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, is an American professional wrestler signed to WWE's Raw brand. Currently holding the Men's Money in the Bank contract (for the second time), Rollins is recognized by nicknames like "The Visionary", "The Revolutionary", and "The Architect". He is known for his eccentric persona and is considered a versatile in-ring performer.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

August 21, 2004: Independent Wrestling Debut

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

September 23, 2005: Ted Petty Invitational Tournament

On September 23, 2005, wrestling as Tyler Black in Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South (IWA), Seth Rollins defeated Sal Thomaselli at the Ted Petty Invitational Tournament before being eliminated by Matt Sydal in the quarterfinals in Hammond, Indiana.

October 2006: TNA Appearance

In October 2006, Seth Rollins, then known as 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, at the Ring of Honor (ROH) pay-per-view taping of Man Up, Seth Rollins debuted alongside Jimmy Jacobs and Necro Butcher, forming The Age of the Fall by attacking The Briscoe Brothers. The angle was so controversial that ROH removed the footage from the pay-per-view.

January 26, 2008: ROH World Tag Team Championship Loss

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

July 6, 2008: PWG World Tag Team Championship Win

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

January 16, 2009: Non-title Victory Against Nigel McGuinness

On January 16, 2009, Seth Rollins was victorious in a non-title match against then-ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness at Full Circle.

May 2, 2009: FIP World Heavyweight Championship Forfeit

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

2009: ROH Achievements

In 2009, while wrestling as Tyler Black in Ring of Honor (ROH), Seth Rollins won the Survival of the Fittest tournament.

February 13, 2010: ROH World Championship Win

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

August 8, 2010: WWE Developmental Contract

On August 8, 2010, Colby Daniel Lopez, known as Seth Rollins, signed a developmental contract with WWE.

2010: Signed with WWE

In 2010, Seth Rollins signed with WWE and was sent to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), WWE's developmental territory at the time, where he was renamed Seth Rollins and became the inaugural FCW Grand Slam Champion.

January 13, 2011: FCW Jack Brisco 15 Champion

On January 13, 2011, Seth Rollins defeated Hunico in the finals to win the FCW Jack Brisco Classic tournament and became 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, starting a series of matches for the FCW 15 Championship.

February 23, 2012: FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion

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

August 2012: NXT Debut

In August 2012, WWE rebranded FCW into NXT. Seth Rollins' NXT TV debut took place on the second episode of the rebooted NXT when he defeated Jiro. Later that month, Rollins won the Gold Rush Tournament to become the inaugural NXT Champion.

November 2012: Main Roster Debut with The Shield

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

November 18, 2012: Seth Rollins Main Roster Debut at Survivor Series

On November 18, 2012, Seth Rollins debuted on the main roster at the Survivor Series pay-per-view as a heel alongside Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, attacking Ryback during the WWE Championship triple threat main event and helping CM Punk retain the title. The trio named themselves The Shield and vowed to fight against "injustice."

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 Ryback and The Rock at Royal Rumble. Later, it was revealed that CM Punk and his manager Paul Heyman had been paying The Shield and Brad Maddox.

May 2013: WWE Tag Team Championship Win

In May 2013, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns won the WWE Tag Team Championship. Rollins would later hold the title a record six times with Dean Ambrose and other partners.

January 26, 2014: Royal Rumble Appearance

On January 26, 2014, at the Royal Rumble, Seth Rollins entered his first Royal Rumble match at number 2 and was eventually eliminated by his teammate, Roman Reigns, after eliminating three participants.

2014: Feud with Triple H and Chris Jericho

In 2014, Rollins failed to win the title from Owens at Clash of Champions on September 25 and Hell in a Cell on October 30 due to several interferences from Chris Jericho.

2014: Joins The Authority

In 2014, Seth Rollins left The Shield and joined The Authority, establishing his on-screen character as a leading villain.

2014: Money in the Bank Winner

In 2014, Seth Rollins won the Money in the Bank ladder match, marking a significant achievement in his WWE career.

January 5, 2015: The Authority Regains Control Over WWE

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

2015: PWI 500 and Wrestler of the Year

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

2015: Slammy Award and Revised Grand Slam Champion

In 2015, Seth Rollins won the Slammy Award for Superstar of the Year and became the second wrestler to accomplish the Grand Slam twice under the revised 2015 format.

2015: Knee Injury and Vacating the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

In 2015, during a match against Kane in Dublin, Ireland, Seth Rollins tore his ACL, MCL, and medial meniscus in his knee. This injury forced him to vacate the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

May 22, 2016: Rollins Returns at Extreme Rules

On May 22, 2016, Seth Rollins returned from injury at Extreme Rules, attacking Roman Reigns after his WWE World Heavyweight Championship defense against AJ Styles.

2016: Survivor Series and Heel Turn

In 2016, at Survivor Series, Rollins was selected as the captain for Team Raw. The following night on Raw, his comments drew the attention of Kevin Owens, and on December 9, Rollins joined AOP, turning heel for the first time since 2016.

January 2017: Feud with Triple H Begins

In January 2017, Seth Rollins started a feud with Triple H, leading into WrestleMania. Rollins appeared at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio, demanding to confront Triple H.

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

On January 28, 2018, Seth Rollins entered the Royal Rumble match at number 18 and was eliminated by Roman Reigns. Right after the Royal Rumble match, Rollins and Jason Jordan lost the Raw Tag Team Championship to Cesaro and Sheamus.

January 27, 2019: Royal Rumble Victory

On January 27, 2019, Seth Rollins won his first Royal Rumble match by last eliminating Braun Strowman, earning a Universal Championship match at WrestleMania 35.

2019: PWI 500 Recognition

In 2019, Seth Rollins topped Pro Wrestling Illustrated's PWI 500 list.

2019: Royal Rumble Winner

In 2019, Seth Rollins won the Royal Rumble match, adding another significant accomplishment to his wrestling career.

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.

2020: End of Alliances and WWE Draft

In 2020, Murphy attacked Rollins, ending their alliance. Rollins was drafted to the SmackDown brand. At Survivor Series, Rollins was a part of Team SmackDown and was the first person eliminated.

January 31, 2021: Eliminated from Royal Rumble

On January 31, 2021, at the Royal Rumble, Seth Rollins entered at number 29 and was ultimately eliminated by Edge, who won the match.

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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 at Day 1 against Big E, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley. Brock Lesnar was added to the match and ultimately won the title.