Star hailed as WWE ‘MVP’ by The Rock drops unexpected retirement hint after backstage meetings
After more than 20 years of being battered and bruised in the ring it’s perhaps no surprise Seth Rollins has already been discussing what might be next.
The Visionary is one of WWE’s top superstars and, having burst on the scene as part of the epic Shield group, has been a major player in the industry for quite some time.
The Iowa native had already racked up more than six years’ experience in the squared circle by the time he’d signed with WWE in 2010, spending time first in their developmental company FCW which effectively went on to become NXT.
Having honed his craft in the WWE style there, he joined Dean Ambrose – now Jon Moxley in AEW – and Seth Rollins as The Shield, who went on to become one of the most dominant and high-profile factions in all of wrestling for a generation.
Singles stardom would soon follow for each member of the group once it disbanded, Rollins knocking over the first proverbial domino on his way to the first of many world championship reigns.
The performer will turn 39 this month and has combined world title reigns under his belt as WWE, Universal and World Heavyweight Champion – more than many will achieve beyond their wildest dreams.
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What, though, will come next? After such a gruelling career and the associated demands its taken on his body, it’s perhaps little surprise he’s considering life after in-ring competitions.
Rollins himself insists he won’t be closing that chapter of his career in the very immediate future, but admits his mind has begun to wonder.
He to Bloomberg: “I'm closer the end of my career than the beginning, but the end ain't here yet. So, I'm kind of in my prime right now. I'm 38 years old.
My mental and physical kind of, like, locked in right now where my physical hasn't declined too much, and my mental side is really on the rise, as I'm starting to see the industry from a different angle. So that part I'm really focused on.”
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Fans might well start to ready themselves to consider life without a constant, weekly dose of Rollins on screen, who went on to add: “I think we're in the early stages of conversations about what it might look like for me in the future in an executive or in a creative role, or whatever that may be. But again, that's in its infancy.”
The loss of Rollins, whenever it comes, will leave a mighty void for WWE to fill, given the grappler’s sheer consistency and versatility.
Over WrestleMania weekend in 2024, the likes of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns were understandably the names dominating the headlines of an all-star show.
It was Rollins, however, that Rock singled out as the ‘VIP’ of the weekend, having played a starring role in both nights of the Philadelphia spectacle.
The former Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank ladder match winner was a trusted hand given the responsibility of working with the wrestler turned movie star in what was Rock’s first major bout back in WWE for over a decade.