Seth Rollins and 5 Stars Most Likely to Rule the Spring for WWE
Seth Rollins is en route to his most meaningful WWE main event run in years, thanks to an alliance with Paul Heyman and Bron Breakker that should put him at the center of headline rivalries and marquee matchups this spring.
After WrestleMania 41, who will join The Visionary and his cohort as Superstars poised to make this season all about them?
Find out with this look at the names most likely to rule the spring in WWE.
Seth Rollins
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No longer an afterthought, the workhorse of the Raw brand is now the centerpiece of the roster after a WrestleMania heel turn and alliance with Paul Heyman.
The Visionary will be the lead villain and driver of every top storyline on the flagship show for the foreseeable future.
Whether it is the continuation of feuds with Roman Reigns and CM Punk, moral dilemmas involving Sami Zayn or championship clashes like the inevitable showdown with Jey Uso, Rollins will dominate television and headlines for WWE this spring and beyond.
He will get a little help from the unstoppable juggernaut of WWE and a second-generation star who has hitched his wagon to The Visionary and bought into his plan for the future.
That Superstar is another competitor likely to rule pro wrestling's most prominent promotion this spring...
Bron Breakker
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WWE gave fans no chance to ask "what's next for Breakker" after his WrestleMania loss, instead stunning them with a shock closing angle on Raw just 24 hours later that saw him stand alongside Rollins and Heyman, instantly elevating his stock in WWE.
The punishing hand of justice for The Visionary, the 27-year-old has already made an example of Zayn on Raw and proved physically dominant over Reigns by flattening him with his own version of The Tribal Chief's trademark Spear.
As the muscle for the newly formed trio at the top of the red brand, Breakker will unleash hell on anyone who stands between Rollins and his vision for the future of professional wrestling.
No champion, no problem for the next-generation Steiner, who is poised for his first consistent run as a main event talent.
Not dissimilar to another dominant force on SmackDown who earned his first singles championship in WWE at The Show of Shows...
Jacob Fatu
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The Samoan Werewolf is the United Sates champion following a WrestleMania 41 victory over LA Knight.
And if his first appearance on Friday's SmackDown is any indication, Jacob Fatu is ready to go on a monster run that proves the title is only the beginning for the second-generation star.
With creative suggesting a four-way title defense against Knight, Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre is on tap as soon as Backlash on May 10, Fatu has the opportunity to kick off his reign with an emphatic victory.
From there, attention will turn to mounting tension with Solo Sikoa, who he once referred to as "Tribal Chief" and professed his love and support for. Recently, though, he has cast a side eye on more than one occasion as Sikoa clings to whatever power he has left.
After arriving last year in the wake of the biggest show of the year, Fatu will have the chance to sever ties with his past and focus on a bright future.
Speaking of stars arriving after The Showcase of the Immortals and determined to put the past behind them...
Rusev
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If the promo that aired as part of a pre-taped video package on Monday's Raw was any indication, Rusev is putting his past as The Bulgarian Brute behind him and embracing the Redeemer character he formulated during his days in All Elite Wrestling.
Vowing to save his fellow Superstars the way he saved himself, the 39-year-old sent a warning to the rest of the roster on the red brand.
Alpha Academy's Otis felt his wrath just 24 hours after WrestleMania 41 and will square off with Rusev in the Bulgarian's first match back in a WWE ring in five years.
That contest and his targeting of a beloved babyface suggests Rusev will be a heel early in his return to the company that made him a star.
It's just the beginning as the once-unbeaten star targets other fan favorites on the roster and eyes the top-level success that eluded him during his first stint with WWE.
Could he eventually develop into a challenger for Uso's world title? Sure, but this spring will see him provide fans a sample of the warpath he is about to go on in WWE and what the future will look like through a series of aura-rebuilding wins against undercard babyfaces.
Aleister Black
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With a single kick, the compelling enigma that is Aleister Black announced to the wrestling world that he is back and as dangerous as ever.
The Dutchman silenced two-time WWE champion The Miz with Black Mass and will look to the spring months to reintroduce his dark, unpredictable brand of competition to the roster and fans.
Like Rusev, he is not likely to be inserted into a main event program but he should be expected to combine intriguing character work with wins that reestablish him as a championship contender.
Don't be surprised if Black is a top contender to Fatu's United States title by the time the summer arrives.
Along the way, momentum-building wins over the likes of Miz, Carmelo Hayes, Andrade, Santos Escobar and other quality competitors will help him build equity with fans and showcase his in-ring abilities.
Abilities that fans have not seen on WWE programming in four years.
Becky Lynch
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The Man has come back around and wasted little time establishing herself as a star ready to seize the spotlight and become one of the central figures of Raw's incredibly deep women's division.
Announcing to the world that she was behind the attack that left Bayley unable to compete at WrestleMania, she lashed out at The Role Model and women's intercontinental champion Lyra Valkyria, claiming to be a bigger star and setting herself up to challenge her former protege for the title at Backlash on May 10.
A title win is not out of the question, and neither is another run atop the division.
Lynch is a compelling performer, with great character skills and in-ring abilities that carried her to a historic victory in the first women's WrestleMania main event in 2019.
As has been the chance every time she has had the support of the creative team, Lynch will command the attention of fans as she rediscovers her inner heel for the first time in three years.
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