Rollins would be taking a break from programming.
While an initial report said that Rollins wouldn’t miss much time at all, this surgery will have presumably extended the length of his hiatus from the ring. Rollins suffered a partial meniscus tear during a match on Raw in January and opted to rest so that he could still wok both nights of WrestleMania 40.
After a 316-day reign on top that saw Rollins lead the way in the absence of Roman Reigns, Seth has certainly earned some time off and can hopefully make a full recovery. At this time, it’s unclear when fans can expect him back but we’re wishing him all the best.
The word ‘cinema’ has been thrown around a lot to describe WWE’s storytelling over the past year, particularly the gripping Bloodline saga involving Roman Reigns, The Usos, Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman. As great as all that has been, the main event of Sunday’s WrestleMania XL spectacular delivered perhaps the greatest masterstroke of all.
Nearly a decade after the breakup of The Shield, Seth Rollins delivered on his promise to serve as Cody Rhodes’ ‘shield’ by sacrificing himself to bring down the Tribal Chief. Reigns was nearly unbeatable, but Rollins placed a winning bet on the belief that his former ‘brother’ would be unable to resist exacting revenge, one of the msot al seven deadly sins.
Apart from Cody Rhodes finishing his story, the tension between Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns was one of the talking points. There was no shortage of drama or layers of depth to dig into. The former Shield members have a long history together and WWE played out an angle beautifully that has been in the making for over ten years.
Seth Rollins is one of the key figures who helped in building what could be regarded as one of the greatest stories ever told in WWE. After all, he is ‘The Architect.’ He was among many superstars who came to the aid of Cody Rhodes, who dethroned Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Let’s take an in-depth look into the angle between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, thanks to Mith Gifs Wrestling.
Reopening old wounds
Roman Reigns’ decision to exact revenge upon Seth Rollins cost him everything
‘The Visionary’ is a master of playing mind games and he got into the head of ‘The Tribal Chief.’ Reigns had the chance to hit Cody Rhodes with a steel chair to win the match but he ended up deciding to hit Seth Rollins in the back, mirroring Rollins to dissolve The Shield back in the day.
Reigns certainly got flashbacks of the betrayal and couldn’t help but get his payback. However, at the cost of the title which he held for 1,316 days.
This right here was the definition of long term storytelling.
The fact that Roman Reigns could never get over the fact that Seth Rollins broke up The Shield and it cost him his title.
— Wrestling Pics & Clips (@WrestleClips) April 8, 2024
Seth Rollins, who was partly responsible for the creation of the ‘monster’ knew that Roman would be unable to contain himself long enough to exact revenge on his former Shield brethren. ‘The Architect’ did what was necessary to bring down the monster he helped create.
The Hero’s Shield
After what went down at WrestleMania 40, fans soon recalled what Rollins told Cody Rhodes back in February. During a fateful promo on WWE Raw, Rollins said:
“When it comes to fighting Roman Reigns, there is only one man on earth, who is uniquely suited to be your shield.”
Well, Rollins is a man of his word. He took the bullet for and protected Cody.
Mind Games
Last year, it was Sami Zayn who backstabbed ‘The Trible Chief’ in a similar fashion, which still haunts him to this day. Betrayal has been Roman Reigns’ worst fear and Rollins was well aware of that.
Rollins could get into Roman’s head like no one else and from time to time, he has messed with his former Shield teammate. This is something ‘The Tribal Chief’ couldn’t escape and thus Rollins managed to outwit his former friend despite getting attacked.
Well, this is not the first time Rollins reopened Reigns’ old wounds. At the Royal Rumble in 2022, Seth deliberately messed with Roman when he walked out to the Shield’s old music, wearing the Shield’s old gear ahead of the title match.
During their match, Seth mocked Roman and even offered the Shield fist bump which caused Roman to snap and got Rollins in a guillotine choke. It was comprehensible enough that Rollins controlled Roman’s emotions. With rage and trauma getting the better of him. Roman Reigns refused to relinquish the hold and that night Rollins won the contest via DQ.
Seth Rollins had dropped the World Heavyweight Championship to Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 40. Meanwhile, with Roman Reigns returning empty-handed as well, there is a huge possibility that we could witness another feud between the two down the road.
Will they ignite a new rivalry to settle the dispute once and for all? With Triple H at the helm of this new era, wrestling fans can rest assured that it’s safe to invest in these longterm stories.
Seth Rollins is expected to take a brief hiatus from WWE following this past weekend’s historic WrestleMania 40.
He competed at WrestleMania Saturday and Sunday and lost both nights. He and Cody Rhodes came up short against Roman Reigns and The Rock. He lost the World Heavyweight Championship that he worked so tirelessly to legitimize. Despite all this, he left Philadelphia a winner. Cody Rhodes conquered Reigns fair and square, but it was Rollins’ self-sacrifice that ultimately triggered the Tribal Chief’s downfall.
Rollins did not appear on Monday’s post-WrestleMania WWE Raw and is not expected to be back in action anytime soon. According to Dave Meltzer, Rollins is expected to take some time off, but “not that long.”
Seth Rollins’ Knee Injury
Seth Rollins suffered an MCL injury on the road to WrestleMania, but he did not need to miss the show of shows. He recovered enough to get cleared to compete, but now he is getting some much-needed time off.
Rollins has a history with knee injuries, so WWE obviously doesn’t want to risk any greater injury for one of their top stars. He’s been out of action for way longer in the past with a severe ACL injury that needed surgery, but this time reportedly won’t be that bad.
In a rare show of respect between heated rivals, Drew McIntyre addressed Rollins on Raw and thanked him for their match over the weekend. Triple H also gave Rollins his ‘flowers’ on Monday, praising his work putting the World Heavyweight championship on the match.
If anybody’s earned some time off to rest, it’s Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins. We wish him a speedy recovery.
How do you make steel and leather become a most sought after possession? How do you get men to give their blood, sweat and tears to attain it? How do you make it mean the absolute most? Seth “Freakin” Rollins. pic.twitter.com/OhA51jx7LH
Before we get going, there was a very ominous glitch during the RAW after WrestleMania. The live crowd also heard a strange clip from a song that they didn’t know, as the lights were cut out for a bit. Something is certainly brewing, and you can get all the info we have so far in our report.
– Damien Priest’s Cash-In: I asked around about Priest’s cash-in at WrestleMania 40. This was not a last-minute booking, because the company has been planning this for six months.
I can confirm that Priest’s cash-in was not a last minute booking. WWE planned Damian Priest’s MITB cash-in at Mania for six months.
– WWE Draft Confirmed: During the RAW after WrestleMania, it was confirmed that the next WWE Draft is going down this month. The WWE Draft will be taking place on April 26th for SmackDown and April 29th for RAW.
TNT Championship: Adam Copeland (c) vs. Penta El Zero Miedo
AEW World Championship Eliminator Match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Dustin Rhodes
Mariah May vs. Anna Jay
Chris Jericho, HOOK, & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shane Taylor Promotions (Anthony Ogogo, Shane Taylor, & Lee Moriarty)
Matthew & Nicholas Jackson will reveal backstage footage from AEW All In at Wembley Stadium
Toni Storm to toast Thunder Rosa
Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Pay-Per-View Events:
AEW is coming to St. Louis, MO with AEW: Dynasty LIVE on PPV on Sunday, April 21st at Chaifetz Arena
Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.
WWE Superstars give their all, especially on the road to WrestleMania. After the show and shows is over, it appears that two top stars are taking a bit of time off.
Both Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins lost their matches during WrestleMania 40. Lynch was unable to capture the WWE Women’s World Title from Rhea Ripley in the first match of WrestleMania Saturday. Then, on WrestleMania Sunday, Seth Rollins lost his World Heavyweight Championship.
According to a report from Fightful Select, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch were not listed on rundowns before WWE RAW this week. Seth Rollins is expected to take some time off.
Clues For Their Time Off
Drew McIntyre spoke directly to the camera this week to address Rollins, and thank him for their Mania match. It seemed as though he was delivering a message to The Visionary, as he wasn’t there.
As inaugural WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Rollins held the title for 316 days before dropping it to Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Warrior’s reign as champion lasted just over 5 minutes before Damian Priest cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to win the belt.
It is also worth noting that Triple H sent out a post on Twitter/X today, praising Rollins for his contributions as World Heavyweight Champion. That message certainly seemed like it might have had more meaning behind it than the surface statement about Rollins’ toughness.
How do you make steel and leather become a most sought after possession? How do you get men to give their blood, sweat and tears to attain it? How do you make it mean the absolute most? Seth “Freakin” Rollins.
How do you make steel and leather become a most sought after possession? How do you get men to give their blood, sweat and tears to attain it? How do you make it mean the absolute most? Seth “Freakin” Rollins. pic.twitter.com/OhA51jx7LH
Both Rollins and Lynch have contracts expiring in 2024. Lynch’s deal is expiring in two months, something that she didn’t express much worry about, as Endeavor is showing up how they handle contract renewals.
We will have to see when The Man and The Visionary return to WWE television. They could both get some well-deserved time off at this point.
Damian Priest won the WWE Money in the Bank ladder match in 2023, and he held the briefcase proudly as Señor Money in the Bank. Now, Damian Priest is WWE World Heavyweight Champion after cashing in his MITB contract.
McIntyre got in CM Punk’s face, who was sitting at ringside on commentary. Then, Punk tripped McIntyre and assaulted him with his arm brace. Suddenly, Damian Priest’s music hit, and the leader of the Judgment Day stable came out to cash in.
The match got started in a hurry, and Damian Priest nailed his South of Heaven finisher for a quick win. It didn’t last very long, but the match was shorter than Drew McIntyre’s title reign.
Damian Priest and the rest of the Judgment Day stable celebrated on the entrance ramp to conclude the opening segment of WrestleMania Sunday. It was certainly an unexpected way to kick off the showcase of the immortals’ second night.
Judgment Day just lost the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Titles during WrestleMania Saturday. The company split the titles up in the process, as Awesome Truth won the RAW Tag Team Titles and A-Town Down Under picked up the blue brand belts.
Drew McIntyre said he would quit WWE if he couldn’t beat Rollins at WrestleMania. Since he defeated the Visionary on the grandest stage of them all, he doesn’t have to quit, but he might not be around WWE much longer if he doesn’t ink a new deal.
It was reported at the end of March that McIntyre has given the impression to those close to him that he still has no new deal arranged with WWE. This fact comes in light of the fact that WWE has booked him in an incredibly strong role on the road to WrestleMania 40.
McIntyre keeps throwing shade at CM Punk, whose injury time is not expected to be up before Drew’s contract ends. WWE has also advertised McIntyre for some dates past his expiration date.
Drew McIntyre has finally won a World Championship in front of fans by becoming World Heavyweight Champion in the opening match at WrestleMania 40: Sunday.
McIntyre made his entrance at WrestleMania 40: Sunday following a performance by the Ulster Scottish Pipe Band. Not to be outdone, Rollins made a colorful entrance with the Philadelphia MummersThe pair weren’t the only notable names involved in the match, as CM Punk was on commentary for the bout.
The match was finisher-heavy with McIntyre using the Claymore Kick as well as the Future Shock DDT. Rollins fired back by using the Stomp and even hit the move on the announce table. In the end, it was the Claymore that scored McIntyre the World Heavyweight Championship.
After the match, McIntyre presented the championship to his wife. You can check out some highlights from the match below.
This win marked McIntyre’s third World Championship victory and his first in front of a live crowd. Drew’s first title win came at WrestleMania 36 in 2020 which due to the Covid-19 pandemic, took place without a live crowd. McIntyre captured the WWE Championship from Brock Lesnar at the event.
McIntyre would regain the title from Randy Orton later that same year. While this title win took place in the Thunderdome, meaning there were crowd reactions, it still took place without live fans. McIntyre would hold the title until Elimination Chamber 2021, where The Miz would cash in Money in the Bank to dethrone the Scottish Warrior.
Money in the Bank Cash In
Unfortunately for McIntyre, his reign with the gold was short-lived. After the match, Drew would goad CM Punk, who attacked McIntyre at ringside. Damian Priest would then cash in Money in the Bank to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
Drew McIntyre has been through a lot in front of pro wrestling fans. Now, he is preparing to walk into WrestleMania Sunday, and he has a lot at stake.
The Scottish Warrior will battle Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40. McIntyre has plans, either win the title or quit WWE entirely.
During WWE World, Drew McIntyre spoke to Bryon Saxton about his upcoming Mania match. He made a very firm declaration that if he cannot beat Seth Rollins, then he will quit WWE.
“I’ve been doing this since I was 15-years-old. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. It was my part-time job in high school and through university. I’m a wrestler, I’ve always been a professional wrestler. I was signed to WWE at 21-years-old, fired at 29, truly found myself, came back and became the man, the Superstar I am today.
I’ve never been better, I’m in my prime in the ring, I’m in my prime on the microphone, because I’m just myself. I just realized, ‘Drew, be yourself,’ and social media, don’t come at me on that thing, I’ll tear you to shreds on social media, I’ve never been better all around. But, if I can’t beat Seth Rollins on Sunday, I quite frankly don’t belong in this industry, I’ll quit WWE.”
It was reported at the end of March that McIntyre has given the impression to those close to him that he still has no new deal arranged with WWE. This fact comes in light of the fact that WWE has booked him in an incredibly strong role on the road to WrestleMania 40.
McIntyre keeps throwing shade at CM Punk, whose injury time is not expected to be up before Drew’s contract ends. WWE has also advertised McIntyre for some dates past his expiration date.
Drew McIntyre will try his best to walk out of Lincoln Financial Field as WWE World Heavyweight Champion, so his current contract status is a very interesting situation.
WWE has not inked a new deal with Becky Lynch, either. She said that this is not concerning to her, even though her contract is up in two months. Endeavor is obviously handling contracts in their own way.
It’ll be an easy night at the office for Drew McIntyre when he faces Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40: Sunday, especially considering the events of the Saturday show.
One person who was watching the main event closely was Drew McIntyre who on Twitter boasted that the match went exactly as he predicted. McIntyre, wearing a CM Punk hoodie, said that Rollins is walking into an “execution” and said that he’s ready to take the World Heavyweight Championship from the attention “junkie.” McIntyre was similarly confident in the tweet for his video, declaring that the upcoming title match would be the “easiest payday” of his career.
McIntyre can hardly be blamed for feeling confident heading into WrestleMania 40: Sunday. During the tag-team main event, Rollins was seen favoring his knee which seems to have been injured during the match. Rollins’ back was also a target during the match with The Rock locking in the Sharpshooter on the World Heavyweight Champion.
It appears Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins are still partners despite their disheartening loss at the hands of Roman Reigns and The Rock at WrestleMania: Saturday.
The WrestleMania main event was everything fans expected and more. The match which went over 40 minutes was one of the longest bouts in the history of the Show of Shows.
From the start, The Final Boss used every tactic he could to control the bout. This included threatening the referee in order to stop the tag team rules from being enforced.
Both Cody and Seth showed incredible courage despite the overwhelming odds and managed to get the upper hand a few times, only to be taken out again however.
It looked like Cody might actually win the match for his team when he went for a third back-to-back Cross-Rhodes on Reigns but The Rock introduced the weight belt at the last second and turned the match into their favor.
Seth Rollins had already been taken out by a spear through the barricades. So after the belt spot, Roman hit the spear. It allowed The Rock to hit Rock Bottom and finally The People’s Elbow for the win.
Both the cousins had an extended celebration after the match while Cody remained in the ring realizing the effect this loss would have on his match with Roman Reigns tomorrow.
Though it appears that the bond between Rhodes and Rollins remains the same despite the change. As seen in the post-show footage below, Cody helped a beat up Seth to the back after the show went off air:
— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) April 7, 2024
The WrestleMania Sunday main event between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns will now be contested under Bloodline rules. This means we can expect to see more of all four of these contestants tomorrow night.
As evident from the results of tonight’s show, The American Nightmare will have to do something unprecedented if he has to finish the story tomorrow night and a planned mystery spot may turn out to be the catalyst of it all.
WrestleMania 40 promoted the main event of night one as the biggest tag team match of all time. It certainly delivered on every level.
Cody Rhodes is set to battle Roman Reigns during night two of WrestleMania 40 for the Undisputed Universal Heavyweight Title. Seth Rollins will defend his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Drew McIntyre tomorrow night as well.
The main event of WrestleMania’s first night included a very special stipulation. If the Bloodline won the match, then it would be Bloodline Rules for Cody Rhodes’ match against Roman Reigns during the second night. If the babyfaces won, then the Bloodline would be banned.
In the end, The Rock pinned Cody Rhodes’ shoulders to the mat at WrestleMania 40 Saturday. This means it will be Bloodline Rules for the title match at the end of WrestleMania Sunday.
The Match Finish
This match got going slowly as fans took in the scene in front of them. The Rock tagged in eventually, where he squared off against Seth Rollins first. It didn’t take much time for Cody to take the tag, where he put some boots to The Great One for making him bleed.
The referee started counting to 10 as they brawled on the outside of the ring. Then The Rock threatened to fire referee Chad Patton if he ended the match via countout. “I don’t f*ck around,” he said. This allowed everyone in the match to brawl throughout the stadium for a while.
They returned to the ring eventually, where Reigns and Rollins battled it out. Roman was able to tag The Rock, but they didn’t let Cody tag in. The beatdown on Rollins continued after that.
Finally, The Rock latched on a sharpshooter, and Cody ran in the ring to slap him in the face. Seth finally landed a Stomp on Rock, but he didn’t pin him. He did finally make it to Cody Rhodes for the tag as Roman tagged in to give a teaser for the WrestleMania Sunday main event.
Roman Reigns’ nose was busted open during the brawl, and Cody avoided a spear. Then Roman kicked out after a splash when Rhodes tagged in Rollins. As they kept going, it all climaxed in Cody Rhodes putting The Rock through the announce table with a Rock Bottom as Roman speared Seth Rollins through the barricade.
Roman and Cody ended up in the ring, where they traded shots. Then, Cody nailed two Crossroads, and as he was going for a third, The Rock nailed him with his weight belt. Then Roman Reigns nailed a spear before tagging in The Rock.
Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins received their standard entrances for this match. If they get a special presentation, it will likely be for their title matches tomorrow night. That being said, the “WOAH” during Cody’s entrance was incredible.
The Rock’s entrance included an epic light show with his Final Boss theme. He also came out in the middle of a flaming Brahma Bull logo with the People’s Championship over his shoulder.
Peter Rosenberg will be involved with WrestleMania once again this year, but the tenured NYC radio host should have some additional duties on tap for Philadelphia.
Last year at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles Rosenberg had the opportunity to give fans an in-depth point-of-view tour of how the backstage area and the stage was laid out for LA’s SoFi Stadium. Rosenberg also was apart of the pre-show but he hinted to SEScoops that he may be apart of some additional duties this year as well.
However, it’s been an interesting road for Rosenberg to find his way into WrestleMania and WWE. He first was given full access backstage to WrestleMania 32 in 2016 by Jonathan Coachman, where basically shadowed the former ESPN personality. That is where he met Chris Chambers, former WWE VP of Television Strategy.
“He has a really illustrious career. He just recently retired and is just a tremendous guy and he was the first person who sort of heard me talk, heard my passion, heard the other places that I was working…
“It was kind of like, you know, to kind of see ‘how you could be useful here,’ you know? And he was like, ‘Do me a favor, reach out to me, you know, when you get back.”
At first, Peter didn’t hear back, but followed up and the gears got into motion. Soon enough he was with Sam Roberts hosting a new show, Bring It To The Table that also featured Corey Graves and JBL.
Now being involved with the company for nearly a decade, Rosenberg still doesn’t look at it as work.
“‘Work’ is probably not the right way to put it. It’s a reprieve for me. It’s something I truly look forward to doing.”
Peter Rosenberg Thinks Seth Rollins Is A-Okay In How He’s Positioned For WrestleMania
Peter Rosenberg will not be the only one pulling double duty at WrestleMania. Seth Rollins, like Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, will be in two matches over the weekend.
Rosenberg was asked about his thoughts on the incorporation of The Rock as “The Final Boss” a persona he was initially adverse to, but got more invested when realizing he was being heeled by the moniker.
He believes The Rock is such a big name that his brand takes up a lot of space. Ds The Rock, Roman and Cody give Seth Rollins an “odd man out” vibe? An argument could be made for Seth, but Rosenberg feels that the WWE World Heavyweight Champion is still in a very good position.
“It’s okay. Like, okay – Seth is playing second fiddle slightly to Cody Rhodes, who’s having the hottest moment of his career, [and] in my opinion, is the most over babyface in maybe 20 years. The Rock was one of the greatest of all time and is back in a real way for the first time in forever and Roman Reigns, who’s on a historic Hogan like title run. Like let’s not act as if being the fourth player in that story is some horrible thing. I mean, not everyone can be ‘1’ and ‘1A’
“Seth is still I think is still in an incredible spot for Seth, and I think he’s doing great and guess what? I think the story is going to end up being told for him too.”
Before WrestleMania 40 officially fires off on Saturday and Sunday, Rosenberg will host “The Michael Kay Show” live at WrestleMania World on Thursday, April 4 from 3 to 6:30 PM ET. Then, later on that evening he will do a live show of his wrestling podcast, “Cheap Heat” at the Fringe Arts also in Philadelphia. You can tune into our full interview with Rosenberg below.
Please credit SESCoops for the interview and transcription.
The Rock once again didn’t hold back with his choice of words regarding Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins after the April 1, episode of Raw went off the air.
The go-home Raw before WrestleMania 40 saw The Rock opening with some a promo about the beatdown he gave Rhodes the previous week. While The Rock said it broke his heart to see young fans crying when he attacked Rhodes, the American Nightmare had brought the attack upon himself by stepping ‘out of line.’ The segment finished with Roman Reigns, the Bloodline, Cody Rhodes, and Seth Rollins appearing and a Bloodline Rules match being set between Reigns and Solo Sikoa for the main event.
The Rock’s Message
The main event of Raw saw interference by The Bloodline who ambushed Rollins. While Rhodes tried to help the man he’ll team with at WrestleMania 40: Saturday, the pair of babyfaces were unable to overcome the might of the Bloodline. Raw went off the air with the Bloodline standing tall after whipping their upcoming opponents with belts.
After Raw, The Bloodline made their way to the back. The Rock was the final man to go backstage and had two words for his WrestleMania 40: Saturday opponents.
The Rock will make his long-awaited return to the ring at WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday. He will team with Roman Reigns to face Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins. The match will decide the stipulation for the next night’s Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match.
Should Rhodes and Rollins win the tag match, there will be no Bloodline involvement when Rhodes takes on Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40: Sunday. If the Bloodline wins on the Saturday, the following night’s title match will be under ‘Bloodline Rules.’
The WWE Superstars have weighed in on whether it’ll be The Rock & Roman Reigns or Seth Rollins & Cody Rhodes who will be left standing tall at WrestleMania: Saturday.
In a video shared on WWE’s YouTube channel, the Superstars were asked who they predict will win the much-anticipated tag team match on WrestleMania Saturday. The match will see Seth Rollins & Cody Rhodes face Roman Reigns & The Rock to decide the stipulation of the following night’s Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match
Who’s Backing the Bloodline?
CM Punk said it’s hard to bet against the Bloodline (but easy to bet against Seth Rollins) and he expects Rock and Reigns to win the tag-team match. Jimmy Uso, unsurprisingly, was backing is cousin and the Final Boss in the upcoming match.
The Miz said he wouldn’t be surprised if The Rock & Reigns won and beatdown Cody and Seth to the point that their matches would be called on for WrestleMania 40: Sunday. The A-Lister admitted that these comments will leave fans very angry with him.
‘Michin’ Mia Yim was also predicting a Bloodline victory, acknowledging the 1,300+ day reign of the Tribal Chief and the legendary status of The Rock. Santos Escobar was immensely confident that The Rock & Roman would win, calling it a “spoiler.”
Carmelo Hayes is also predicting a Rock-Roman win on WrestleMania: Saturday, as is Shayna Baszler. Otis, The O.C. and Byron Saxton also predicted a Bloodline victory. R-Truth, Zelina Vega, and Trick Williams also expect to see The Bloodline stand tall on WrestleMania 40: Saturday.
Finishing the Story
While the majority of WWE Superstars expect The Rock & Roman Reigns to win this Saturday, not everyone believes this will be the case. Despite her differences with both Cody & Seth, Rhea Ripley expects the dream team will be standing tall on WrestleMania 40: Saturday.
NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria is also expecting a win for Rhodes and Rollins and believes the American Nightmare will at last ‘finish the story’ the next night. Liv Morgan is also backing Rhodes and Rollins “just because.”
Despite being dressed like 90s Rock for the video, Kofi Kingston expects Rhodes and Rollins to come out on top. Bianca Belair is also expecting the faces to win on WrestleMania 40: Sunday.
Drew McIntyre Responds
The final response was from Drew McIntyre who made it clear he doesn’t care who wins on WrestleMania 40: Saturday. McIntyre is instead only hoping that Rollins makes it through the match so they can have their World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 40: Sunday.
Seth Rollins has made clear he isn’t a fan of CM Punk, but people change and time can heal all wounds.
CM Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series in Chicago and an angle was worked where Rollins and Drew McIntyre in particular were “irate” at Punk showing up. All that certainly makes sense in today’s WrestleMania 40 landscape considering that the reported plan was for CM Punk to face Rollins, but Punk’s triceps injury clearly tabled that and Drew McIntyre has seamlessly fit into the role of a true “raw” antagonist who will challenge Rollins in Philadelphia.
Punk made his return to the All State Arena in Chi-town this past Monday on RAW and eventually found himself in the crosshairs of Rollins and McIntyre. Rollins happened to take on a heelish persona as he ran down Punk, making note that he doesn’t even think about him and told him flat-out that would find it appropriate if Punk was on commentary to announce that he retained his World Heavyweight Championship against Drew.
The Reported Dynamic Between CM Punk & Seth Rollins Backstage
Last year, way before CM Punk came back to WWE, Rollins unbashedly called CM Punk a “cancer” when asked of his thoughts regarding ‘The Best In The World,’ making it quite clear he wasn’t exactly fond of Punk.
To substantiate that, earlier this week, Wade Keller of the Pro Wrestling Torch wrote “by all accounts” there was no love loss between Punk and Rollins, but then reports how that dynamic has changed since Punk has been back in the fold.
“While Seth harbored legitimate gripes with Punk, the two are getting along backstage when planning their segments. Punk continues to get all positive reviews from many sources regarding how he is carrying himself amongst colleagues and management.”
CM Punk will indeed be guest commentator during the WrestleMania match between Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre.
Some WWE Superstars were given far more flexibility than usual with their promo during the March 25, episode of WWE Monday Night Raw.
The penultimate Raw before WWE WrestleMania 40 took place at the All-State Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The show went off the air in shocking fashion with Cody Rhodes being left a bloodied heap by The Rock, fulfilling his promise to make the American Nightmare bleed.
Punk, McIntyre & Rollins on Raw
Raw also saw Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, and CM Punk share a segment ahead of the World Heavyweight Championship match between Rollins and McIntyre at WrestleMania 40. The segment culminated with Punk, who’s had issues with both men, announcing he will be the guest commentator for their title match.
Given Leeway
Rather than the usual scripted dialogue that is expected to be recited word-for-word, this week’s segment saw the talent given more leeway, Fightful Select reports. While there was a general outline of the direction of the promo, Punk, McIntyre, and Rollins were free to express themselves and gauge the audiences’ reaction to their improvisation. WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce was listed as the producer of the segment.
Caught Off Guard
During the segment, the fans rallied for Punk to be the guest referee of the upcoming match, though the Chicago-Made star questioned if he could be objective with the two “dips**ts.” This profanity caught WWE’s production team off-guard, especially following a memo reminding talent of the importance of keeping their language PG.
Despite this, there were no reported issues backstage following the segment. Later in the show, The Rock also used some expletives during his beatdown on Cody Rhodes.
CM Punk injured his tricep during the Royal Rumble match, and that took him out of a WrestleMania 40 match. He will still be around for Mania, and he made that clear as he showed up for RAW in Chicago.
The Second City Savior showed up on WWE RAW this week, and they pushed the limits. Punk made reference to Vince McMahon calling McIntyre the Chosen One years ago, and he even broke the TV-PG rules.
In the end, it was decided that CM Punk will be on commentary during Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre’s match at WrestleMania 40.
Punk Takes Over WWE RAW
CM Punk received a huge ovation as he made his entrance on RAW this week. His promo started off with a huge pop, and then he mentioned Pat McAfee’s show, and how he had Roman Reigns on as a guest. Punk said he didn’t listen to it, because he listens to The Experience and the Drive-Thru, which showed love to Jim Cornette’s two shows.
He mentioned how Roman Reigns was on Pat McAfee’s show recently, and he had some trash to talk about Punk. That is when Punk said that he has a feeling he will cross paths with the Tribal Chief soon.
Then, CM Punk directed his attention to Drew McIntyre, and the Scottish Warrior came out to make his presence known. He trash-talked Punk, saying that he prayed for his injury.
While Drew McIntyre showed off his merchandise with CM Punk’s name on it, the Second City Savior said that he never had to put another man’s name on a t-shirt to sell it. Then McIntyre wondered why, as a straight edge guy, CM Punk spends all of his time in rehab.
Punk invited McIntyre into the ring, but he didn’t take him up on it. Drew said he was afraid that Punk had a weapon hidden in the ring. Punk laid down on the mat, and then McIntyre crossed his legs and sat on the announce table as they continued.’
Drew McIntyre said he was the Chosen One. Then Punk asked who chose him, “go ahead, say his name!” Drew remained silent, and only smiled. That was, of course, a reference to Vince McMahon.
Seth Rollins entered the situation next, and the Chicago fans sang his song in a big way. Then he got down to business to hype his WWE World Heavyweight Title match against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania XL.
Rollins asked fans if CM Punk should be on commentary during his match, as fans chanted “referee.” Rollins said that Punk’s injured arm is his “counting arm,” which caused Punk to get on the mat and count 1-2-3. Then Punk said, “to be fair I don’t think I could be objective with these two dip sh*ts.” McIntyre quickly replied, “PG, brother.”
In the end, CM Punk said that he will put on a headset and call CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 40. This decision drew a very positive response from fans.
CM Punk was originally slated to face Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40. Cody Rhodes was always going to win the Royal Rumble, but an injury angle was going to take him out of action.
The Rock was initially going to take on Roman Reigns in the main event, with Cody waiting until later to cash in his Rumble win. After Punk’s injury and the #WeWantCody reaction from his “Cody Crybabies,” WWE changed the WrestleMania 40 card to what we have today.
Seth Rollins hasn’t taken kindly to The Rock taking credit for making wrestling cool again, staying the claim is some “dumb s**t ”
Since returning to WWE, the Bloodline member has done all he can to establish himself as a heel, a tall order given his immense popularity both in and out of the world of professional wrestling. Recently, The Rock took credit for making wrestling cool again, and had some strong words for Michelle, the mother of his WWE adversary Cody Rhodes.
The Rock has made pro wrestling cool and exciting – again.
The Rock has made pro wrestling unpredictable and he’s changed the game and raised the bar – again.
The Rock is THE most electric, disruptive, distinctive, and hottest heel professional wrestling has seen in the last… pic.twitter.com/nJWuhRHxxn
At a WWE event in Rockford, Rhodes and Seth Rollins got some practice in ahead of the WrestleMania tag team match when they defeated Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa.
After their main event win, Rollins grabbed the mic and brought up The Rock’s return to WWE to a chorus of boos from the Illinois crowd. The fans punctuated the sentiment with a chant of “Rocky Sucks.”
Rollins then addressed the “dumb s**t” that The Rock has been saying as of late, and argued that the worst comment was that The Rock had made wrestling cool once again. This earned more boos and a “bulls**t” chant from the fans which Rollins would take notice of.
When Rhodes gave his suggestion for who has made wrestling cool again, naming Byron Saxton, Rollins admitted that Saxton was part of the answer. Growing more impassioned, Rollins then said that it’s everybody who has been “busting their ass” for years who should be acknowledged as part of the “revolution” that has made wrestling cool again.
Rollins made sure to acknowledge the role of the fans in this revolution. Seth noted that the fans are just as much a part of this movement and that as the ‘WHOA’ gets louder in Rhodes’ theme each week, it’s got nothing to do with The Rock.
The Rock will make his return to the ring at WrestleMania 40 as part of the main event of Night One. The Great One will team with Roman Reigns to face Rhodes and Rollins. The match will determine the stipulation for the following nights Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match between Reigns and Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins honored Bray Wyatt at a recent WWE live event in a touching tribute to the late WWE World Champion.
The event in Springfield, IL saw Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins get some training in a a tag-team ahead of WrestleMania 40. The pair united to defeat The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa & Jimmy Uso.
After the match, Rhodes pointed out that there were a lot of ‘fireflies’ in the arena, which sparked more fans to join in. Rollins went on to say that while fans love singing his song, he wouldn’t mind if they sang “for Windham.” This led to a rendition of ‘He’s got the Whole World in His Hands’ by the fans.
Pretty cool end to a @wwe Premium Live Event in Springfield, Il. Fireflies make an appearance and Seth Rollins and @CodyRhodes shout out to Bray Wyatt. pic.twitter.com/BgRNe2Nzyq
This tribute to Bray Wyatt was not the first, nor will it be the last celebration of the late wrestler. Last December, Rollins paid tribute to Bray at a WWE live event. He also paid tribute to Brodie Lee, who died in December 2020.
Following Wyatt’s passing in August 2023, Rollins fixed Bray-inspired sideplates to his World Heavyweight Championship. Wyatt became a three-time World Champion before his untimely death.
A new documentary about the life and career of the late wrestler will release next month. You can check out a trailed for what’ll no doubt be a gripping documentary below.
WWE in Springfield, IL
Here’s the results for WWE’s live event in Springfield, Illinois.
Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair & Naomi defeated IYO SKY, Kairi Sane and Dakota Kai
Sami Zayn defeated Shinsuke Nakamura
WWE Intercontinental Title Match – Gunther (c) retains over Jey Uso
Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth) defeated Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh via DQ
Awesome Truth and The New Day def. The Judgment Day
Omos defeated Odyssey Jones
WWE Women’s World Title Match – Rhea Ripley (c) retains over Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler in a Triple Threat match
Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes defeated Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso
WWE superstar Drew McIntyre has found his groove in the company as he heads towards one of the biggest matches of his career. In recent months, McIntyre’s character shift as a ‘heel’ has engaged and entertained wrestling fans on a different level than he has before.
Rather than being a menacing ‘heel’ like he has in the past, ‘The Scottish Warrior’ has centered his persona on being true to himself and speaking his mind. He believes this is what is making him stand out on the roster and encourages others to follow his approach.
“Trying to be myself, trying to be logical, trying to have fun and trying to create compelling TV.. and it’s cool that people responded so positively.
Like I said, there was more truth in McIntyre from 2019 to 2023 that I had ever in WWE, but now it’s 100 percent me,” said McIntyre.
He’s also gotten more comfortable understanding when it’s the right time to escalate his intensity during promos. The veteran encourages other WWE Superstars to find their voice and continue striving to engage the audience.
Social Media Menace
Another difference in McIntyre’s character is his increased activity on social media. Whether trolling CM Punk or Rollins, McIntyre has created fan engagement off TV and used the same sense of humor in front of a live audience.
When speaking on his social media presence, ‘The Scottish Warrior’ shared that his sense of humor can be a little darker or meaner than others. McIntyre’s humor helps add to his ‘heel’ character, allowing fans to either adore him or want to see the former champion get what’s coming to him.
“…I’ve got my ears and eyes open all the time. It’s very much, you know, a collaboration, but again the British personality, British sense of humor is very different than American sense of home. We are highly offensive,” said McIntyre.
He acknowledged that how he jokes with his wife or friends might make other people think he doesn’t care for them. However, that is their sense of humor, which makes his social media presence unique. McIntyre credited his friends who have helped him and enhanced his character.
“I’ve got a couple of buddies, one particular, who collaborators, I guess is the best word, but he’s just my mate, and we just come up with this crazy stuff, and he’s good with the memes and whatever, and we talk crap and make fun of each other, and then it becomes ‘man I should totally say that about such and such’ and If I don’t know the current lingo that the kids are saying, he knows it. He’s a little bit younger,” said McIntyre.
McIntyre also noted that he is constantly looking for new things on social media to use for his wrestling persona on TV. The former champion’s being more of himself has proven successful as he adds more complexity to his character. That said, it is unclear if this will result in him finally defeating Rollins to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins may be happily married with a beautiful daughter, but that doesn’t mean the two have different personalities outside of the ring.
‘The Man’ and ‘The Visionary’ may mirror one another with their outlandishness inside the squared circle, but speaking with Peter Rosenberg, Lynch revealed that Rollins tends to internalize a lot while she is way more expressive with her emotions.
A Work of Art
“He’s the Mona Lisa of wrestlers, but he’s also very emotive when he’s out there, but I spend so much time being like, ‘You alright? You mad at me? What’s going on?’
“I’m very heart on my sleeve, here’s how I’m feeling, and he’s very contemplative, ‘no-selly’, has to think about things until he processes how he feels about them, where as I’m fiery, I know how I feel about a thing, and in processing I go, ‘Gosh I wish I could have been more like that,’ but we are very different in that regard. Very similar interests, very similar world views.”
She was also told by her brother once that she was a ‘squirrel’ that needed a ‘tree.’
“Seth is my tree. Seth is my tree. I’m very squirrelly.”
Lynch also added that the two were initially just really great friends, but she always looked forward to seeing him backstage and that Rollins would tolerate her bad jokes.
The ‘evolved’ Drew McIntyre is focused on taking the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40 thanks to the return of his “killer instinct.”
The Scottish Warrior will challenge champion Seth Rollins on April 7 as part of WrestleMania 40: Sunday. McIntyre earned the title match by winning the Men’s Elimination Chamber match last month in Perth, Australia. The upcoming title match will be the third World Championship match for both Rollins and McIntyre.
Drew McIntyre Has Evolved
McIntyre has undergone a character shift as of late with the Scottish Warrior once again embracing a heel role in WWE. McIntyre has taken credit for CM Punk’s injury and has claimed that he ‘saved’ WrestleMania by keeping Punk off the show. Sitting down with Evan T. Mack, McIntyre spoke about his evolution and how it differs from Seth Rollins.
“I’ve found myself at the right time because we need a savior of the industry. We have the savior of WrestleMania, the savior of Raw, and the savior of WWE and it’s Drew McIntyre, with my new evolved personality.
“Evolved, not like Seth Rollins, where he changes his personality every eight months or something because he doesn’t know who he is. I’m the same guy. I’ve been for years. I’ve just evolved.”
Seth Rollins’ Changes
While McIntyre may be the heel, it’s hard to ignore the often dramatic changes in Rollins’ character. The Architect has changed drastically from his days in the Shield and his currently colorful persona is in stark contrast to his ‘Monday Night Messiah’ character from just a few years ago.
Drew McIntyre’s Killer Instinct
Drew McIntyre, according to himself, hasn’t changed like Rollins, but he has shown a more vicious side on TV. In the interview, Drew was pleased that his ‘killer instinct’ is back.
“I was a little naive and a little too nice about [things.] The killer instinct I used to have… And it cost me for a couple of years. If you look at my past few years, very successful on television, but we came to those big matches and I think I lost about 12 in a row or something.
“What it came down to, was I was making silly, silly mistakes relating to not having that killer instinct I used to have. Now it’s back.”
For the use of quotes please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
Becky Lynch’s new memoir is proving to be a hit with WWE Superstars and legends alike with glowing reviews pouring in for the new book.
Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Average Girlis due to release later this month, and will tell the tale of how young Rebecca Quin became the internationally recognized WWE Superstar she is today. The book is 384 pages long.
The Reviews Are In
Lynch’s memoir will hit shelves on March 26 but some WWE stars have been able to get their hands on an advanced copy of the book. In reviews from Simon & Schuster Publishing WWE Hall of Famer ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin was impressed with how well The Man writes about her life.
“Becky’s writing style is infectious and contagious. Just like her personality. From hard times and hard decisions, to changing the landscape of sports entertainment, the self-described ‘underdog’ has always been destined to do great things. I’m sure there is more to come.”
John Cena, somebody Lynch shared the ring with for a segment in 2018, believes the memoir shows the merits of a three-word mantra of his.
“Her authenticity allows us to feel her struggles and mature alongside her as the story unfolds… It might just be the new Underdog’s Guide to the Galaxy. A trailblazer, a groundbreaker and a great example of my 3 favorite words, Never Give Up.”
Lynch’s husband Seth Rollins said that the book shares plenty in common with its author.
“Effortlessly authentic, poignant without ever trying too hard, and a little rough around the edges—that’s my lovely wife, and it’s also her lovely book… Between being a full-time WWE Superstar, a full-time mother, and a GOAT life partner, my one and only somehow casually found the bandwidth to pen a perfect memoir…because of course she did.”
Mick Foley, who knows a thing or two about writing a gripping memoir, was very impressed with the tome.
“Becky Lynch: The Man is one of the finest wrestling books—or memoirs of any kind—I have had the pleasure to read… I am so glad she has chosen to share that voice and her remarkable life story with all of us.”
Stephanie McMahon is confident about how the book will fare once readers get their own copies.
“Becky Lynch: The Man is the story of a remarkable woman who had the guts to put it all on the line… Becky Lynch defies every stereotype. The crowd loves her because she is vulnerable and real, and I have no doubt you will too!”
The Man at the White House
One person who may be reading the book soon is U.S. President Joe Biden. The Man was recently a guest at the White House as part of the recent St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Lynch even left a copy of her book in the White House, as she made clear with a tweet.
It’s fitting that Lynch was at the White House this past week as she’s been feeling a lot more American as of late. After this week’s Raw, Lynch had some big news to share with the WWE Universe.
Becky Lynch has done a lot in WWE, and so has her husband, Seth Rollins. It seems that when they were champions at the same time, the WWE power couple took a photo in the buff, with only their titles covering them. It was a big shock when that photo ended up in The Man’s new book.
A photo of Rollins and Lynch clad only in their titles is in her new book. It turns out that Seth Rollins had no clue that photo was going to see the light of day.
The Infamous Photo
Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins are both important figures in WWE history, each having achieved multiple world title reigns. Recently, there has been a surprising revelation concerning Lynch’s upcoming book, “Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Girl.” During a period of time when the couple was covered in gold, they took full advantage of that opportunity and snapped a winner of a photo.
Scheduled for release on March 26th, Lynch’s book has garnered attention ahead of its launch due to leaked pages circulating online. One particular page features a NSFW photo of Lynch and Rollins, both rocking only their WWE Championships. The photo was captured after WrestleMania 35 when their relationship started.
In an interview with The New York Post, Lynch disclosed that Rollins was taken aback by the inclusion of the NSFW photo in the book, as she had neglected to inform him beforehand.
“I could have sworn that I told him. Turns out, I must have had the conversation with myself and thought that I had it with him. Apparently I didn’t ask him about putting the picture in the book. But he just laughed, he thought it was funny. Thank God. That could have gone horribly wrong.”
We will have to see how many copies of her book Becky Lynch sells. The fact that this photo made the book is a very good indication that some people will buy it just to have a memento like that around.
SEScoops will have more on this story, and so much more. Please keep checking back for more updates.
Drew McIntyre believes that the top champion of Raw should be focused on their own brand instead of getting involved in stories of other shows.
The Scottish Warrior spoke up about his WrestleMania 40 opponent Seth Rollins in a recent interview with the Gorilla Position podcast. Speaking about Seth and Cody’s partnership, Drew claimed that Rollins should be focused on his own brands while also explaining why Rhodes is a liar:
“I’ve made my feelings pretty clear on the show last week that his focus should be on the World Championship. His focus should be on Raw and he shouldn’t be, one spreading himself so thin but at the same time it seems it’s coming from a selfish place to me.
He was trying to convince Cody to have the match with him, instead of finishing the story which Cody promised everyone he was going to do. The fans were clearly saying ‘We don’t want this. We want Cody to do what he said he was going to do – finish the story’ and I had to physically nudge him in the right direction to make the right decision.
At the same time, he lied to the Rock. He’s wondering why Rock’s being like this. He said you can have this match then he took it away so Cody’s a liar but that’s not my business. Whatever Smackdown, handle it over there.”
Drew McIntyre Doesn’t Care About SmackDown’s Problems
Drew McIntyre then targeted The Architect for lack of focus on the red brand. He proclaimed that things will change under his reign. According to the former champion, he would not piss on SmackDown if the show was on fire, because it’s not his problem:
“Seth should be focused on ‘Okay the world title, get myself healthier, the best match possible, Drew McIntyre.’ It is all about Raw but he can’t help himself. It goes back to the Shield days, [he] has to latch on to whatever’s cool, get that extra spotlight.
Be it Cody’s return, be it the Edge stuff, be it Punk’s return or be it The Rock’s return. Always has to stick his nose into the spotlight, wants that little bit more. [He] doesn’t think about what’s best for the roster, thinks about what’s best for him.
That’s what annoys me and I said it last week, when I’m champion in Raw, it’s gonna be all about Raw, all about my roster on Raw. I don’t care if SmackDown is on fire and they’re on their knees begging for help. I will not pee on them to put that fire out because that’s a them problem. I’m focused on Raw responsibilities as he should be.”
Drew McIntyre will be challenging Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40. You can check out his full interview below:
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription