Seth Rollins Has Emerged as One of WWE's Best Heels in Years

When Seth Rollins turned on Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns and aligned with The Authority in early June, I was somewhat skeptical about whether the star could make it as a heel.

Rollins, with his smaller physique and fun but reckless bumping style, simply seemed far more suited to the role of an underdog babyface, like Jeff Hardy or Daniel Bryan. I was also concerned he'd be overshadowed by Triple H in The Authority in terms of mic skills and interview time.

However, over the last four months, Rollins has proved all his doubters wrong—and emerged as one of the best WWE heel acts in years.

Credit: WWE.com

Part of it has been due to the fact that he's had a great foil in Dean Ambrose. Ambrose is on a roll right now as a wild and unhinged babyface, and it's been tremendous fun to see him and his former friend clash on television and pay-per-view.

But credit also has to go to Rollins and his performances—he's thrived during this recent run as a heel.

Now clad in fancy, expensive suits, the former Ring of Honor wrestler struts out on Raw and SmackDown with a new sense of confidence.

In his mind, champion or not, he's the real star of the show. Seemingly bitter after years of being overlooked in favor of Ambrose and Reigns, he thinks he's the one who is owed everything. (He's also smugly congratulated himself on television for being the one who was carrying The Shield all that time.)

He feels like a real three-dimensional character, a rarity in wrestling these days.

He's also shone in The Authority. Rather than being a mere henchman like Kane or Randy Orton, he's become a crucial part of the heel stable.

At this point, he may be doing more for the group than it's doing for him. Without him, The Authority would just be dominated by the increasingly overbearing and irritating heel antics of Triple H and Stephanie.

Credit: WWE.com

His smaller physique also works for his scheming Machiavellian character.

Rollins isn't Brock Lesnar or Mark Henry. He can't storm out on television and destroy everyone and everything in sight. He has to use his brains to navigate his way to the top. As fans saw on Monday's Raw, he also has to talk his way out of trouble rather than fight his way out of it. It's a nice change for a WWE heel and makes him stand out.

Of course, he hasn't always benefited from great booking. Despite his talents, the company seems a little reluctant to go all the way with him or present him on the same level as Lesnar and Cena. Look at his inept run-in at Night of Champions.

Sure, he has the Money in the Bank title shot for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but what use is that if he isn’t being built up to have a long and credible run with the belt? (The failing careers of Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger are proof of the damage a bad and poorly thought-out title run can do to an MITB winner.)

Ideally, WWE will come to its senses soon and give Rollins the strong push he deserves. Perhaps the writers could book him to defeat Cena or Orton clean in a singles match.

It might sound like a bold and risky move, but the company needs to give him some major wins, and soon, if he is to ascend to the top.