Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Seth Rollins

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Seth Rollins made an impact.

Colby Daniel Lopez, known as Seth Rollins in WWE, is a highly regarded and versatile American professional wrestler. He performs on the Raw brand and is recognized as one of the best in the world. Rollins has achieved significant accolades, topping Pro Wrestling Illustrated's PWI 500 list in 2015, 2019, and 2023. He was also named PWI Wrestler of the Year in 2015 and 2023 and Sports Illustrated's Wrestler of the Year in 2022. He is currently inactive due to a shoulder injury.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

August 21, 2004: Wrestling Debut

On August 21, 2004, Colby Daniel Lopez, using the ring name Gixx, made his debut in the Iowa independent wrestling scene at the age of 19.

September 23, 2005: Ted Petty Invitational Tournament

On September 23, 2005, wrestling as Tyler Black, Lopez participated in the Ted Petty Invitational Tournament, defeating Sal Thomaselli before being eliminated by Matt Sydal in the quarterfinals in Hammond, Indiana.

October 2006: TNA Appearance

In October 2006, Tyler Black briefly appeared in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and teamed with Jeff Luxon in a loss to The Latin American Xchange (Homicide and Hernandez) on Impact!.

September 15, 2007: ROH Debut and Formation of The Age of the Fall

On September 15, 2007, Tyler Black made his Ring of Honor (ROH) debut alongside Jimmy Jacobs and Necro Butcher, forming the stable called The Age of the Fall after attacking The Briscoe Brothers. The footage was so controversial it was removed from the pay-per-view.

January 26, 2008: ROH World Tag Team Championship Loss

On January 26, 2008, Tyler Black and Jimmy Jacobs lost the ROH World Tag Team Championship to the No Remorse Corps (Davey Richards and Rocky Romero) in an Ultimate Endurance match.

July 6, 2008: PWG World Tag Team Championship Win

On July 6, 2008, Tyler Black and Jimmy Jacobs won the PWG World Tag Team Championship by defeating Roderick Strong and El Generico at PWG's Life During Wartime.

January 16, 2009: Non-Title Victory Over Nigel McGuinness

On January 16, 2009, Tyler Black had a non-title match against then-ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness at Full Circle, where Black was victorious.

May 2, 2009: FIP World Heavyweight Championship Forfeit

On May 2, 2009, Davey Richards was awarded the FIP World Heavyweight Championship by forfeit when Tyler Black was unable to compete.

2009: Survival of the Fittest Winner

In 2009, Tyler Black won the Survival of the Fittest tournament while wrestling for Ring of Honor (ROH).

February 13, 2010: ROH World Championship Win

On February 13, 2010, Tyler Black pinned Austin Aries to win the ROH World Championship at ROH's Eighth Anniversary Show.

August 8, 2010: Signs WWE Developmental Contract

On August 8, 2010, Colby Lopez signed a developmental contract with WWE.

August 2010: Signs with WWE

In August 2010, Colby Daniel Lopez signed with WWE and began performing on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins.

2010: Signs with WWE and Joins FCW

In 2010, Lopez signed with WWE and was sent to its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), where he was renamed Seth Rollins.

January 13, 2011: FCW Jack Brisco 15 Championship Win

On January 13, 2011, Seth Rollins defeated Hunico in the finals of the FCW 15 Jack Brisco Classic tournament to become the inaugural FCW Jack Brisco 15 Champion.

July 2011: Feud with Dean Ambrose Begins

In July 2011, Seth Rollins began a feud with Dean Ambrose in FCW.

February 23, 2012: FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship Win

On February 23, 2012, Seth Rollins defeated Leo Kruger to become the new FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion.

August 2012: FCW Rebrands to NXT

In August 2012, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was rebranded into NXT.

November 2012: Main Roster Debut with The Shield

In November 2012, Seth Rollins debuted on the main WWE roster as a member of The Shield, alongside Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns.

November 18, 2012: Main Roster Debut at Survivor Series

On November 18, 2012, Seth Rollins made his main roster debut as a heel at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, along with Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, attacking Ryback during the WWE Championship match.

January 2, 2013: NXT Championship Defense

On January 2, 2013, Seth Rollins successfully defended the NXT Championship against Corey Graves.

January 2013: The Shield Aids CM Punk

In January 2013, The Shield continued to aid CM Punk, attacking both Ryback and The Rock. It was later revealed that Punk and Paul Heyman had been paying The Shield to work for them.

May 2013: WWE Tag Team Championship Win

In May 2013, Seth Rollins won his first main roster championship, the WWE Tag Team Championship, with Roman Reigns.

January 26, 2014: Royal Rumble Match

On January 26, 2014, at the Royal Rumble, Seth Rollins participated in his first Royal Rumble match. Entering at number 2, Rollins eliminated three competitors before being eliminated by his teammate, Roman Reigns.

2014: Started The Black & The Brave Wrestling Academy

In 2014, Seth Rollins and Marek Brave started a professional wrestling school called The Black & The Brave Wrestling Academy in Moline.

2014: Joins The Authority

In 2014, Seth Rollins left The Shield and joined The Authority, establishing himself as a leading villain.

2014: Money in the Bank Winner

In 2014, Seth Rollins won the Money in the Bank ladder match.

January 5, 2015: The Authority Regains Control

On January 5, 2015, The Authority regained control over WWE.

March 2015: Curb Stomp banned by WWE

In March 2015, WWE banned the Curb Stomp, a finishing move used by Seth Rollins.

2015: Revised Grand Slam Champion Format

In 2015, Seth Rollins achieved the Grand Slam Champion under the revised format, marking a significant milestone in his WWE career.

2015: PWI 500 and Wrestler of the Year

In 2015, Seth Rollins topped Pro Wrestling Illustrated's PWI 500 list of the top 500 wrestlers in the world and was voted as the PWI Wrestler of the Year.

January 2017: Feud with Triple H Begins

In January 2017, Seth Rollins began a feud with Triple H leading into WrestleMania, marking a significant storyline development in his career.

January 2018: Curb Stomp unbanned by WWE

In January 2018, the Curb Stomp was unbanned by WWE for Seth Rollins to use again.

January 28, 2018: Royal Rumble and Raw Tag Team Championship Loss

On January 28, 2018, Seth Rollins participated in the Royal Rumble match, entering at number 18, but was eliminated by Roman Reigns. Also on January 28, 2018, Rollins and Jason Jordan lost the Raw Tag Team Championship to Cesaro and Sheamus, ending their reign at 34 days.

January 27, 2019: Royal Rumble Win

On January 27, 2019, Seth Rollins won his first Royal Rumble match by lastly eliminating Braun Strowman.

2019: Turning face for the first time since 2019

In 2019, Seth Rollins started a feud with Austin Theory, turning face for the first time since 2019

2019: PWI 500

In 2019, Seth Rollins topped Pro Wrestling Illustrated's PWI 500 list of the top 500 wrestlers in the world.

2019: Royal Rumble Winner

In 2019, Seth Rollins won the Royal Rumble match.

2019: Dubbing himself the "Monday Night Messiah"

In late 2019, Seth Rollins dubbed himself the "Monday Night Messiah" and began to compare himself to Jesus, debuting a new entrance song after turning into a different kind of villainous character and aligning himself with the AOP.

January 20, 2020: Raw Tag Team Championship Win

On January 20, 2020, Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy defeated The Viking Raiders to win the Raw Tag Team Championship.

January 31, 2021: Royal Rumble Appearance

On January 31, 2021, at the Royal Rumble, Seth Rollins entered at number 29, but was ultimately eliminated by Edge, the eventual winner.

January 1, 2022: WWE Championship Match at Day 1

On January 1, 2022, Seth Rollins competed in a fatal four-way match for the WWE Championship against Big E, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley at Day 1, which he ultimately lost after Brock Lesnar was added to the match and won the title.

2022: Added "Freakin" to his ring name

From 2022 to 2025, Seth Rollins added "Freakin" to his ring name as a way of emphasizing his importance and adopted a persona nicknamed "The Visionary", a boastful and delusional egomaniac with an eccentric personality and outlandish fashion sense.

2022: Sports Illustrated Wrestler of the Year

In 2022, Seth Rollins was named Wrestler of the Year by Sports Illustrated.

2022: Turning heel for the first time since 2022

On April 19, Night 1 of WrestleMania 41, Rollins defeated Punk and Reigns with the assistance of Paul Heyman, turning heel for the first time since 2022.

January 2, 2023: Rollins fails to regain United States title

On January 2, 2023, Seth Rollins was unsuccessful in his attempt to regain the United States title from Austin Theory.

2023: PWI 500 and Wrestler of the Year

In 2023, Seth Rollins topped Pro Wrestling Illustrated's PWI 500 list of the top 500 wrestlers in the world and was voted as the PWI Wrestler of the Year.