Seth Rollins Needs Brock Lesnar Feud to Gain Credibility as Main Eventer

Seth Rollins seemed to be destined for a farce of a championship run. But after a much-needed clean victory over Dean Ambrose, Rollins suddenly finds himself preparing for the biggest match of his career against Brock Lesnar.

Rollins' match against Lesnar is such a big deal, he really doesn't need to win to be cemented as a main eventer. Rollins needs a performance similar to, if not better than, that of his memorable match against Lesnar and John Cena at Royal Rumble.

This match was a coming-out party of sorts for Rollins, and it was an indicator that Rollins was ready for a future WWE World Heavyweight Championship run.

Pressure was the reasoning behind Triple H's (kayfabe) decision to name Lesnar as the No. 1 contender. The motivation behind Rollins in real life and that of his character is almost identical.

Both are looking to prove themselves at the next level. Rollins the character is trying to prove himself as a WWE World Heavyweight champion. Rollins the man is trying to prove himself as a fixture in WWE's main event for years to come.

Brock Lesnar is WWE's biggest draw currently under contract. His track record as a one-man blockbuster is well documented. Through feuds with Lesnar, other WWE Superstars are immediately legitimized. Despite facing intense resentment, a good match against Lesnar at WrestleMania was pivotal for Roman Reigns in his ongoing quest to become a top star.

Now that Rollins has the elusive privilege of working with Lesnar, he has the exact same opportunity.

As I mentioned on the PodNasty Wrestling Podcast, being a world champion guarantees nothing in WWE. The midcard is filled with several former world champions whose careers took a dive after an underwhelming title run. As crazy as it sounds, Rollins is just as liable to slip into that territory if he is not protected and presented as a legit star.

WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart sees the star power in Rollins. Hart recently told Justin Barrasso of SI.com:

"I know I got really excited about wrestling again after watching CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, but now neither one of those guys is around, and Seth Rollins is going to carry the company. His timing is impeccable and he does a lot of challenging, creative, complex stuff."

Rollins is certainly on his way to being one of a select few stars who will carry the company going forward, but if this is the case, he needs an all-time performance against Lesnar. The type of performance that is so good, a potential loss becomes secondary information. The type of performance that turns him babyface once all is said and done.

WWE is at a crossroads with Rollins as a top star. To protect his legacy at the top of the roster, his match against Lesnar needs to set the bar for wrestling in 2015.

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ThisIsNasty and subscribe to his weekly wrestling podcast.

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