Seth Rollins makes his entrance in an incredibly neon green satin suit, left knee in a brace, limping his way down the aisle and gently climbing into the ring to get on the mic.
He stands somber for a beat while the crowd sings his song, and he begins, taking his sunglasses off and revealing red-shot eyes that have definitely been crying as the crowd changes their tune to “Thank you, Seth!” chants.
He welcomes us to the show and says it’s been a long week and he appreciates the reaction and thanks us for it. Seven days ago he was in this ring defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Jinder Mahal, who he beat, and when he hit him with the moonsault he felt his knee go in in a way that it’s not really supposed.
He did what he does, he finished the match, beat Jinder Mahal, spoke to the crowd, and then he went to the back and sat down and that was the first time it really set in that he might be out for a long time. Earlier in the night he had spoken backstage about how with every single title defense he only gets better and stronger and he couldn’t help feeling like he was a bit of a liar.
He felt for the first time it might be a real possibility that he’d miss WrestleMania, which gets “No!” chants from the crowd. He appreciates that but still had an MRI to get done and the results weren’t great- he has a grade two tear of his MCL and a partially torn medial meniscus, and with surgery he’s looking at three to four months.
If it was up to him he’d be out here next week stomping heads into mats, but it’s not up to him and we don’t really know what the future holds. He’s taking it day by day, week by week, and-
Enter Imperium.
GUNTHER gets in the ring and squares up to Rollins, champion to champion, Intercontinental Championship on his shoulder. Seth says he doesn’t have time for this and if they’re here to make an example of him, they should do it and get it over with. The Ring General tells him not to worry about them, and he should be concentrating on him.
He feels like he and Seth have been avoiding each other for some time, and he wanted to just come out here and honestly let Rollins know what he thinks about him. Seth tells him to have at it, and GUNTHER says right from the beginning Rollins has been in a tough spot, labeled as a workhorse and having to come out here and fight every week for an honest victory, being a champion who brings dignity, respect, and honor to a championship.
A champion that everybody can be proud of, just like the Ring General. Now it kind of pulls on his heartstrings to see him like that and finding out that he might not make WrestleMania honestly makes GUNTHER sad. Rollins says the thing is he and his boys should have let him finish.
Seth says what he was about to say is that he doesn’t give a damn what the doctors tell him, how hard he has to rehab or push the knee, he will keep his promise and he’ll take the title into WrestleMania. He’ll do every single thing in his power to walk out of WrestleMania as World Heavyweight Champion!
GUNTHER says that’s great and he’s really happy to hear it, because last week he thought we’d all see a big champion fall, and this week he’s standing here proclaiming he’ll do everything to get to WrestleMania and walk out of WrestleMania, and he admires him for it, because he’d do the same thing in that position.
Seth reminds him of himself, in fact, so from one great champion to another great champion, he’s going to win the Royal Rumble and choose Rollins as his WrestleMania opponent, target everything that isn’t at 100%, and become World Heavyweight Champion. Rollins appreciates his honesty and returns it- he wants GUNTHER to remember who he’s coming after, and he offers a handshake.
The Ring General tells him to remember who’s coming after him, and he shakes Seth’s hand. As GUNTHER leaves the ring, New Day attack Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser and the four of them brawl into the ring! New Day send them packing and we go to break!
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