Seth Rollins has, so far, proven his worth as the World Heavyweight Champion. He’s successfully defended the title belt at every chance that he can get, beating the likes of Damian Priest, Bronn Breaker, and now, Finn Balor.
July 1 marked a particularly charged wrestling event as Seth Rollins fought to retain his World Heavyweight Champion title against a resurgent Finn Balor at WWE Money in the Bank. The stakes were amplified by the fact that Rollins had injured his opponent, Balor, in their first Universal Championship match many years ago, leaving the Irish star yearning for retaliation a long time in the making.
From the onset, the atmosphere was electric within London’s jam-packed O2 Arena. The promise of the rematch was all the more incendiary due to Balor’s ferocious attacks on Rollins in the run-up to this event. With an old score to settle and injured ribs to contend with, Rollins, WWE’s newest fighting champion, had his work cut out for him.
The match kicked off with Balor asserting his dominance early on, landing a knee strike to Rollins’ gut and subjecting him to a relentless onslaught.
As if fueled by their past encounter, Balor targeted Rollins’ injured ribs with a punishing series of attacks, pushing Rollins to his limit. But, the veteran fighter that Rollins is, he responded with a ruthless clothesline, followed by a leg drop from the apron, shifting the momentum of the match.
Despite Rollins’ wounded ribs, the reigning champ proved once again why he remains one of WWE’s most popular stars. He found his championship mettle tested, and in each instance, he met the challenge head-on. Whenever Balor had him on the ropes, Rollins fought back quickly to restore equilibrium to the battle.
The match took an unexpected twist when Balor’s Judgment Day comrade, Damian Priest, came out all of a sudden with his newly won Money in the Bank contract. Fans went wild, hoping for a cash-in from Priest. Instead, he provided a distraction at the most crucial juncture of the match, and Balor’s plan to execute a potential match-winning Coup De Grace was scuppered.
This distraction was enough for Rollins to capitalize and land a match-ending Curb Stomp to retain his World Heavyweight Champion title in a stunning turn of events. Following the match, a heated exchange ensued between Balor and Priest at ringside, casting doubt over the solidarity of the Judgment Day faction.
Indeed, the win solidifies Rollins’ standing as one of WWE’s premier figures. However, it highlights the current tumultuous state of WWE’s World Heavyweight Championship scene. RAW, despite recent ratings success partly attributed to stellar performances from stars like Balor, Priest, and Dominik Mysterio, finds itself in a predicament.
The absence of a clear contender for Rollins throws the spotlight on Raw’s main eventer problem. It needs a heel on the same level as Friday Night SmackDown’s Roman Reigns – a villain who moves ratings and sells merchandise. RAW currently has a problem with having too many faces at the top of the card, with both Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins leading the way.
It remains to be seen if the WWE can cultivate a contender from its existing pool. Does it risk accelerating Gunther’s rise from the upper mid-card too early? What about Drew McIntyre? How does the Scottish Warrior factor into all of this? Do they haphazardly throw Brock Lesnar into the title mix? What about Randy Orton? At this point, it’s anyone’s guess. The looming split between Priest and Balor only complicates the picture future.
As for Rollins, while his win at WWE Money in the Bank 2023 reflects his enduring star power, the relative lack of villains in RAW could undermine his reign – lest he turns heel, for some reason.
The WWE needs to solve this fast if it wants to keep viewers hooked and interested when Rollins defends his title belt.
