The World Heavyweight Championship match between Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre at WWEWrestlemania XL was built up with intense anticipation and was filled with dramatic moments.
The surprise element of CM Punk‘s physical involvement and Damian Priest‘s Money In The Bank cash-in post-match added an unexpected twist, ultimately culminating in an unforgettable Wrestlemania moment. However, Rollins and McIntyre were no strangers to each other in a big championship match situation.
Rollins spoke to TalkSport in 2020 first expressing points about the changes in his onscreen character at the time.
“Establishing characters that people care about. I think one way or another, whether you’re on my side or against me, there is strong feelings about the Monday Night Messiah so yeah, it’s definitely something that I’m very proud of and look forward to cultivating as we move forward into this strange year that is 2020.”
Drew McIntyre held the WWE Championship following a victory over Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania XXXVI. Drew would go on to defend the title against Seth Rollins at the Money In The Bank in May of that year.
“The Drew match was interesting. It was really a turning point – well, another one – for where I’m at right now. Obviously, it’s the catalyst that led us to the last few months and the story with Rey Mysterio. I was real proud of the match itself, mostly because it’s really hard to get a big match feel for a title fight with no people there.”
This of course was the year when audiences were unable to attend WWE events due to the pandemic.
“Drew beat the hell out of me (laughs) I tried to give it back to him the best I could, but he was obviously the better man on that night. At the end of the day, I feel like we put together a match that really pushed Drew forward. He’s one of the top faces on Monday Night RAW and he’s been a pretty good champion if I do say so myself. So if I helped him out in anyway along that path then I’m doing my job as the leader of the greater good.”
Seth Rollins would go on to feud with Rey Mysterio, perhaps best known for the infamous Eye for an Eye match, where the only way to win was to extract an opponent’s eyeball.
Seth Rollins Almost Missed Wrestlemania XL Due To Injury
In early 2024, it was suspected that Seth Rollins’ injury may cost him both the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and an in-ring appearance at Wrestlemania. He did receive time off to recover from a knee injury that was sustained during a match on RAW.
H/t to 411mania.com