Seth Rollins breaks character to put over his bitter rival

Seth Rollins is gearing up for a high-profile collision course with CM Punk in mere days. The bout is supposedly going to headline WWE RAW’s Netflix premiere on January 6, 2025.

The show has been built up like a major premium live event, with several more noteworthy bouts added to the card. One of them is Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa in a Tribal Combat Match. This contest has been brewing ever since the “Original Tribal Chief” resurfaced after a lengthy hiatus at SummerSlam last year. It also marks their first one-on-one encounter.

Ahead of the next episode of WWE RAW, Seth Rollins noted that the show’s move to the Netflix streaming platform is a landmark moment for the professional wrestling industry. Speaking to Good Morning Football, he hyped the upcoming episode, putting over other bouts such as Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley and his former stablemate’s bout:

“It’s huge. You mentioned Liv [Morgan], Rhea [Ripley]—they’re gonna do it for the women’s title there. You’ve got John Cena. Lots of surprises. Tribal Combat, Roman Reigns versus Solo Sikoa. I mean, it’s going to be huge. This is, without a doubt, the biggest step forward in the history of our industry. That’s not an understatement. We’re off cable for the first time in 30 years, going to streaming, the biggest streaming network on the planet. It’s gonna be incredible. I’m really excited about this. This is the future of our industry. This is as big as it gets,” Rollins said. [From 11:0o to 11:32]

Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins is a feud that WWE pumped the brakes on

Although the two former members of The Shield have had several high-profile matches in the last decade since their split, they never had a focused program. It always evolved into something else. The last time they met in the ring for a singles match was at the 2022 Royal Rumble, when WWE had Seth Rollins win the bout by disqualification, and they simply moved on from it.

During a recent verbal confrontation between CM Punk and Seth Rollins, The Best in the World reminded the former World Heavyweight Champion that he is playing the victim card in a situation that he initiated when he betrayed Roman Reigns. This was in reference to The Shield’s breakup in 2014.

CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins has been heavily promoted for WWE RAW next week, making it almost certain, albeit unofficial, that the bout will headline the show.

If you use the quote, please credit Good Morning Football and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.