Seth Rollins is very passionate about professional wrestling and his contributions to it. He isn’t afraid of speaking his mind, even when doing so causes controversy. Such is the case once again as Seth Rollins made some scathing remarks about one of his fellow WWE Superstars.
Ever since the 2023 Royal Rumble, Seth Rollins has been embroiled in a feud with Logan Paul. Paul eliminated Rollins from the Men’s Rumble match and then cost Rollins the US title at the Elimination Chamber PLE shortly afterwards.
Given these interactions, it’s all but guaranteed that the two will face off at WrestleMania.
But Rollins doesn’t seem as enthusiastic about facing Paul as he may have been against other big names. In fact, during an episode of WWE’s After The Bell, Seth Rollins lambasted the decision to include Paul in such high-profile matches.
According to Rollins, this model of having non-wrestlers come to WrestleMania as “tourists” and take up wrestlers’ spots in matches isn’t just bad for the wrestling business; if it’s allowed to continue, it will kill the wrestling business altogether.
“There are obvious advantages to having people from outside of our world come into our world. Logan Paul is not a new phenomenon. We’ve been doing this in WWE for decades and we’re going to continue to do it for a long time after Logan Paul is gone.
There’s just a lot to be said about having these types of performers on our show and whatever they may be doing. You look at the Rock N Wrestling Connection, all the way back to Cyndi Lauper, the first WrestleMania with Muhammad Ali and Liberace, you had it all. It makes sense.”
Rollins singled out Logan Paul’s situation because his entry into the wrestling business made it seem like an easy path to superstardom.
“It’s a different beast, I feel, when you start getting these people in the ring on a semi-regular basis. You look at Lawrence Taylor against Bam Bam Bigelow, perfect way to utilize these celebrities. Lawrence Taylor was an athlete beforehand, one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history, and also, a guy who wasn’t calling himself a wrestler. He didn’t go around getting a big head thinking, ‘I can do this, I’m so good at this, this is a cake walk for me.
I don’t want people going around thinking that’s what wrestling is, that it’s paint by numbers, somebody programs you and you’re going to be just fine. Now you’re the biggest star, you’re the best thing that has ever happened and that’s what the business has become.
If every single one of us just followed that road map, there wouldn’t be a wrestling business because nobody would be able to do the damn thing. That’s not what it is. It is making the towns, having hundreds and thousands of matches in different cities in front of different sized crowds. It’s learning your trade.
This idea that you can, poof, hop on a camera, film yourself, do some crap on social media to become a star and have some worth in the world, maybe I’m an old crotchety man, but I don’t understand what value you’re giving back to the world.”
Seth Rollins criticizes Logan Paul and other part-timers wrestling at WrestleMania
Additionally, Seth Rollins thinks that Logna Paul’s part-timer contract is an unsustainable model and isn’t helpful for the next generation of wrestlers.
“In the Logan Paul situation, I don’t understand what long-term value he’s going to be able to give back to us. It’s one thing if you come in, do your thing, and leave, but this dude has a contract with WWE. He’s supposed to have a few matches a year. That doesn’t make you an ambassador for the business, that’s not what wrestling is.
I don’t want my students, I don’t want the next generation coming up and thinking that’s how you make it in wrestling. If everybody follows that model, the business is dead.”
A WrestleMania match between Seth Rollins and Logan Paul has yet to be officially confirmed as of this writing.
h/t Fightful for the transcription