What's Next for Seth Rollins as He Juggles IC Title, The Shield on WWE Raw?

Few WWE Superstars can claim they are on as hot of a roll right now as intercontinental champion Seth Rollins, but how he'll manage to juggle both the belt and The Shield reuniting remains a major question mark.

Rollins' 2018 has been nothing short of spectacular. Between his consistently strong performances on pay-per-view to his two Intercontinental Championship reigns, he has been to able to keep building momentum all year.

One night removed from reclaiming the prestigious prize at SummerSlam, The Architect reformed The Shield alongside Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose on Raw in an attempt to thwart Braun Strowman's attempted Money in the Bank cash-in. It was a memorable moment, for sure, but it left fans uncertain what that meant for Rollins' future as a singles performer.

The final few minutes of this week's edition of Raw saw Strowman aligning with Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre to lay out The Shield, setting the stage for a six-man tag team match at the WWE Super Show-Down on October 6.

Simultaneously, the Rollins vs. Ziggler feud was furthered through the ambush and all but confirmed that the two of them still have unfinished business together. It should be noted The Showoff is automatically owed a rematch for the championship and could receive it as soon as Hell in a Cell on September 16.

Then again, Rollins vs. Ziggler has been done to death over the past two months. As entertaining as another one-on-one affair between them would be, turning it into a tag team matchup with Ambrose and McIntyre would make more sense in addition to it feeling fresher.

Credit: WWE.com

Once Rollins wraps up his rivalry with Ziggler, there are a handful of potential opponents waiting to challenge him for his championship. Baron Corbin and Jinder Mahal are perhaps the most obvious candidates, and although The Architect could get good matches out of them, there are better options for him to choose from.

For example, someone such as Bobby Roode or Bobby Lashley would benefit big time from working with Rollins. Both competitors have been on ice for months and could use a bit of a boost, which they would receive from pushing the champion to his limit and vying for his intercontinental title. 

Regardless of who steps up to contend for the gold, it's imperative Rollins maintains the level of importance he has brought to the belt simply by virtue of defending it as often as he has despite his current obligations to The Shield.

An issue Ambrose faced during The Shield's original run was that his reign as United States champion was completely overshadowed by everything else the black-clad trio was involved in at that point. He was never properly showcased in singles competition, which is what Rollins should aim to avoid.

With Reigns also holding a piece of hardware at the present moment, it should increase Rollins' chances of remaining a focal point of the program as intercontinental champion. In fact, Ambrose growing jealous of how he is the only member without gold around his waist could be what ultimately leads to his eventual betrayal of his brethren.

Rollins' Intercontinental Championship could be the driving force behind the breakup of The Shield, and if so, WWE must begin planting the seeds for the storyline as soon as possible.

Of course, there is no rush in skipping to the end of the latest Shield reunion, and instead fans should enjoy it while it lasts. All three members are always more motivated whenever they're aligned with each other, so at least we know the next few months will feature some fun interaction between them.

Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose will inevitably go their separate ways, and when they do, The Architect should still be standing tall as intercontinental champion. He has made it this far by further cementing his own legacy as one of the most talked-about talents in recent memory, and thus The Shield getting back together shouldn't affect anything he has accomplished up to now.

No matter what obstacles lie ahead for Rollins, he will make the most of every opportunity he's given and continue to shine as the most reliable workhorse in WWE today.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.