There’s nothing like two former friends fighting. It’s just plain ugly which makes for a riveting storyline. Let’s take you back to the June 2 episode of WWE Raw. After a Shield (Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns) win over WWE Authority Triple H’s faction, Evolution, Triple H revealed his ‘Plan B’. It would come to be known as Rollins’ betrayal of his friends via chair shots to the back. The 1.85 metres, 98kg Rollins has sided with Triple H since then. His alliance with ‘The Authority’ has proven fruitful as he has won major matches including the 2014 Money In The Bank ladder match. He has yet to cash in the briefcase, though. His back-stabbing ways didn’t sit too well with former partner, Ambrose, and Ambrose is making sure he’s keeping Rollins preoccupied. He has repeatedly attacked ‘The Architect’ during his matches and this feud seems to just get more intense. The two are more than willing to score bumps and have proven to hit big spots during matches. Rollins’ high-flying antics and Ambrose’s unpredictable brawling collide when both men finally, officially meet at SummerSlam.
Seth Rollins gives us insights about his upcoming match and talks to us about his dream opponents.
Q: Your moniker is ‘The Architect’, can you elaborate?
A: You know, ‘The Architect’ is a moniker that was given to me because I was the brains behind ‘The Shield’. I was the one responsible for recruiting Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. I was the one responsible for all the game planning that went in to every single match we had. I was the one who put the pieces in place so that we could be as successful as we were. I was the one who designed and built the greatest faction in the history of the WWE and that is why they call me ‘The Architect’.
Q: Weeks after the betrayal, do you have any regrets turning your back on The Shield and siding with Triple H?
A: I have absolutely zero regrets. Being a Money In The Bank (MITB) contract winner is a direct derivative of that break-up and I’m extremely happy with my current situation.
Q: So you won MITB this year. MITB winners have successfully cashed in their briefcases, when will we see you do that? Are you waiting for a specific champion?
A: I’m not waiting for a specific champion but I’m definitely waiting for a specific moment. You know, in our industry, WWE is all about timing and for me, I’m not going to waste my contract on a bad moment. I’m going to wait it out till the right moment comes along and I will strike to successfully cash in that contract.
Q: What are your preparations in your SummerSlam match against former ally Dean Ambrose, considering the stipulation?
A: Dean Ambrose is very difficult to game plan for. Even though he used to be a good friend of mine and I know him well probably better than anybody, it’s very difficult to game plan for a type of guy who can come at you from at any angle. So for me right now, I’m just doing my typical pre-match training and trying to devise a way to outsmart Ambrose.
Q: Ambrose and yourself represent two of WWE’s brightest stars today, do you think your match will live up to the hype? Comparable to SS greats like Shawn vs Razor in 1995, or Austin vs Owen in 1997?
A: I think our match at SummerSlam is going to blow everyone out of the water. It’s going to live up to the hype, exceed the hype and it’s going to go down in history as one of the greatest matches in the history of SummerSlam. That’s my guarantee.
Q: Name your top 3 dream opponents. Choose one from the 80s, one from the 90s and one from 00s.
A: From the 80s, I guess it would be Hulk Hogan. Hogan because I grew up watching him. He was a huge influence, the reason why I became a professional wrestler. The reason why I originally fell in love with it. From the 90s, I would say Shawn Michaels. Shawn because he is one of the best in-ring performers of all time. Maybe the best. My favourite for sure. And then from the 00s… oohh, that’s a tough one. Let’s see… it’s tough, there’s so many. Maybe Edge. Edge is someone, because he’s so fresh, I don’t think he gets as much credit as he deserves. Edge is extremely incredible and versatile as a performer. You look at the Tables, Ladders and Chairs (TLC) matches that he had, and then going on to being one of the best WWE champions that you’ve ever seen. I would definitely love to [have a match with him]. I think our styles would work together well too. So Edge might be a guy I’d be interested in.
Q: Name your top 5 wrestlers of all time.
A: Well, one is (#1) Hogan because he’s influenced my career… and Shawn Michaels. Clearly, these are two of the guys that have had a big influence in my career. I would say (#2) Steve Austin, you look at the influence that he had on the business and how he changed the entire thing. Another favourite of mine is… throw a (#3) Daniel Bryan out there. I know that may be an interesting one. But to me, Daniel Bryan is as good as anybody in the ring, as he’s ever been. And I think Daniel Bryan has proven what it takes to be a success in this business on every level. You look at another all-time great, (#4) Ric Flair. Probably the greatest world champion of all time… of the territorial era. You look at him, he’s the one, the original superstar, stylin’ and profilin’ and wheelin’ and dealin’. And then the fifth guy… who do I love? You know what, and people may be a little surprised about this but (#5) John Cena. Yeah John Cena’s a 15-time world champion. Ric Flair has even called him the greatest world champion of all time. John is a guy who has had a 10-year run at the top of WWE and no one on earth can say that they’ve done that. He’s the only one who’s had a run at the top for as long as he has. So kudos to John and his longevity.
WWE SummerSlam 2014 airs in the UAE on OSN On Demand HD at 4am on August 18 with a repeat at 9.40pm.
