Is Seth Rollins a 'Good Guy' Now?

Professional Wrestling is real life, not make-believe. As such, there is really no such thing as a "good guy" or "bad guy." There are; however, people that are generally virtuous and honorable, and others who are not.

Yet things have a funny way of playing out in WWE. Time and time again, we've rooted for the righteous sportsman facing insurmountable odds, only to see the high-minded eventually overcome the forces of oppression, greed, vanity, etc.

Think of Steve Austin against The Corporation, Steve Austin against the Ministry of Darkness, or even Steve Austin against the Corporate Ministry. All radically distinct situations, of course, but each following the same basic formula.

One so-called "hero" versus the world. Life imitating art.

That's what makes the main event at Sunday's Payback Pay Per View so unique. Instead of some fresh-faced competitor, it's the antagonist of the masses, Seth Rollins, who faces the tall odds. In fact, one could go so far as to say this match is a worst-case scenario for the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He faces the man he deposed as "face of the WWE" as well as the two men he brutally backstabbed in destroying The Shield last year. All three men are world-class wrestlers in the ring and each has a perfectly valid reason to absolutely hate Rollins' guts outside of the squared circle.

Of course, this could all be a ploy by The Authority to have their poster child engender sympathy from the public. It's a well known fact that principled sportsmen sell more merchandise, make more money, and draw more mainstream attention than complete jerks. Hell, even the ultimate villain, Rowdy Roddy Piper, became a fan favorite prior to his star turn in They Live.

Bottom line is, Americans love an underdog... even one who wears scuba diving pants when he wrestles. If we're not careful, we could find ourselves rooting for the devil because he overcame adversity on the road to triumph. And if that's the case, would he even be the devil anymore?

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OFFICIAL WRESTLER WRANKINGS FORMULA

ANY WIN = 2 POINTS

US OR INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE BOUT = 1 POINT

WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BOUT = 3 POINTS

NON "BIG 4" PPV BONUS = 1.5X

SUMMERSLAM, SURVIVOR SERIES, ROYAL RUMBLE = 2X BONUS

WRESTLEMANIA = 3X BONUS

The WWE season begins on the day after WrestleMania 31 and culminates with WrestleMania 32. The wrestler who accumulates the most points over the course of the season, wins the coveted Wrankings Championship!

Monday Night Raw-- 5/11/15

Neville - 3 points (US title bout, win)

John Cena - 1 point (US title bout, no win)

Randy Orton - 2 points (win)

Dean Ambrose - 2 points (win)

Bad News Barrett - 2 points (win)

Erick Rowan - 2 points (win)

Cesaro - 2 points (win)

Main Event -- 5/12/15

Dolph Ziggler - 2 points (win)

Smackdown -- 5/14/15

Neville - 2 points (win)

Dean Ambrose - 2 points (win)

Seth Rollins - 2 points (win)

Roman Reigns - 2 points (win)

Tyson Kidd - 2 points (win)

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WRESTLER WRANKINGS, WEEK 7 *TOP TEN*

1. John Cena -- 20.5 points

2. Neville 18 points

3. Seth Rollins  -- 17.5

4. Randy Orton -- 16.5

5. Stardust -- 13

T6. Dean Ambrose -- 12

T6. Ryback -- 12

8. Bad News Barrett -- 11

9. Dolph Ziggler -- 10

10. Roman Reigns -- 9

Thanks for reading, Cagesiders. We'll see you back here next week!