Stewart: Buy In On WWE Champion, Seth Rollins
BOSTON (CBS) -- If Seth Rollins is truly the undisputed future of the WWE, he needs to win and win big at Battleground this weekend. Seth Rollins NEEDS to beat Brock Lesnar, clean and in the middle.
This Sunday night July 19th, WWE will present Battleground, where the main event features Seth Rollins defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against (say it with me in the Paul Heymen voice) Brock Lesnar.
Seth Rollins has been an outstanding WWE Champion since winning the championship at Wrestlemania and I'd love to see him hold on to the championship for a long time, but I feel like he's missing that signature victory. Right now, Seth Rollins feels like Shawn Michaels in 1996: He's the champion, he can work with anyone and have great matches but he's missing that real main event buzz around him. Michaels won the championship at Wrestlemania 12 against Bret Hart, but it wasn't until his match with Mankind, six months later, that Michaels got his signature win.
Seth Rollins can have his signature win in less than four months with a win over Lesnar. Rollins should get his signature victory on Sunday night, but if you believe the WWE rumor mill and all of the writers, Rollins will lose the WWE Championship come Sunday evening.
Why would the WWE do this? Why would they take the Championship away from Rollins? Because in the short-term, Lesnar as WWE Champion will sell more than Rollins as WWE Champion. With the rumors flying around about an Undertaker return as soon as Sunday or Monday, and him being a participant in a match at Summer Slam, it leads me to think that he challenges Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Summer Slam.
If we look at the WWE from the bigger picture, assuming Lesnar wins the championship on Sunday, who, right now, is a big enough, main stream name, to headline their second biggest show of the year again him?
Undertaker, John Cena or the Rock. They all have similar built-in stories as to why they should challenge Lesnar in a match for or not for the WWE Championship.
Undertaker, he's looking for revenge for his loss only loss at a Wrestlemania.
The Rock, he's looking for revenge for his loss against Brock at Summer Slam in 2002.
John Cena, he's looking for revenge for his loss against Brock at last year's Summer Slam.
All three of those opponents could main event Summer Slam without the championship being on the line, but it adds a little extra if the championship is on the line.
Putting the WWE Championship on Lesnar on Sunday or anytime soon is the WRONG move for WWE. If you believe in Seth Rollins, let him retain on Sunday. Let Seth Rollins win big and let the fans BUY IN on Seth Rollins!
- The best thing on WWE TV right now is the U.S. Open challenge. I love Kevin Owens but I don't believe that he should be the one to take the U. S. Championship away from John Cena. Who should be the one to beat John Cena for the U. S. Championship? I'm not sure yet. That wrestler might not be on the WWE main roster right now.
- The WWE gave Divas a chance on Monday night by putting their best women in the ring during the 9pm segment. The best part about it, those women delivered and delivered big.
- Speaking of delivering big, Ring of Honor wrestling has been on a major roll of late. They are the BEST WEEKLEY WRESTLING SHOW in the World right now. Jay Lethal just won their World Heavyweight Championship at their most recent Pay Per View Event in New York. Lethal has worked hard for many years and deserves a chance to lead Ring of Honor as both their World and TV champion.
- I'm currently NOT on speaking terms with the people of New Japan Pro Wrestling. I find it criminal that the Kingdom isn't their tag team champions anymore. ENOUGH of the Bullet Club already.
- Two things I worry about long-term in WWE:
1. I want to know if the plan to have Roman Reigns win the WWE Championship in Dallas at Wrestlemania is still the plan.
2. What do they see in Sheamus? I just was blown away that he won the Money in the Bank case. What's worse might be that he'll be getting another run with the WWE Championship.
James Stewart is the executive producer of the Felger and Massarotti Show, which airs 2-6 p.m. on 98.5 The Sports Hub. Find him on Twitter @IAmJamesStewart.