Pretender or Contender: Which WWE Stars Are Legit Threats to Beat Seth Rollins?

Seth Rollins has worked tirelessly to create credibility and legitimacy for the World Heavyweight Championship after it was unveiled for the Raw brand in April.

Perpetually over with fans, Rollins has combined his Visionary character with his reputation as one of the best wrestlers on the planet to help enhance its significance.

But which of his fellow red-brand Superstars are legitimate contenders to dethrone him or pretenders, gutsy enough to challenge for the gold but unlikely to defeat him?

Find out with this look at the men who could, and those who definitely won't, wrestle the title away from Rollins.

Pretender: Shinsuke Nakamura

WWE Creative has done a fantastic job of rebuilding Shinsuke Nakamura into a believable main event competitor.

The Artist is more dangerous than we have ever seen and has made it his mission to retire Rollins by focusing his attack on the injured back of The Visionary.

As great as Nakamura has been, and as refreshing as it has been to witness his rise back up the ranks in WWE, he is not a legitimate threat to dethrone the titleholder.

He is very much a pretender in terms of our definition here, but he may prove to be even more significant than that label suggests from a creative viewpoint.

Nakamura is the setup guy; a competitor whose brutal attacks and targeting of Rollins' back will set another Superstar up to capture the title.

That creative decision will allow the Japanese star to remain in the title picture and continue his renaissance in 2023, even if there is no intention of him actually winning the gold.

Who will take the title, though?

Contender: Damian Priest

Damian Priest won the men's Money in the Bank briefcase in July and has teased cashing in on a handful of occasions since then.

After an eventful August that saw him and Judgment Day teammate Finn Bálor at odds over his potential cash-in, The Archer of Infamy has remained suspiciously quiet.

Could he be luring Rollins into a false sense of security? Perhaps.

Might he be waiting for the cold and calculating Nakamura to further injure the champion's back?

There are some who will point to Priest's current status as a tag team champion as the reason that he should be recognized more as a pretender than a legitimate contender to capture the gold, and they may be right.

Consider the push that The Judgment Day have enjoyed in 2023, though. They have captured all of the gold available to them bar one title: the World Heavyweight Championship. And Priest has a guaranteed contract for a match whenever he sees fit.

What better way to pay off the domination of the faction than to position both them and Priest individually as undisputed top heels than by having him win the title in underhanded fashion?

It elevates Priest, heightens the significance of the Money in the Bank contract and gives Rollins someone to chase for the rest of the year.

The benefits outweigh the negatives, and WWE Creative can also revisit the story of dissension within the group's ranks because of the potential cash-in, with Priest's title victory being the piece that undoes the faction.

Contender: Cody Rhodes

There is no contender on the Raw roster more likely to give Rollins a run for the world title than Cody Rhodes.

There are many who remain committed to the idea that The American Nightmare will finish his story and defeat Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40 and while that is the outcome he deserves, would anyone be shocked if that isn't the direction things head in time for The Show of Shows next April?

If they do not, Rhodes has a ready-made story with Rollins.

The Visionary has been unable to defeat his rival since he returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38. Every time Rollins has battled Rhodes, he has lost, including their extraordinary Hell in a Cell match in May 2022.

Rhodes is the one obstacle Rollins has yet to overcome and that is story that would garner considerable fanfare and attention on Monday nights.

Does Rollins have what it takes to knock off The American Nightmare? Can Rhodes overcome the crushing defeat of last year's loss to Reigns and win the gold?

However, the bigger question is: Would WWE book a babyface vs. babyface match like this when it is actively trying to protect both guys by booking them against every quality heel at its disposal?

There are plenty of questions but one thing is for certain: Rhodes is a credible threat to dethrone Rollins, particularly as WWE continues to piece together the Bloodline story and figure out exactly what that looks like in time for 'Mania.

Eventually, Rollins and Rhodes are going to have to compete against each other, rekindling a rivalry that saw the latter earn three consecutive victories over the champ.

A fourth would cause Rollins' dreams to come crashing down and add another layer to their rivalry.