I kinda hate Seth Rollins?

Not personally. Less so than Punk in that respect... Hell I don't even actually hate Punk. His failings piss me off. Him being rewarded for being a selfish dickhead annoys me. I hate that the punk guy is actually I Wanna-be Boomer, but he's a better human than most in the wrestling industry... and he's a good wrestler!

... I can't say that about Seth.

Or maybe I can say just that. He's good. But as someone who gets brought up in the conversation for "Greatest Modern Wrestler", he feels like, by far, the worst. The pity pick, like you'd get an award show. Watching that Raw main event drove it home. I couldn't really blame Punk, and believe me, I always want to blame Punk, but Seth brings nothing. He's long lost his athleticism, has never been a character guy, and what character work he does do just stinks of fakeness. In fact, he's at his best when he can at least lean into that failing. Watching Seth play company defending babyface and doing the boss's move like a bootlicker just killed me.

I think what's worse is Seth is the actual version of what WWE people accuse other wrestlers of being. The moves guy, with no psychology, no story. His character is that the fans sing his dumb song. His character is bad fashion. Nothing about him feels real. His offense doesn't feel real. His hate doesn't feel real. He does spot, does the act, does the formula.

I think about when Moxley left, how the story was that Seth, while supportive, didn't get it. He didn't understand why someone would leave when they made it. A company man and a bootlicker to his core.

It's not about being a WWE Lifer. Roman is a Lifer, but he carries himself with dignity. He has only one company he wants to work for, but he knows when to tell the company to shove it. Seth brings all this insecurity, overcompensates in all the most boring ways, and goes out there at a fraction the speed he used to wrestle.

The problem isn't that he's slower. Time comes for us all. His knee injury sucked and was crushing... But he never grew, never adapted, never changed in any way but superficially. He escapes all the criticisms most workrate wrestlers get because he's a WWE guy, despite the fact those criticisms applied to him more than anyone else in a similar position. I have to see people praise him for having "a great match" that told no story, had no emotion, and had multiple teased and forgotten injury spots. He's a race car without wheels. He was shallow when he had them, but now he has nothing.

He seems like he's only in the conversation for "best wrestler" because it's been repeated so much, a reputation coasting on fumes. It's not because Seth is lazy. I bet almost no one works harder to try and stay in shape and rehab their injuries. It's because what he wants wants to be an empty vessel WWE can pour it's desires into. He's not built for that position, but everyone involved is willing to pretend he is. He's like Cinderella's evil sisters, cutting off their toes to try and fit the glass slippers.

No matter how much he's willing the suffer, the shoe just does not fit.