The bible says, you can judge a man by his fruits. In other words, the results speak for themselves. If that's true then Seth Rollins doesn't need to do any talking to prove just how good he's been over the last 18 months.
World's Champion. US Champion. Mr. Money in the Bank. Main Event of Wrestlemania. Feuding with mainstream celebrities. Defeating living legends like John Cena and Sting. Receiving the blessing of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
That last one may be the most important. If there's one thing we know about WWE, it's that your performance in the ring can only get you so far. You need allies in the back, preferably at the top of the political hierarchy, pulling for you. Look at Cesaro for God's sake! That guy is an ace grappler, and he can't get ahead.
To use an even more pronounced example, there's Bret Hart. In 1997 he was the full actualization of his "Hitman" persona. He was wrestling tremendous matches with the likes of Steve Austin and Undertaker, he had elevated his friends and family in the Hart Foundation stable, and he was arguably the best wrestler in the WWF. Regardless, he ran out of political capital and found himself out on his pink and black ass.
The point is, Seth Rollins was the right man for 2014-15. Of that there can be no argument. Now he'll be absent for the better part of a year and so much can change in that time. I have no doubt he'll come back as good as ever, but will his backstage support still be intact? You saw Triple H offer Roman Reigns the world this past Monday on RAW. That won't be the last overture made by The Authority.
More importantly, will Seth Rollins, the perfect man for these times, be the man for our unknown future. Society marches on. Things will be different in a year. If he returns every bit the man he is now, who's to say that will be an ideal fit for 2016? And if he radically changes in some way, there's no guarantee that the new Seth Rollins will "work." In that case there will be two moving parts, the state of society and the new Seth. It's hard to catch lightning in a bottle twice!
WWE has become a game of musical chairs. There are only so many spots and when there is a vacancy, you can bet it will get filled mighty quick. The question is, will there be a seat left for Seth Rollins when the music stops?
***
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-- 11/9/15
Main Event-- 11/10/15
Smackdown-- 11/12/15
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WRESTLER WRANKINGS, WEEK 33 *TOP TEN*
1. Seth Rollins -- 92 points
2. John Cena -- 71.5
3. Ryback -- 70
4. Neville -- 61
5. Kevin Owens -- 58.5
6. Roman Reigns -- 52.5
7. Dean Ambrose -- 42.5
8. Sheamus -- 41.5
9. Randy Orton -- 39
10. Dolph Ziggler -- 37.5
Thanks for reading, Cagesiders. We'll see you back here next week!