Whenever there's a conversation about a wrestler with a perfect mix of physical attributes, in-ring skills, and an excellent way with words on the mic, Seth Rollins' name has to be in the equation, as he has made a name for himself by exposing the above traits throughout his career.
With such immense talent, Seth Rollins has achieved tons of success in his WWE career so far with multiple world championships, a Royal Rumble win, and a MITB victory, to name a few.
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The Architect has come a long way in his in-ring career, and with that said, let's take a look at Seth Rollins' pro-wrestling career by means of pictures taken throughout the years.
10 Training & Independent Circuit
After training at a wrestling school on the borders of Chicago and Oak Park, Illinois, Seth Rollins made his pro-wrestling debut in 2005 in the Iowa independent circuit under the name Gixx.
He continued to perform in the region for a few months before signing with IWA-Mid South as Tyler Black. He performed in the independent circuit until 2007, during which time his notable achievements include winning the IWA-Mid South Light Heavyweight Championship, the NWA Midwest Tag Team Championship, the AAW Tag Team, and Heavyweight Championships before signing with Ring of Honor.
9 Ring of Honor
Seth Rollins signed with Ring of Honor in 2007 and made his debut on the ROH Man Up event in September. He made his debut alongside Jimmy Jacobs and Necro Butcher, with whom he formed The Age of the Fall stable.
The trio made haste in capturing the ROH Tag Team Championships and dethroned the Briscoes at ROH Final Battle 2007 to capture the title. Rollins continued to perform in the indies while still with ROH, and it led to him winning championships in AAW, PWG, Full Impact Pro, along with another reign as the ROH Tag Team Champion and one reign as the ROH World Champion before signing with WWE in 2010.
8 First WWE Contract & Inaugural NXT Champion
Rollins signed his first WWE contract in August 2010 and got assigned to their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling. He worked in FCW until WWE rebranded it as NXT in September 2012 while also making sporadic appearances in various house shows and dark matches on Raw and SmackDown.
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Rollins rose to prominence in NXT after he entered the Gold Rush Tournament to crown the inaugural NXT Champion. He defeated Drew McIntyre and Michaels McGillicutty in the initial rounds before beating Jinder Mahal in the finals to become the first-ever NXT Champion.
7 Main Roster Debut & The Shield
Seth Rollins made his main roster debut at the 2012 Survivor Series PPV alongside NXT colleagues Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, arriving as part of The Shield stable. The trio established themselves as The Hounds of Justice and started as heels by attacking Ryback and aided CM Punk to retain the WWE Championship in a triple threat match, which also included John Cena.
Together the trio dominated the main roster and Rollins went on to hold the WWE Tag Team Championships with Roman Reigns, while Dean Ambrose held the United States Championship.
Following a dominant run and a brief associating with Triple H and The Authority, The Shield turned faces for the first time and feuded against Triple H, which at one point prompted an Evolution reunion.
6 The Architect
The Shield was on the verge of toppling The Authority when Triple H chalked out his Plan-B and brainwashed Seth Rollins into betraying Reigns and Ambrose. Rollins then aligned himself with The Authority and claimed himself as The Architect in building up The Shield and also took credit for being the architect of the group's destruction.
The new venture turned out incredibly successful for Rollins almost immediately as he went on to enter himself in the 2014 Money in the Bank ladder match, which he won after Kane interfered on his behalf to take out Dean Ambrose.
5 The Heist Of The Century
Rollins wasn't hasty in trying to cash in the MITB contract and waited for the right opportunity while continuing his feud with his former Shield brothers.
Rollins defeated Randy Orton in November 2014, who just had a fallout with The Authority and injured him in a post-match beat down. Seth also played a major role in bringing The Authority back to power after Team Authority's loss to Team Cena at Survivor Series 2014.
He rekindled his feud with Orton following the latter's return which culminated at WrestleMania 31 with Orton defeating Rollins in a one-on-one match. However, Rollins had other plans for the event as he cashed in his MITB contract during the WWE Championship match between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns and pulled off what Michael Cole eloquently claimed as the heist of the century and walked out as the new WWE Champion.
4 The King Slayer
Rollins held the WWE Championship for an impressive 221 days and defended it against the likes of Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, John Cena, and Sting until it came to an unfortunate end after he sustained a knee injury which forced him to relinquish the title.
He won the title from Roman Reigns at the 2016 Money in the Bank PPV but lost it in a few seconds after Dean Ambrose cashed in his MITB contract on him. After a failed attempt at reclaiming the title, Rollins then turned his focus to the newly introduced Universal Championship.
He failed to become the inaugural champion after Finn Balor defeated him to win the title at SummerSlam. But after Balor relinquished the title after an injury, Rollins competed in a four-way elimination match to crown a new champion.
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However, Triple H turned on Rollins during the match and aided Kevin Owens to win the title. It led to Rollins' face turn and an unsanctioned match against Triple H at WrestleMania 33, where Rollins emerged victoriously and established himself as The King Slayer.
3 The Shield Reunion
Rollins then reunited with his Shield brother Dean Ambrose and won the Raw Tag Team Championships. It led to The Shield reunion, and with Roman Reigns returning to the team, The Hounds of Justice feuded against The Miz and his cohorts.
They continued to perform as a team, and following a victory in a 3-on-5 handicap match at TLC, where Kurt Angle replaced Roman Reigns, The Shield defeated The New Day at the 2017 Survivor Series PPV.
However, the reunion hit a roadblock after Dean Ambrose sustained a torn bicep, which sidelined him for about nine months.
2 Beast Slayer & Universal Champion
Rollins then teamed up with Jason Jordan to win the Raw Tag Team Championship but lost them after Jordan sustained a career-ending neck injury. After a couple of reigns with the Intercontinental Championship, a Shield reunion, and a break-up, which came after Roman Reigns' leukemia announcement and Dean Ambrose's heel turn, Rollins finally got back into the Universal title picture.
He won the 2019 Royal Rumble match and decided to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 35. After a brief Shield reunion, Rollins went on to defeat Brock Lesnar to win his first Universal Championship.
1 Monday Night Messiah & The Visionary
Rollins then dropped the Universal Championship to Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules 2019 but won it back at SummerSlam. He then dropped the title to The Fiend at the Crown Jewel PPV, ending his second reign in 81 days.
The following events led to Seth Rollins turning heel once again and establishing himself as The Monday Night Messiah. He recruited Buddy Murphy as his disciple and feuded against the likes of Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, and The Mysterio family.
Following the fallout with his disciple Buddy Murphy, Rollins went on paternity leave. Following his return at the 2021 Royal Rumble, he started dubbing himself as The Visionary, a character he portrays to this day.
After heated rivalries with the likes of Cesaro and Edge, Rollins returned to the world title picture and has been chasing the WWE and Universal Championships ever since.
