Throughout the history of the WWE, there have always been specific superstars that stood out from the rest and shone brighter. The early days of big-time wrestling saw the likes of Bruno Sammartino, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan rise to the top and become global stars within the sport.
In more modern times, The Rock and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin became phenomena and these were later followed up by the polarizing John Cena as the face of the industry. The last few years have seen a further changing of the guard in the WWE across both Smackdown and RAW, with Cena still being the top draw, but taking somewhat of a backseat on big shows.
The likes of Randy Orton and Roman Reigns are currently huge names within the organisation too, but one man, in particular, looks likely of being groomed into the next superstar athlete. Seth Rollins looks set to be “the guy” in the coming years, as the WWE aim to branch out and provide him with a grand exposure to a wide-scale audience.
John Cena by Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Depending on who is asked, many fans and admirers of wrestling will admit that Cena is now somewhat of a part-time attraction, as he – like the Rock before him – pushes the boat in his career in acting and other ventures. He and Reigns have been pushed as the number one and two leading stars in recent years, but it would seem that the WWE are keen to have Rollins take over that mantle and lead a new era forward.
Wrestling legend Triple H recently spoke of his admiration for the 31-year-old, who he previously collided with as part of WestleMania 33. ‘The Game’ was full of praise for his former opponent on the grandest stage of them all, stating: “To stand in the ring with a guy as talented as Seth Rollins is, who’s kind of the current and the future of WWE in many ways, it’s hard to describe how that feels.
“For me, knowing that I was there as he was coming into the WWE, seeing his development in the Shield, being there for a lot of it and seeing him come all the way to where he is now, it’s very gratifying in a lot of ways.”
Rollins’ rise to popularity is reflected in the early odds for the Royal Rumble 2018, where he is amongst the favorites at +250 to win with operators including Sportsbet, where you can pick your game. So, has Rollins got what it takes to become the next face of the WWE?
The Buffalo-born wrestler has already become a huge draw and fan favourite, so pushing him further will only help the cause in the coming years. It’s already apparent that the WWE see him as a potential mega-icon in the making, having recently cast him as the cover star on the new high-profile console game, WWE 2K18.
In doing so, Rollins follows in the footsteps of the likes of the Rock, Cena, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and Brock Lesnar. As Reigns continues to struggle to win over the diehard fans, the WWE could soon have a new star to push forward and take on the role as leading man, in the form of Seth Rollins.
