Seth Rollins' Strong Booking Has Improved WWE Battleground 2015

As Seth Rollins prepares for his WWE World Heavyweight Championship defense against Brock Lesnar at the 2015 edition of Battleground, he is finally being booked in a way that will make him look like a viable threat to come out victorious.

Better late than never.

Whether it was a collective beatdown on Lesnar or earning clean victories on Raw and Smackdown, WWE Creative has completely changed the way the current champion is booked. Instead of taking clean losses every week—even to J&J Security—the company is booking like it cares about Rollins for the first time since he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to become champion.

One reason Rollins looks so strong is the reformation of The Authority as his backup plan. With Kane and J&J Security once again aligned with the champion and all fighting for the same cause, the men proved they can take down Lesnar. The beating they put on the former MMA champion was stunning and helped the WWE Universe believe Rollins, with the help of his goons, could steal the victory at Battleground.

Add in marquee wins over Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler, and Rollins is starting to rebuild the respect he lost when WWE booked him to be a glorified jobber. It’s clear that the company decided to book him strong now due to his match with Lesnar, but the people backstage should have been making him look strong since he won the belt. Starting now doesn’t erase all the damage done by taking losses every time Rollins was on television.

On the other hand, Lesnar is an absolute monster. There is no need to suspend disbelief when it comes to The Beast, as he is a former UFC heavyweight champion and a collegiate wrestling champion. The key to making Lesnar work in the WWE is putting him against challengers who belong on his level, and the company is desperately trying to book Rollins strong in order to make sure the fans view him near Lesnar’s level.

Even five weeks of build isn’t enough to make everyone forget about Rollins losing constantly, though.

Thankfully, Rollins has been amazing on the mic and has showcased his skill in the ring when given the chance, and fans can’t help but enjoy watching a talented wrestler perform. The booking may have been awful for months, but Rollins has become a figure who is drawing genuine reactions from the fans, both positive and negative.

In addition to making Rollins look strong for his battle against Lesnar, the recent booking with The Authority working together once again is also throwing off the scent of Sheamus working with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Triple H always has a backup plan, and if Rollins loses the belt to Lesnar at Battleground, there is a chance Sheamus shows up and cashes in the Money in the Bank briefcase.

Not only would that keep the belt away from Lesnar so it will remain on television once he eventually goes away again following SummerSlam, but it also gives Rollins the chance to turn face and feud against The Authority and their new hand-chosen champion, Sheamus.

Rollins looking strong leading up to the match with Lesnar will make it an entertaining main event, but it also sets the groundwork for fans starting to get behind him when he is cast aside by The Authority, thus initiating the face turn.

Dropping the title will be a blow to Rollins’ credibility, but taking on Triple H and Stephanie by battling Sheamus would be a great storyline while Lesnar is away. Booking Rollins strong is the key to making all of these elaborate storylines work, and Battleground is now must-watch programming.

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