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Seth Rollins vs. Triple H Signifies Defining Moment in Architect's WWE Career

Tom Clark@tomclarkbrX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistMarch 28, 2017

Seth Rollins
Seth RollinsCredit: WWE.com

Seth Rollins and Triple H signed their WrestleMania 33 contract on the March 27 edition of Monday Night Raw. The signing ended with physicality, of course, as The Game attacked his Mania opponent, though Rollins did get the better of him in the end.

But this match is about much more than just two guys bashing each other in the head. This is about The Architect once again finding himself and ultimately experiencing his defining moment in the WWE.

Rollins' promo on Hunter during the contract signing revealed his character's mindset going into The Show of Shows. Rollins spoke of how he viewed himself before, and after, aligning with Triple H. The man who once laughed and mocked the fans humbled himself before the world.

He had become someone he didn't like, and he blamed The Game for it.

Indeed, Rollins had learned the lesson that Randy Orton before him had learned as well. Orton towed the company line, played the good soldier, and did everything asked of him. But when it became obvious to The Viper that The Authority would betray him if necessary, everything changed.

Orton was only as valuable as The Authority believed him to be. When Triple H and Stephanie McMahon decided Orton was no longer an asset, he was out. 

That's the exact backstory leading Rollins to WrestleMania 33, but it goes much deeper than that. When Rollins turned on Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, the process of transforming him into a top guy began. 

The Shield had to fall in order for Rollins to rise. The story of Rollins with The Authority began, and fans watched it all unfold. 

Hunter served up the world to Rollins, giving him everything he had ever wanted from the business. The WWE Championship came with it, as did the top spot on Monday Night Raw. Rollins became the face of WWE's flagship program, and the WWE itself.

But he didn't do it alone.

Triple H @TripleH

A huge thank you to @Metallica for #AmISavage... This Sunday @WrestleMania, #TheCreator becomes #TheDestroyer. https://t.co/KKAUnxidbg

The Authority had his back every step of the way. Like Orton before him, Rollins experienced one high after another, while Hunter and Stephanie took credit for it all. Fans played along; they loved Rollins when he was funny, and they booed him when he was too overbearing. 

The fans knew what Rollins' role was. He was the smarmy heel and the wisecracking egotist who served as The Authority's corporate champion. He was having fun and loved every minute of it. 

However, he stood in the shadow of The Authority. He was their boy and nothing more. So when Triple H turned on him, the second phase of Rollins' transformation process began. Rollins is an established main event star, but now he is on the path to becoming a true top guy.

Rollins is obviously standing on his own now. He no longer needs anyone to help him win matches, or to speak for him in any way. By bucking The Authority and fighting the odds, Rollins is proving he is his own man and cannot be pushed around.

Triple H
Triple HCredit: WWE.com

By facing Triple H at WrestleMania 33, Rollins is proving he's ready to take the next step. Of course, that next step won't be taken if The Game wins the match. 

Rollins is being built to succeed, and that means he must win on April 2. He's not only fighting the odds, he's also fighting through an injury, and that means he's the underdog. Hunter has never looked better; he's the wily veteran with a constant rage simmering just below the surface. He wants to destroy Rollins, and all of that means The Architect is even further behind than before.

It doesn't seem as though Rollins can win, and that is why he must.

If Rollins overcomes Triple H and wins the match, then fans will no longer see him as an errand boy that was shown the door. They will see him as the man who came back from overwhelming odds to not only beat Triple H, but to beat Triple H on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

It's the biggest endorsement the company can give, perhaps even bigger than the WWE Championship itself. When Rollins emerges from WrestleMania with the win, he will be on an upward trend in the WWE. The Universal Championship will surely follow at some point, as will his role as a top guy in the company.

When the story of Rollins' WWE career is told, his WrestleMania 33 win will be remembered as the defining moment. He's worked his whole life for that moment, and it should be his. The best in the game overcome the worst circumstances and become bigger stars because of it. That is where Rollins is heading, and it's a spot that Rollins most definitely deserves.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here