Since debuting as a member of The Shield back in 2012, Seth Rollins has been one of the most exciting acts in the WWE. His versatility as a wrestler and exceptional charisma as a character have made him one of the more popular wrestlers in the company. He has definitely earned his status as a main eventer, and arguably as the face of Monday Night Raw. However, over the course of the last year, three wrestlers have been hurt in matches with Rollins. So the question becomes, is Seth Rollins dangerous?
Is Seth Rollins Dangerous?
John Cena
Last summer, Rollins “broke the face that runs the place” when he accidentally shattered John Cena‘s nose with his flying knee. Whether Rollins was being careless or Cena wasn’t paying attention, the injury was gruesome and extremely dangerous. Cena was held out of action for weeks while he had to recover from the surgery required to repair his nose.
As the saying goes, “it ain’t ballet” and injuries do happen, but this injury was particularly frightening. The WWE played it off by making it part of the story and even making some merch money with a new shirt, but Cena could’ve been seriously injured. Cena is almost fortunate that Rollins hit his nose the way he did, or the bone from his nose could’ve gone into his brain, killing him. Fortunately, Cena is just fine, and they went on to have a memorable bout at SummerSlam, but this earned some negative press for Rollins.
Hall of Famer, Bret “The Hitman” Hart had some choice words for Rollins on the subject, claiming he was unsafe. Hart, who has become notorious for burying wrestlers, claims that Rollins was reckless with Cena, and needs to improve before he kills someone. While Hart is a legend in this business, he’s developed a reputation for criticizing everyone in the wrestling world whenever he gets a chance.
Sting
When Seth Rollins began a feud with a true legend in the business, it was very exciting. Just a few years ago, the idea of Ring of Honor‘s Tyler Black facing off against WCW‘s Icon, Sting in a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match seemed impossible. But last fall, it came to fruition. The two had a very exciting build, including a moment where The Authority believed they were unveiling Rollins’ statue, only to find Sting. The build only improved when it was revealed that Rollins would not only face Sting at the Night of Champions pay per view, but he would also face John Cena.
In hindsight, having Rollins work two big matches back to back may have been a bad idea. Rollins used his Buckle Bomb signature move on Sting twice, and the second time, it hurt Sting so badly that he had to retire from the business. After decades of waiting, Sting’s WWE run would include two big losses and a cheap tag team win on free television.
Finn Bálor
Finn Bálor was probably going to be the face of Monday Night Raw. He was the very first WWE Universal Champion, and likely would’ve had a very long and memorable run with the new title. Unfortunately, during their match at SummerSlam, Rollins hit Bálor with the same move that retired Sting, the Buckle Bomb, on the barricade outside of the ring, and Bálor landed awkwardly. He tore several muscles in his chest and shoulder, and had to vacate the new title.
Bálor is out until WrestleMania at the earliest, and yet again, Monday Night Raw found itself without a champion. It’s hard to place the blame for this injury because it happened so fast. Bálor definitely landed wrong, but it’s hard to see whether he didn’t adjust properly or if he Rollins just didn’t give him time to get ready.
Seth Rollins
Of course, you can’t name the wrestlers that have been sidelined by Rollins without including “The Man” himself. Last fall, Rollins was sidelined by a devastating knee injury when he landed awkwardly in a house show match against Kane. Rollins missed several months, and had to vacate his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Ask anyone from Triple H to CM Punk to John Cena, and they’ll tell you that some injuries just can’t be avoided. It was a freak injury, and Rollins can’t be held responsible.
The Buckle Bomb
Both Bálor and Sting were injured by Rollins’ signature move, a powerbomb onto the turnbuckle. Rollins already has one banned move, as Vince McMahon decided to remove the curbstomp from his arsenal, and many believe the Buckle Bomb should be next. The move retired Sting, and forced Bálor to vacate the Universal Championship. However, that’s unnecessary.
If Rollins were constantly giving his opponents concussions it would be one thing, but there’s one thing nobody has addressed. Rollins uses that move in every single one of his matches, sometimes multiple times. Consider that Rollins has been wrestling several times a week for most of the last four years. When you include Raws, SmackDowns, pay per views, and house shows, he’s probably done that move a couple thousand times. Of the thousands of times that he’s hit that move, only two people have been seriously injured, and they didn’t even injure the same body part.
Bálor landed awkwardly and he tore a few muscles in his shoulder and chest. From the video, it appears as if Bálor was supposed to catch most of the hit with his back, but instead his arm got caught on the barricade. Sting, a 56 year old man, suffered neck damage. Was the move a little too aggressive for a match with someone Sting’s age? Probably. Would it have the same effect on someone like Sami Zayn or Kevin Owens? Unlikely. Last year at the Money in The Bank pay per views, Rollins did the same move to Dean Ambrose onto a pile of chairs. If the move really was all that dangerous, it would’ve claimed more victims than just Bálor and Sting.
In summation, it’s not fair for fans to say who is or is not safe in the ring. Someone like Brock Lesnar is booked to look dangerous, even to the point where they made it part of the story-line. Rollins is one of the very best wrestlers in the WWE, and he should have a very bright future with the company ahead of him. Regardless of whether or not he should be held responsible for the injuries that have occurred in the ring during his matches, one thing is for sure. There are whispers that he’s a liability in the ring, and if someone else gets hurt in one of his matches, those whispers will only get louder.
