Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins: Finish Robs Fans of Satisfying End to Story

At its heart, professional wrestling is about storytelling. It is about telling stories that convince fans to invest themselves emotionally and monetarily to see what the next chapter will be, to see how the good guy will ultimately thwart the bad guy and emerge victorious.

That is why the conclusion of Sunday's WWE Battleground main event between Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins is that much more disappointing.

In what was the biggest and most anticipated match since WrestleMania 31, Rollins defended the world heavyweight title against Lesnar in what was to be the culmination of months' worth of build.

Many fans had hoped to see the slimy champion get his comeuppance for managing to lie and cheat his way to victories with the assistance of The Authority. They wanted to see the Beast Incarnate demolish the man who stole the title from him just four months earlier.

It was to be the magnificent end of Rollins' reign atop the WWE mountain and the reestablishment of Lesnar as the most dominant force in the industry.

For the majority of the contest, fans watched as Lesnar tossed Rollins around the ring, executing 13 suplexes in a nine-minute span, delivering on his promise to send the Architect directly to Suplex City.

Then, in a moment that shocked those in St. Louis, The Undertaker returned and delivered a low blow before planting Lesnar with two straight Tombstone Piledrivers.

Credit: WWE.com

It was a moment that reignited the rivalry between two of the giants of sports entertainment but also robbed fans of the conclusion of a story WWE had devoted so much time to telling.

In one three-minute span, the company undid months of preparation in hopes of spiking television ratings and hyping a huge main event for SummerSlam.

Sure, Undertaker's return to the company will drum up interest in time for one of the biggest events of the year, but it came at the expense of a match that involved one of the brightest young stars in the industry in Rollins and a story that certainly deserved a suitable conclusion.

Worst of all is the fact that the way the final chapter in the story of Rollins and Lesnar turned out was detrimental to the current WWE world heavyweight champion.

He was an afterthought in the grand scheme of things, a bit player in a larger angle involving two part-time stars that will now headline one of the most prestigious events of the year at his expense. As someone who has been the centerpiece of booking from the moment he bashed Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose in the back with steel chairs, Rollins deserves better than to be tossed aside in favor of an aging veteran.

Anointed at WrestleMania, Rollins' treatment at Battleground may very well have served as the first nail in the coffin of his run in his current role.

The Undertaker's return at Battleground may create a buzz among fans that momentarily generates a higher television ratings, but there is no making up for the trust invested by the fans that was lost the moment WWE Creative abruptly dropped one story to focus on another.