A few days ago, I asked readers to share their 5-star matches and kicked things off with some of my personal classics. One match I initially left out has since appeared on WWE’s YouTube channel, and it’s easily one of my all-time favorites: Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins at the 2022 Royal Rumble.
What made this match so compelling was how perfectly it mirrored the story told in the buildup. It started with Rollins tapping on Reigns’ dressing room door to the beat of their old Shield theme.
By the time
the Rumble rolled around, Rollins’ trolling had reached its peak: he entered in full Shield gear to that very same theme, mocking Reigns in front of more than 40,000 fans inside St. Louis’ Dome at America’s Center.
As the match wore on, Rollins’ taunts pushed the Tribal Chief to his breaking point. After finally trapping Rollins in a guillotine choke, Reigns refused to release the hold even after Rollins reached the ropes.
The resulting disqualification allowed Reigns to retain the Universal title, but the carnage didn’t end there. Post-match, the champion unleashed a brutal series of stiff chair shots, a callback to Rollins’ infamous betrayal of the Shield in 2014.
While a DQ on such a grand stage usually feels like a cop-out, here it was a masterpiece. Every element, from Rollins’ relentless trolling to the violent ending, was executed to perfection. While Rollins was officially declared the winner, the true outcome was left for the fans to decide.
So I’ll ask you the question that still lingers four years later: Who really won that night? Rollins and his mind games, or Reigns, who finally got sweet revenge on his betrayer?
Let me know what you think in the comments section.
