Seth Rollins’ knee injury will not be a long-term affair (for now) as the fighting champion valiantly claimed he would compete at WrestleMania 40.
Five days ahead of the 2024 WWE Royal Rumble, Rollins solemnly limped out to the ring in a lime-green suit, sporting a protective device around his knee as Michael Cole and Wade Barrett talked up how everybody wanted to know whether or not he would compete at WrestleMania 40. Before Rollins could even speak, the New Orleans crowd showered him with the chorus from his theme song, which made him emotional. A tearful Rollins also embraced chants of “thank you Seth!”
Rollins admitted after beating Jinder Mahal, it really set in that he might be out for a long time. Rollins said he thought for the first time it was a real possibility that he might miss WrestleMania, to which the crowd chanted “no!” Rollins noted he had a Grade 2 tear in his MCL and a partially torn menial meniscus, and with surgery we’re looking at three-to-four months. Rollins said we don’t really know what the future holds, but before he could continue, he was interrupted by IMPERIUM—led by the longest-reigning Intercontinental champion of all time GUNTHER.
GUNTHER, the Intercontinental Championship version of Rollins, said he admired Rollins as a workhorse world champion that everybody could be proud of—just like him. GUNTHER said the fact that Rollins couldn’t make it to WrestleMania 40 made him sad. Rollins then answered by saying he wasn’t finished. Rollins didn’t give a damn what the doctors told him, he will rehab his knee, take his WWE World Heavyweight Championship into WrestleMania and walk out as champion. GUNTHER then told Rollins that he would win the Royal Rumble, choose Seth Rollins and target his leg to become the WWE world heavyweight champion.
Speculation of Rollins’ injury status has been one of the hottest talking points in the world of pro wrestling all week. WWE used Rollins’ injury speculation to help juice its Raw viewership with no competition from Monday Night Football or College Football for the first time in months. Rollins was trending to face CM Punk at WrestleMania 40, but after tearing his MCL against Jinder Mahal last week, those plans were suddenly up in the air.
Rollins being advertised to announce his injury status for WrestleMania was an ominous sign for the world champion, but it also could have signaled that this weekend’s men’s Royal Rumble could be competed for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
While a brilliant wrestler, Seth Rollins has been a hit-or-miss character due to his forced flamboyance and over-the-top fake laugh. Seemingly battling an identity crisis, Rollins falls somewhere between Macho Man Randy Savage and a touring Elton John. Still, The Visionary found purpose upon winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in May—a title he has held for more than 236 days. As world champion on Raw, Rollins has been the anti-Roman Reigns, defending the title on TV, Premium Live Events, house shows and everywhere in between. In fact, defending the title so much may be part of the reason he found himself in jeopardy of missing WrestleMania 40 in the first place.
Seth Rollins’ character only gained more purpose upon the return of CM Punk. A smarmy Rollins cut what appeared to be shoot promos on Punk after CM Punk’s role in the dramatic Brawl Out. Almost a year ago, in an interview with Wrestling Inc, Rollins called Punk a “cancer” and said he had no interest in working with him. Fast forward to January 2024, and the two were overwhelmingly favored to work together prior to Rollins’ MCL tear.
The story between CM Punk and Seth Rollins essentially writes itself. The two have traveled two completely different paths despite, spiritually, being similar wrestlers. CM Punk is notorious for being a pain-in-the-butt everywhere he goes, while Rollins is more of a company man with no reputation of blowing up a locker room. Rollins and Punk had one confrontation since CM Punk’s return, and it was a magical one. If Rollins is able to make it to WrestleMania and their match is even half as good as their promo, it will have been a success.