Colby Daniel Lopez was born on May 28, 1986[1][8] inDavenport, Iowa.[9] He is of Armenian, German, and Irish descent.[10] He gained the Lopez surname from his Mexican-American stepfather, whom he considers his true father.[10] He has a brother and a sister, but did not know this until their existence was revealed by a DNA test in 2019.[11] He graduated fromDavenport West High School in 2004.[1] As a teenager, he was an introvert who lived astraight edge lifestyle and was a big fan ofrock andheavy metal music.[12] He trained at a wrestling school owned by Danny Daniels on the borders ofChicago andOak Park.[10]
At theRing of Honor (ROH)pay-per-view taping ofMan Up on September 15, 2007, Black made his debut alongside Jimmy Jacobs andNecro Butcher, with the three attacking The Briscoe Brothers, and hanging Jay Briscoe from light rigging fashioned as a noose. The three formed astable calledThe Age of the Fall.[23] Theangle was so controversial that ROH decided to remove the footage from the pay-per-view that was being taped at the event.[14] Black later made his ROH in-ring debut later that night in adark match, wrestling Jack Evans to ano contest.[14]
At Glory by Honor VI in November, Black defeated Alex "Sugarfoot" Payne, but was attacked by The Briscoe Brothers following the match.[24] He appeared with The Age of the Fall in their match against The Briscoe Brothers during the main event.[25] AtFinal Battle on December 30, Black and Jacobs defeated The Briscoe Brothers to win theROH World Tag Team Championship.[26] They lost the championship one month later on January 26, 2008, to theNo Remorse Corps (Davey Richards andRocky Romero) when competing in anUltimate Endurance match also involving The Hangmen 3 (Brent Albright andB. J. Whitmer), and the team ofAustin Aries andBryan Danielson.[26]
At Final Battle in December, after Black lost a number one contender match to Austin Aries, Jacobsturned on him, and Black was then attacked by Aries.[27] At Full Circle, Black was given a non-title match against then-ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness on January 16, 2009, where Black was victorious.[28] The following night, Black faced McGuinness in a title match, which ended in atime limit draw.[28] On June 26, at Violent Tendencies, Black defeated Jimmy Jacobs in asteel cage match to end theirfeud.[28]
ROH World Champion and departure (2009–2010)
In September 2009, Black took a hiatus after receiving surgery on his neck.[29] On October 10, Black defeatedKenny King in a first-round match and then Claudio Castagnoli,Colt Cabana,Delirious,Chris Hero and Roderick Strong in the finals to win the2009 Survival of the Fittest tournament, earning him a ROH World Championship match.[30] On December 19, at ROH's first live pay-per-view,Final Battle, Black wrestled then ROH World Champion Austin Aries to a 60-minute time limit draw.[31] Because of this draw, thenROH commissionerJim Cornette booked the two in a rematch between February 13, 2010, for the company's Eighth Anniversary Show. The booking saw Cornette set up a judging panel with himself on and one person picked by each competitor, in order for there to be a decisive winner in case of another draw. Aries picked King while Black picked Strong,[32] whom he guaranteed an ROH World Championship title shot should he win. At the event, Blackpinned Aries to win the ROH World Championship.[33][34]
On April 3, Black retained the title in a three-way elimination match against Austin Aries and Roderick Strong atThe Big Bang! pay-per-view.[35] He also retained the title against Davey Richards on June 19 atDeath Before Dishonor VIII.[36] Black turned into avillain at the August 20 tapings ofRing of Honor Wrestling after news broke that he had signed a developmental contract withWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).[37] He threatened to take the ROH World Championship with him to WWE and refused to put the championship at stake in a match with Davey Richards on August 28, which he then lost bysubmission.[37][38] On September 11, atGlory By Honor IX, in his final ROH appearance, Black lost the ROH World Championship to Roderick Strong in ano disqualification match withTerry Funk as aguest enforcer, ending his reign at 210 days after seven successful title defenses.[39]
In July 2011, Rollins began a feud withDean Ambrose.[50] Ambrose and Rollins had their first match for the FCW 15 Championship in a 15-minute Iron Man match on the August 14 episode ofFCW, which ended in a draw with neither men scoring afall and, as a result, Rollins retained his title.[51] A subsequent 20-minute rematch for the title two weeks later resulted in a similar 0–0 draw.[51] A second 30-minute rematch for the title on the September 18 episode ofFCW went to a time limit 2–2 draw and the match was sent intosudden death overtime, where Rollins scored apinfall to win the match 3–2.[51] On September 22, Rollins lost the FCW 15 Championship to Damien Sandow bydisqualification after Ambrose attacked Sandow late in the match.[52][53] On February 23, 2012, Rollins defeatedLeo Kruger to become the newFCW Florida Heavyweight Champion.[54] Rollins lost the championship toRick Victor at a house show on May 31.[55]
When WWErebranded FCW intoNXT in August 2012,[56] Rollins' NXT TV debut took place on the second episode of the rebootedNXT atFull Sail University on June 27, when he defeatedJiro.[57][58] Rollins entered theGold Rush Tournament to crown the inauguralNXT Champion where he defeated Jinder Mahal in the tournament finals on the August 29 episode ofNXT.[59][60] On the October 10 episode ofNXT, Rollins had his first successful defense of his title against Michael McGillicutty.[61]
On the January 2, 2013 episode ofNXT, Rollins successfully defended the NXT Championship againstCorey Graves,[62] before losing it the next week onNXT to Big E Langston in a No Disqualification match.[63] After losing the title, Rollins continued to feud with Graves and attacked him during his number one contender's match for the NXT Championship with Conor O'Brian.[64] Rollins then accepted Graves' challenge[65] and defeated him in alumberjack match to end the feud.[66]
The Shield then quietly ended their association with Punk while beginning a feud with John Cena, Ryback andSheamus that led to a six-man tag match on February 17 atElimination Chamber,[76][77] which The Shield won.[78] On April 7, they defeated Sheamus,Big Show andRandy Orton atWrestleMania 29.[79][80] The following night onRaw, The Shield attempted to attackThe Undertaker, but were stopped by Team Hell No.[81] This set up a six-man tag team match on the April 22 episode ofRaw, which The Shield won.[82] On the May 13 episode ofRaw, The Shield's undefeated streak in televised six-man tag team matches ended in a disqualification loss in asix-man elimination tag team match against John Cena, Kane and Daniel Bryan.[83]
On the October 14 episode ofRaw, Rollins and Reigns lost the titles to Rhodes and Goldust in a No Disqualification match following interference from Big Show.[91] AtHell in a Cell on October 27, Rollins and Reigns failed to regain the titles in a triple threat match also involving The Usos.[92] AtSurvivor Series on November 24, The Shield teamed withAntonio Cesaro andJack Swagger, facingRey Mysterio, The Usos, Cody Rhodes and Goldust in a traditionalSurvivor Series match. Although Rollins was eliminated by Mysterio, Reigns won the match for the team.[93] AtTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 15, The Shield lost to CM Punk in3-on-1 handicap match after Reigns accidentallyspeared Ambrose.[94] On January 26, 2014, at theRoyal Rumble, Rollins entered his firstRoyal Rumble match at number 2, gaining three eliminations before he was eliminated by teammate Reigns.[95] The next night onRaw, The Shield competed against Daniel Bryan, Sheamus and John Cena in a six-man tag team qualifying match to enter theElimination Chamber match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but lost the match via disqualification afterThe Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt,Erick Rowan andLuke Harper) interfered and attacked Cena, Bryan, and Sheamus.[96] AtElimination Chamber on February 23, The Shield were defeated by the Wyatt Family in a rematch.[97]
The Shield performing their signature pose in May 2014
Later in March, The Shield began a feud with Kane, turningface in the process.[98][99] AtWrestleMania XXX on April 6, The Shield defeated Kane andThe New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn andRoad Dogg).[100] The Shield then feuded with Triple H, the COO of WWE and leader of The Authority,[101] who reformedEvolution withBatista and Randy Orton to take on The Shield.[102] The Shield defeated Evolution atExtreme Rules on May 4,[103] and again on June 1 atPayback in a No Holds Barred elimination match, in which no members of The Shield were eliminated.[104]
On the June 2 episode ofRaw, Rollins turned on Ambrose and Reigns to rejoin The Authority, turning heel once again.[105] On June 29, Rollins won theMoney in the Bank ladder match at thetitular event after interference from Kane.[106] Rollins defeated Ambrose atBattleground on July 20 via forfeit after their match was called off by Triple H after a pre-match attack by Ambrose on Rollins backstage,[107] as well as atSummerSlam on August 17 in alumberjack match after hitting him with his Money in the Bank briefcase following interference from Kane.[108] The following night onRaw, Rollins defeated Ambrose once again in aFalls Count Anywhere match by referee stoppage after Kane interfered again and helped Rollins execute aCurb Stomp on Ambrose throughcinder blocks, giving him a kayfabe injury.[109][110] On September 21, atNight of Champions, a scheduled match between Rollins and Reigns ended in Rollins being declared the winner via forfeit since Reigns developed a legitimateincarcerated hernia which required surgery prior to the event.[111][112] He was then attacked by a returning Ambrose.[113] Shortly after, Rollins adoptedJamie Noble andJoey Mercury as bodyguards, being named "J&J Security".[114] The feud between Rollins and Ambrose culminated on October 26 atHell in a Cell, where Rollins defeated Ambrose in aHell in a Cell match after Bray Wyatt interfered and attacked Ambrose.[115] Following Hell in a Cell, tension began growing between Rollins and Randy Orton due to The Authority's preferential treatment of Rollins. After defeating Orton on the November 3 episode ofRaw, Orton attacked The Authority but was overpowered, resulting in Rollins performing aCurb Stomp on Orton onto the steel ring steps, kayfabe injuring him.[116] AtSurvivor Series on November 23, Rollins captained Team Authority in a five-on-five elimination tag team match against Team Cena, in which he was the sole survivor for his team and the last man eliminated byDolph Ziggler, resulting in The Authority being ousted from control of WWE.[117] AtTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 14, he lost to Cena in atables match.[118] On the January 5, 2015 episode ofRaw, The Authority regained control over WWE.[119]
AtRoyal Rumble on January 25, Rollins failed to win a triple threat match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Cena and championBrock Lesnar.[120] AtFastlane on February 22, Rollins, Big Show and Kane defeated Ziggler, Erick Rowan and Ryback. After the match, Orton returned and attacked Noble, Mercury and Kane, while Rollins fled the arena.[121] On March 29, atWrestleMania 31, Rollins lost to Orton.[122] Later that night, Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract during Lesnar and Reigns' WWE World Heavyweight Championship match, turning it into a triple threat match and pinned Reigns to win the title for the first time in his career, making him the first man to cash in his Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania and during a title match.[123] Rollins continued his feud with Orton after WrestleMania, which led to a steel cage match for the championship with Kane residing as special guest "gatekeeper" atExtreme Rules on April 26,[124] where Rollins retained after interference from the latter.[125] AtPayback on May 17, Rollins successfully defended the title against Orton, Reigns, and Ambrose in afatal-four-way match after pinning Orton.[126] Rollins retained the championship against Ambrose on May 31 atElimination Chamber after getting himself disqualified,[127] and in aladder match atMoney in the Bank on June 14.[128]
AtBattleground on July 19, Rollins retained the title by disqualification against Brock Lesnar after The Undertaker attacked Lesnar.[129] On August 23, Rollins defeatedUnited States Champion John Cena in a Winner Takes All match atSummerSlam for both the WWE World Heavyweight and the United States Championships after interference fromJon Stewart, making him the first and only wrestler to hold both championships simultaneously.[130] AtNight of Champions on September 20, Rollins lost the United States Championship back to Cena but was able to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship againstSting later that night.[131][132] AtLive from Madison Square Garden on October 3, Rollins failed to regain the United States Championship from Cena in a steel cage match.[133] AtHell in a Cell on October 25, Rollins retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Kane and per the match stipulation, Kane was fired as Director of Operations.[134]
On November 4, during a match against Kane at a WWE live event inDublin, Ireland, Rollins tore theACL,MCL and medialmeniscus in his knee while attempting to execute asunset flip powerbomb.[135] The injury required surgery and it was estimated it would take Rollins out of action for approximately six to nine months, therefore he was forced tovacate the WWE World Heavyweight Championship the next day, ending his reign at 220 days.[136] WWE recognizes his reign as lasting 219 days.[137] On the December 21 episode ofRaw, Rollins made a special appearance to accept hisSlammy Award for2015 Superstar of the Year.[138]
AtExtreme Rules on May 22, 2016, Rollins returned from injury, attacking Roman Reigns with aPedigree after his WWE World Heavyweight Championship defense againstAJ Styles.[139] The following night onRaw,Shane McMahon scheduled a match between Reigns and Rollins for the title atMoney in the Bank.[140] At the event on June 19, Rollins defeated Reigns to win his second WWE World Heavyweight Championship, becoming the first wrestler tolegitimately defeat Reigns in singles competition on the main roster, only to lose the title minutes later to Dean Ambrose, who cashed in the Money in the Bank contract he won earlier that night.[141] In July, Rollins failed to regain the renamed WWE Championship[137] from Ambrose on bothRaw andSmackDown.[142][143] During the2016 WWE draft on July 19, Rollins was drafted toRaw as the brand's first draft pick.[144] AtBattleground on July 24, Rollins unsuccessfully competed in a triple threat match against Ambrose and Reigns for the newly renamed WWE World Championship, which became exclusive to theSmackDown brand.[145][146] Because of this, theWWE Universal Championship was introduced the following night onRaw.[147] Rollins lost the inaugural title match againstFinn Bálor on August 21 atSummerSlam.[148]
The Shield reunion (2016–2017)
Rollins in May 2017 at a house show. The nameKingslayer on his shirt is in reference to his win overTriple H atWrestleMania 33.
After Bálor relinquished the title the following night onRaw due to a legit shoulder injury sustained at SummerSlam,[149] Rollins facedBig Cass,Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns in a four-way elimination match for the title, but Triple H interfered and attacked Rollins, allowing Owens to win the championship.[150] On the September 5 episode ofRaw, Rollins attacked Owens during his celebration ceremony, turningface for the first time since 2014.[151] Rollins failed to win the title from Owens atClash of Champions on September 25 andHell in a Cell on October 30 due to several interferences fromChris Jericho.[152][153] AtSurvivor Series on November 20, Rollins formed part of Team Raw with Owens, Jericho,Braun Strowman and Reigns in a losing effort to Team SmackDown.[154] AtRoadblock: End of the Line on December 18, Rollins defeated Jericho.[155]
In January 2017, Rollins started a feud with Triple H leading into WrestleMania. On January 28, Rollins appeared atNXT TakeOver: San Antonio, interrupting the show and demanding to confront Triple H, who came out only to order security to remove Rollins from the ring.[156] On the January 30 episode ofRaw, Rollins confronted Stephanie McMahon and once again called out Triple H, demanding answers for his betrayal.[157] Later that night, Rollins was ambushed from behind by the debutingSamoa Joe, who choked him out in theCoquina Clutch.[158] Rollins signed a contract to compete against Triple H in a non-sanctioned match on April 2 atWrestleMania 33,[159][160] which he won.[161] Rollins defeated Joe atPayback on April 30 to give Joe his first singles loss on the main roster.[162] AtExtreme Rules on June 4, Rollins competed in a fatal five-way Extreme Rules match to determine the number one contender to the WWE Universal Championship also involving Bálor, Joe, Reigns and Wyatt, which Joe won.[163]
On the July 10 episode ofRaw, Rollins saved Dean Ambrose from an attack byThe Miz and the Miztourage (Curtis Axel andBo Dallas).[164] After failing to gain Ambrose's trust for several weeks,[165][166][167] the two argued in the ring on the August 14 episode ofRaw and brawled with each other before fighting offCesaro and Sheamus, reuniting the team in the process.[168] AtSummerSlam on August 20, Ambrose and Rollins defeated Cesaro and Sheamus to win the Raw Tag Team Championship,[169] successfully defending the titles in a rematch atNo Mercy on September 24.[170] On the October 9 episode ofRaw, Rollins and Ambrose reunited with Roman Reigns.[171] The newly reformed Shield was due to face Braun Strowman, Cesaro, Kane, The Miz and Sheamus atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on October 22 in a 5-on-3 handicap Tables, Ladders and Chairs match, but Reigns was replaced over an illness concern byKurt Angle[172][173] and they won the match.[174] Ambrose and Rollins lost the titles back to Cesaro and Sheamus on the November 6 episode ofRaw due to SmackDown'sThe New Day distracting the champions,[175] ending their reign at 78 days (WWE recognizes their reign as lasting 79 days).[176] At Survivor Series on November 19, The Shield defeated The New Day.[177] In December, Ambrose suffered a tornbiceps, sidelining him for approximately nine months, putting The Shield on hiatus.[178]
Intercontinental Champion (2017–2018)
On the December 25 episode ofRaw, Rollins andJason Jordan won the Raw Tag Team Championship from Cesaro and Sheamus.[179] At theRoyal Rumble on January 28, 2018, Rollins entered at number 18 in the Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated by Reigns.[180] Right after the Royal Rumble match, they lost the titles back to Cesaro and Sheamus, ending their reign at 34 days.[181] After their tag team dissolved due to Jordan having neck surgery,[182] Rollins was named as a competitor in theElimination Chamber match to determine the #1 contender for the Universal Championship.[183] On the February 19 episode ofRaw, Rollins competed in a seven-mengauntlet match to decide who would enter the Elimination Chamber match last, but was ultimately eliminated byElias. Rollins wrestled for one hour and five minutes, marking the longest performance in a match by any wrestler in the show's history.[184] Six days later, atElimination Chamber, Rollins was the fifth man eliminated by Braun Strowman in the match.[185]
On August 19, atSummerSlam, Rollins defeated Ziggler to regain the championship after enlisting the help of a returning Dean Ambrose.[192] The next night onRaw, Rollins reformed The Shield with Ambrose and Roman Reigns, preventing Strowman from cashing in his Money in the Bank contract for the Universal Championship against Reigns.[193] AtHell in a Cell on September 16, Rollins and Ambrose failed to win the Raw Tag Team Championship from McIntyre and Ziggler.[194] AtSuper Show-Down on October 6, The Shield defeated McIntyre, Ziggler and Strowman in a six-man tag team match.[195] Two nights later onRaw, The Shield was defeated by the trio in a rematch, with Ambrose walking away from his teammates after their defeat.[196]
On the October 22 episode ofRaw, Reigns took a hiatus due to his legitimate returningleukemia. Later that night, Rollins and Ambrose defeated Ziggler and McIntyre to win the Raw Tag Team Championship (making Rollins a 2-time Double Champion), only for Ambrose toturn on Rollins as he attacked him, igniting a feud between the two and disbanding The Shield once again.[197] Rollins and Ambrose lost the titles on the November 5 episode ofRaw, when Rollins lost a handicap match toAOP (Akam andRezar).[198] On November 18, atSurvivor Series, Rollins defeated United States ChampionShinsuke Nakamura in an interbrand champion vs. champion match.[199] On December 16, atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Rollins lost the Intercontinental Championship to Ambrose, ending his reign at 119 days.[200] Rollins failed to regain the championship from Ambrose on several occasions, including in a Falls Count Anywhere match when Lashley interfered,[201] and in a triple threat match where Lashley won the championship after pinning Ambrose.[202]
Universal Champion (2018–2019)
At theRoyal Rumble on January 27, 2019, Rollins won his first Royal Rumble match by lastly eliminating Braun Strowman.[203] The following night onRaw, Rollins challenged Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship atWrestleMania 35.[204] Soon after, Rollins reconciled with Ambrose and the recently returned Reigns to reform The Shield for the third time,[205] defeating McIntyre, Lashley andBaron Corbin on March 10 atFastlane.[206] At WrestleMania 35 on April 7, Rollins defeated Lesnar to win the Universal Championship for the first time.[207]
Rollins then entered a feud with AJ Styles,[208][209] retaining the Universal Championship against him on May 19 atMoney in the Bank.[210] Rollins successfully defended the title against Corbin atSuper ShowDown on June 7,[211] and atStomping Grounds on June 23; the latter title defense featuredLacey Evans asspecial guest referee. He won with assistance of his real-life wife andRaw Women's ChampionBecky Lynch to overcome the biased refereeing from Evans.[212] Rollins and Lynch defeated Corbin and Evans atExtreme Rules on July 14 in aWinner Takes AllExtreme Rules matchmixed tag team match. Afterwards, Rollins lost the title to Lesnar, who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, ending his reign at 98 days.[213] The following night onRaw, Rollins won a ten-manbattle royal for the right to face Lesnar for the championship atSummerSlam by last eliminating Randy Orton.[214] At the event on August 11, Rollins defeated Lesnar to regain the championship, making him the second wrestler to hold the Universal Championship more than once. He also became the first superstar to defeat Lesnar at both WrestleMania and SummerSlam.[215]
On the August 19 episode ofRaw, Rollins became a 3-time Double Champion when him and Braun Strowman defeatedKarl Anderson andLuke Gallows to win the Raw Tag Team Championship.[216] AtClash of Champions on September 15, Rollins and Strowman lost the titles to Dolph Ziggler andRobert Roode.[217] Later that night, Rollins retained the Universal Championship against Strowman but was attacked by "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt after the match.[218] AtHell in a Cell on October 6, Rollins defended his title against The Fiend in a Hell in a Cell match that ended inreferee stoppage after The Fiend was buried under several weapons and hit with a sledgehammer by Rollins, a decision which was negatively received by critics and fans.[219][220] On October 31, atCrown Jewel, Rollins lost the Universal Championship to The Fiend in afalls count anywhere match, ending his second reign at 80 days.[221]
The Messiah (2019–2020)
Rollins was selected as the captain for Team Raw against Team SmackDown and Team NXT on November 24 atSurvivor Series,[222] where Team SmackDown emerged victorious.[223] The following night onRaw, Rollins berated the entire Raw roster for "dropping the ball" and failing to win at the pay-per-view. These comments later drew the attention of Kevin Owens, who attacked Rollins and challenged him to a match, which ended in a disqualification after AOP (Akam and Rezar) attacked Owens.[224] On the December 9 episode ofRaw, despite earlier denying an alliance with AOP, Rollins joined them by attacking Owens, turning heel for the first time since 2016.[225]
After this, Rollins began calling himself the "Monday Night Messiah" while stating that he was "sacrificing" his opponents for "the greater good" and created a faction with AOP andBuddy Murphy.[226][227] Rollins and Murphy defeatedThe Viking Raiders to win the Raw Tag Team Championship on the January 20, 2020 episode ofRaw, becoming a six-time champion.[228] Rollins competed in theRoyal Rumble on January 26, as the final entrant, but was eliminated by eventual winner Drew McIntyre.[229] Rollins and Murphy retained the titles againstThe Street Profits atSuper ShowDown on February 27,[230] but lost the titles to them on the March 2 episode ofRaw.[231] Rollins and Murphy failed to reclaim the championship from the Street Profits atElimination Chamber six days later.[232] AtWrestleMania 36 on April 4, Rollins lost to Owens inNo Disqualification match, ending the feud.[233] AtMoney in the Bank on May 10, Rollins unsuccessfully challenged McIntyre for the WWE Championship.[234]
The next night onRaw, Rollins attackedRey Mysterio and injured his eye with the steel ring steps.[235] On the May 18 episode ofRaw, Rollins recruitedAustin Theory as a member of his faction.[236] Mysterio eventually returned and challenged Rollins to anEye for an Eye match, where the only way to win was to extract the opponent's eyeball.[237][238] AtThe Horror Show at Extreme Rules on July 19, Rollins won the match after using the ring steps to remove Mysterio's eye.[239] Over the following weeks, Rey's sonDominik Mysterio confronted Rollins about the attacks on both him and his father. AtSummerSlam on August 23, Rollins defeated Dominik in aStreet Fight.[240] On August 30, Rollins and Murphy lost to Rey and Dominik Mysterio atPayback.[241]
On the October 5 episode ofRaw, Murphy attacked Rollins after he refused to apologize to him, thus ending their alliance.[242] As part of the2020 WWE draft in October, Rollins was drafted to the SmackDownbrand.[243] On the November 20 episode ofSmackDown, Rollins lost to Murphy to end the feud.[244] AtSurvivor Series two days later, Rollins was a part of Team SmackDown, but was the first person eliminated by Sheamus after "sacrificing" himself and his team lost the match.[245]
The Visionary (2021–2023)
At theRoyal Rumble on January 31, 2021, Rollins entered at number 29, but was eliminated by eventual winnerEdge.[246] On Night 1 ofWrestleMania 37 on April 10, Rollins lost to Cesaro,[247] but won a rematch atHell in a Cell on June 20.[248] On the July 9 episode ofSmackDown, Rollins defeated Cesaro again to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match at thetitular event on July 18,[249] which was won byBig E.[250] Later that night, Rollins interfered in the main event where Roman Reigns was defending the Universal Championship against Edge, distracting the referee to cost Edge the match.[251] Over the following weeks, Rollins and Edge confronted and attacked each other until the August 6 episode ofSmackDown, where Edge challenged Rollins to a match atSummerSlam, which Rollins accepted.[252] At the event on August 21, Rollins lost to Edge by submission,[253] but won their rematch on the September 10 episode ofSmackDown.[254] As part of the2021 Draft, Rollins was drafted to the Raw brand.[255] On the October 8 episode ofSmackDown, Edge demanded a Hell in a Cell match between them, which was made official forCrown Jewel.[256] At the event on October 21, Rollins was defeated by Edge, ending their feud.[257] AtSurvivor Series on November 21, Rollins took part in the 5-on-5 elimination match on Team Raw and won the match as the sole survivor after eliminatingJeff Hardy.[258]
Rollins in October 2022
On the October 25 episode ofRaw, Rollins defeated Finn Bálor, Kevin Owens, and Rey Mysterio in afatal four-way ladder match to become the number one contender for the WWE Championship against Big E atDay 1 on January 1, 2022.[259] Over the following weeks, Owens and Bobby Lashley were also added to the WWE Championship match at Day 1, making it a fatal four-way match,[260][261] which Rollins lost after Brock Lesnar was added to the match and won the title.[262] That month, he began to work as Seth "Freakin" Rollins.[263] AtRoyal Rumble on January 29, Rollins faced SmackDown's Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship, winning the match by disqualification but not the title.[264] On February 18, atElimination Chamber, he failed to win the WWE Championship inside the namesake structure after being eliminated by Lesnar.[265]
Rollins then unsuccessfully attempted to find a spot on the card atWrestleMania 38, untilMr. McMahon announced that Rollins would face an opponent of his choosing on the March 28 episode ofRaw.[266] At Night 1 of WrestleMania on April 2, Rollins' opponent was unveiled as the returningCody Rhodes, who defeated Rollins.[267] AtWrestleMania Backlash on May 8, Rollins lost to Rhodes in a rematch.[268] On the following episode ofRaw, Rollins attacked and laid out Rhodes during his match for the United States Championship againstTheory.[269] The following week, Rhodes challenged Rollins to a match atHell in a Cell, inside the namesake structure, which Rollins accepted.[270] At the event on June 5, Rollins lost to Rhodes, ending their feud.[271] Rollins then began a feud withMatt Riddle, setting up a match between the two atSummerSlam.[272] However, the match was postponed after Riddle suffered an injury following an attack by Rollins on the July 25 episode ofRaw.[273] Despite this, both Rollins and Riddle appeared at SummerSlam on July 30, engaging in a brawl which saw Rollins come out on top.[274] AtClash at the Castle on September 3, Rollins defeated Riddle.[275] On the September 19 episode ofRaw, it was announced that they would have a rematch in a Fight Pit match atExtreme Rules on October 8,[276] where Rollins lost to Riddle by submission.[277]
Two nights later onRaw, Rollins defeated Bobby Lashley to win his second United States Championship after Brock Lesnar attacked Lashley before the match.[278] This made him the second wrestler (after The Miz) to become a two-time WWE Grand Slam Champion.[279] The following week onRaw, Rollins retained the title against Riddle, ending their feud.[280] On the November 7 episode ofRaw, Rollins issued an open challenge that was answered by Lashley, who attacked Rollins before the match. As a result,Mr. Money in the BankAustin Theory cashed in his contract, however, Rollins retained the title due to interference from Lashley.[281] Rollins then started a feud with Theory, turning face for the first time since 2019.[282] AtSurvivor Series: WarGames on November 26, Rollins lost the United States Championship to Theory in a triple threat match also involving Lashley, ending his reign at 47 days.[283] On the January 2, 2023 episode ofRaw, Rollins failed to regain the title from Theory.[284] On January 28, Rollins entered theRoyal Rumble at number 15, but was eliminated byLogan Paul.[285] AtElimination Chamber on February 18, Rollins failed to win the title in an Elimination Chamber match when he was the last person eliminated by Theory after interference from Paul.[286] At Night 1 ofWrestleMania 39 on April 1, Rollins defeated Paul.[287] AtBacklash on May 6, Rollins defeatedOmos.[288]
World Heavyweight Champion (2023–2024)
On the May 8 episode ofRaw, Rollins won the right to compete for the newly establishedWorld Heavyweight Championship atNight of Champions by first defeatingDamian Priest andShinsuke Nakamura in a triple threat match, then defeating Finn Bálor, who had won a similar triple threat match.[289] At the event on May 27, Rollins defeatedAJ Styles in the tournament final to become the inaugural champion.[290] On the June 5 episode ofRaw, Rollins defeated Priest in an open challenge to retain the title.[291] AtNXT Gold Rush on June 20, Rollins defeatedBron Breakker to retain the title.[292] On July 1, atMoney in the Bank, Rollins successfully defended the title against Bálor after an unintended distraction by Priest, who seemingly had intentions of cashing in his newly won Money in the Bank briefcase, causing the latter to lose the match.[293] AtSummerSlam on August 5, Rollins defeated Bálor once again to retain the title.[294] Rollins then entered into a feud withShinsuke Nakamura,[295][296] whom he defeated to retain the title on September 2 atPayback[297] and atFastlane on October 7 in aLast Man Standing match.[298]
AtCrown Jewel on November 4, Rollins retained the title againstDrew McIntyre.[299] On the November 6 episode ofRaw, after retaining the World Heavyweight Championship againstSami Zayn, a brawl ensued between Rollins, Zayn, Cody Rhodes,Jey Uso, andThe Judgment Day (Balor, Priest,"Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, andJD McDonagh).Adam Pearce came out to declare aWarGames match between the eight men atSurvivor Series.[300] McIntyre was later added to the match, joining forces with The Judgment Day, while a returningRandy Orton joined Rollins' team.[301] At the event on November 25, Rollins' team defeated McIntyre and the Judgment Day.[302] Rollins then retained his title against Uso on the December 4 episode ofRaw,[303] McIntyre in a rematch atDay 1 on January 1, 2024,[304] andJinder Mahal on the January 15 episode ofRaw.[305] The following week, Rollins announced that he would be out of action due to an MCL injury.[306] On the March 4 episode ofRaw, Rollins announced that he was medically cleared to compete again and would team up with Rhodes against Roman Reigns andThe Rock in the main event of Night 1 ofWrestleMania XL on April 6,[307] but they were defeated.[308] The next night, Rollins lost the World Heavyweight Championship to McIntyre, ending his reign at 316 days. However, he appeared later that night during the main event to help Rhodes defeat Reigns.[309] After WrestleMania XL, Rollins underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee and would be out of action for an unknown amount of time.[310]
After a two-month hiatus, Rollins made a surprise return on the June 17 episode ofRaw, where Priest challenged him to a title match, which Rollins accepted and was scheduled forMoney in the Bank.[311] The following week, Rollins and Priest agreed to a stipulation for the match; if he lost,he would be unable to challenge Priest for the championship as long as he held it, but if he won, Priest would have to leave The Judgment Day.[312] At the event on July 6, which was made a triple threat match with McIntyre cashing in his newly won Money in the Bank contract, Rollins failed to win the title after Priest pinned McIntyre whenCM Punk interfered.[313] On August 3, Rollins refereed the match between Punk and McIntyre atSummerSlam, which the latter won.[314] On the following episode ofRaw, Rollins was attacked by"Big" Bronson Reed with sixTsunamis, writing Rollins off television to allow him to recover from chronic injury issues.[315][316] After a month-long absence, Rollins returned on the September 30 episode ofRaw to helpBraun Strowman defeat Reed in aLast Monster Standing match.[317] AtCrown Jewel on November 2, Rollins defeated Reed.[318]
The feud between Rollins and CM Punk culminated on the following episodes ofRaw as the two insulted each other before brawling throughout the arena, and then it was announced that Rollins and Punk would face each other on thedebut episode ofRaw on Netflix.[319] At theRaw premiere on Netflix, on January 6, 2025, Rollins lost to Punk.[320] AtRoyal Rumble on February 1, Rollins entered the titular match at number 25. As Rollins and Reigns attempted to eliminate each other, both were eliminated from behind by Punk. Rollins then proceeded to attack both Reigns and Punk before storming off.[321] On the February 17 episode ofRaw, Rollins defeated Finn Bálor to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match atElimination Chamber.[322] At the namesake event, he was eliminated by Punk, but caused the latter to be eliminated in turn by John Cena who subsequently won the match.[323]In March 2025, his ringname was reverted to simply Seth Rollins.[324] On the March 10 episode ofRaw, Rollins and Punk faced each other in aSteel Cage match, which was won by Rollins after a returning Reigns pulled him out of the cage and attacked Rollins in an act of revenge from the Royal Rumble.[325] On the March 21 episode ofSmackDown, a brawl ensued between all three men, with Rollins, Reigns, and Punk pointing at the WrestleMania sign, leading to a triple threat match between the three being made official as the Night 1 main event ofWrestleMania 41.[326][327]
On April 19, Night 1 of WrestleMania 41, Rollins defeated Punk and Reigns with the assistance ofPaul Heyman, turningheel for the first time since 2022.[328] On the April 21 episode ofRaw, Rollins and Heyman addedBron Breakker to their alliance as the trio stood tall over Punk and Reigns to close the show.[329] On the May 5 episode ofRaw, Rollins challengedJey Uso for theWorld Heavyweight Championship, winning the match via disqualification after being attacked by Punk. However, since titles do not change hands via disqualification or countout unless stipulated, Uso remained champion.[330] On May 24 atSaturday Night's Main Event XXXIX, Rollins and Breakker defeated Punk andSami Zayn after interference from Bronson Reed, who would go on to join their alliance.[331] AtMoney in the Bank on June 7, Rollins won the men'sMoney in the Bank ladder match after interference from Breakker and Reed. With this victory, Rollins became the second male wrestler, after Punk to win the ladder match more than once and the fourth wrestler overall to hold the contract more than once.[332] On July 12 atSaturday Night's Main Event XL, Rollins was defeated byLA Knight. During the match, Rollins suffered a seeminglylegitimate knee injury in what was later revealed to be aworked shoot.[333][334] On August 2, Night 1 ofSummerSlam, Rollins returned from injury and cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for a second time.[335] On the August 4 episode ofRaw, Rollins successfully defended the title against LA Knight via disqualification thanks to attack by CM Punk, the alliance of Rollins, Breakker, Reed, and Heyman was officially given the name of "The Vision".[336] AtClash in Paris on August 31, Rollins successfully defended the title against Knight, Punk and Uso in afatal four-way match after an assist from his real life wifeBecky Lynch.[337] AtWrestlepalooza on September 20, he teamed with Lynch in a losing effort against Punk and his wifeAJ Lee in amixed tag team match.[338]
AtCrown Jewel: Perth on October 11, Rollins defeatedUndisputed WWE ChampionCody Rhodes to win theCrown Jewel Championship.[339] Two days later onRaw, Breakker and Reed attacked Rollins, exiling Rollins from the stable. This was done to write Rollins off television due to a legitimate shoulder injury he sustained at Crown Jewel. Rollins was subsequently forced to vacate the title the following week, ending his second reign at 79 days.[340] It was announced that the shoulder injury would take Rollins out of action for six months.[341]
Lopez's WWE ring surname is a tribute to singerHenry Rollins.[342] His finisher during his time in FCW was a superkick to a kneeling opponent's head calledAvada Kedavra, named after amagic spell that kills people inHarry Potter.[343] For most of his WWE career, he has used theCurb Stomp as a finishing move; he also used it during his pre-WWE days as Tyler Black, where it was called theBlackout.[344][345] The move was banned by WWE from March 2015 to January 2018, as then-chairmanVince McMahon thought it looked "too cruel".[346] During this time, Rollins used thePedigree[347] and ajumping knee strike called theRipcord Knee (and brieflyKing's Landing) as finishing moves.[348] The move has been simply referred to as theStomp since its return, partially to avoid an association withthe real-life attack.[349]
Rollins' character throughout his time as a member of The Shield was that of an "out-spoken hot-head who will do crazy things" to help the team, though his methodical approach to their matches earned him the nickname of "The Architect".[350] Following his turn into a villainous character and the team's initial split, he began claiming that he played the single most important role in forming The Shield, referring to himself as the group's creator and emphasizing his "Architect" nickname. In late 2019, after turning into a different kind of villainous character and aligning himself with theAOP, he began to dub himself the "Monday Night Messiah" and compare himself toJesus while debuting a new entrance song. He also began recruiting new "disciples" into his group, such asMurphy andAustin Theory, while proclaiming himself to be their leader and savior.[227][351] From 2022 to 2025, he added "Freakin" to his ring name as a way of emphasizing his importance and adopted a persona nicknamed "The Visionary", a boastful and delusionalegomaniac with an eccentric personality and outlandish fashion sense.
On February 9, 2015, a nude photo of former NXT wrestler Zahra Schreiber, who reportedly was Lopez's girlfriend,[358] was posted to his social media accounts, the contents of which are automatically republished by WWE.com.[359] Soon after, nude photos of Lopez were posted on theTwitter page of his then-fiancée Leighla Schultz.[360][361] In response, Lopez apologized for "private photographs that were distributed without [his] consent".[362] On February 25, 2016, Lopez broke up with Schreiber.[363] The incident was covered in mainstream media, although it was reported at the time that it did not result in any reported backstage issues or disciplinary repercussions for Rollins.[364][365]
Lopez is a fan of theChicago Bears and theSt. Louis Cardinals.[10] In 2014, he and his former tag team partner Marek Brave started a Moline-based professional wrestling school called The Black & The Brave Wrestling Academy.[366] In 2019, he opened a coffee shop called 329 Dport in his hometown ofDavenport, Iowa.[367]
In 2019, Lopez discovered his half-siblings, a brother named Brandon and a sister named Diandra "Beth" Demi Lopez, through DNA testing facilitated by23andMe.[368] He reported the discovery via Twitter, crediting his sister for making the initial discovery.[citation needed]
^Clapp, John (January 7, 2013)."The Rock def. WWE Champion CM Punk".WWE.Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. RetrievedMay 7, 2023.With the WWE Universe and, more importantly, referee Michael Chioda unable to discern what happened, Michael Cole informed the pay-per-view audience at home that The Shield had perpetrated the assault, hitting their signature Triple Powerbomb.
^Asher, Matthew (2013)."Raw: Bryan's road through Hell continues".SLAM! Sports.Canadian Online Explorer. Archived fromthe original on July 5, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 5, 2023.It appears as though The Shield is now Triple H's lackeys as they open tonight's Raw as makeshift bodyguards (Jerry Lawler called them "henchmen") for The Game as he makes his way to the ring.
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