It has been heavily debated whether or not Roman Reigns is ready to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31, but the WWE should look no further than his former Shield stablemate Seth Rollins to save the show.
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The WWE has backed Reigns whole-heartedly since The Shield split up last June, but rising up from the ashes of the trio as one of the top stars in the company has been Rollins while Reigns has struggled mightily.
Reigns has gotten favorable booking since the split of The Shield, especially compared to Dean Ambrose, but Rollins has surpassed his skills in the ring and on the microphone by aligning himself with The Authority.
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Due to the nature of Brock Lesnar's WWE contract, the company needed someone to step up from September-January as the main heel in the organization until Lesnar was booked to return at the Royal Rumble.
Sure, guys like Triple H and the rest of The Authority did their part, but Rollins emerged as one of the most compelling characters on television and quickly became a must-see Superstar week in and week out since the split of The Shield.
Rollins has told the fans on numerous occasions that he didn't sell out, but he bought in, and a lot of people have bought in to "Mr. Money in the Bank" as a top heel as a result.
Look no further than the Royal Rumble when Rollins was thrust into the squared circle with John Cena and Lesnar in a Triple Threat Match for the richest prize in the game.
Cena and Lesnar had two average matches at SummerSlam in August and Night of Champions in September, but the addition of Rollins to the equation made their match at the Rumble an early contender for Match of the Year here in 2015.
Perhaps, it's time that the WWE wakes up and awards Rollins for that contribution.
For nearly a year, it has been rumored that Reigns was set to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31.Reigns is Vince McMahon's hand-picked golden boy and hero in waiting to succeed Cena, starting with the upcoming fateful night at WrestleMania 31.
Reigns is expected to leave Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, despite fans totally rejecting his win in the 2015 Royal Rumble Match and his lukewarm reactions after he defeated Daniel Bryan at Fastlane last Sunday and got into a verbal war with Lesnar's manager Paul Heyman on Monday Night RAW this week.
Don't get me wrong, Reigns can someday be a major player in the WWE, but that day shouldn't be on March 29, 2015, when the 31st installment of WrestleMania draws to a close.
Reigns is below average on the microphone despite his acting lessons and McMahon's insistence on crafting his promos. Reigns is even limited in the ring and has a long way to go before he should be considered a main event player. Reigns has a lot of potential, but that potential won't be filled in the one-month run up to WrestleMania.
Keep in mind, The Shield split in June of 2014 and Reigns was sidelined from September-December with a hernia injury, missing three key months where he could have been developing his ability as a singles star.
During that time, Rollins filled the void, emerging as an unbelievable villain with great work on the microphone and astounding skills inside the squared circle.
This is not to bash Reigns, as he could be good down the line, but he has only had two singles matches on WWE pay-per-view since the split of The Shield and may not be ready for his big moment, despite the WWE believing that he is.
Reigns is less experienced and seasoned than Rollins at this point in their respective careers.
Rollins has been carrying around the Money in the Bank briefcase since last June and while the WWE is likely saving his cash in attempt for later in the year during the downtime between WrestleMania and SummerSlam, perhaps it shouldn't wait.
Why not have Rollins become the first man to ever cash in at WrestleMania and ruin someone's celebration?
Reigns and Rollins have a history, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary. Lesnar could drop the title to Reigns, making the babyface look strong in the process, and then "The Beast" could attack him like a sore loser and deliver an F-5.
Cue Rollins, fresh off his likely encounter with Randy Orton at the "Show of Shows," coming in to pick up the pieces, cashing in his briefcase and winning the gold much to the delight of The Authority.
Now, it sets up Reigns as a babyface who can still say he slayed Lesnar, but chases after Rollins all spring and summer long, only to be thwarted off by false-finishes and The Authority's interference.
Reigns could then finally capture the gold from Rollins at SummerSlam in August as a huge payoff to a much-needed long-term feud for the gold in modern day WWE.
At that point, Reigns should be polished enough to have a lengthy reign, quite possibly through the rest of 2015 as the title builds prestige with long-term reigns.
It seems inevitable that Reigns will escape WrestleMania 31, but a Rollins cash in and title victory at the "Show of Shows" is best for business.
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