Seth Rollins Reveals the Shocking Truth Behind “The Ruse of the Century”—And Why He Nearly Doomed Himself Trying to Outdo His Past

Seth Rollins might be living his best run as WWE World Heavyweight Champion, but even The Visionary admits that pulling off his unforgettable SummerSlam 2025 moment came with one huge fear.

Fans will remember how Rollins “suffered” a knee injury against LA Knight at Saturday Night’s Main Event in July 2025. Given his history of knee issues, nobody questioned it—not even his closest peers. But in reality, it was all a masterclass in deception. At SummerSlam, Rollins shocked the world by cashing in his Money in the Bank contract to dethrone CM Punk, creating what many now call “The Ruse of the Century.”

Speaking to ESPN, Rollins opened up about the massive pressure behind that move. His biggest concern? Living up to his legendary “Heist of the Century” from WrestleMania 31.

“When you have the greatest cash-in of all time, it’s pretty hard to follow that up,” Rollins admitted. “Following up myself was my biggest concern. I had to find a way to do it differently, still create a huge moment, but separate the two and make them equal.”

Now, Rollins is preparing for another high-stakes battle—teaming with his wife, Becky Lynch, to face CM Punk and AJ Lee at WWE Wrestlepalooza.

But despite the looming showdown, Rollins is confident in where he stands in his career. In a recent chat with Sports Illustrated, he declared that he’s currently in his prime—while also acknowledging that the finish line is closer than it used to be.

“I’m not at the end of my career. I feel like I’m in my prime right now, but I’m certainly closer to the end than the beginning. It’s nice to dip my toe into other waters and see where it ends up.”

Whether The Visionary and The Man can topple The Best in the World and AJ Lee this weekend remains to be seen—but one thing’s certain: Seth Rollins has proven once again why he’s one of the greatest storytellers in WWE history.