Seth Rollins has competed in some of the defining WrestleMania moments of the modern era, but he does not believe he has yet achieved one particular milestone: being the advertised centerpiece of the match that closes the second night of WWE’s biggest event.
Rollins discussed his view of his WrestleMania history during an appearance on The Kittle Things, explaining that the common description of him as a WrestleMania main-eventer does not fully match the standard he applies to himself. His argument is not that he has lacked major matches, championship stakes, or a pivotal role in the event’s biggest stories. Instead, he is focused on whether he was positioned on the marquee as the person meant to finish WrestleMania’s final show-ending match.
“Most people consider it the main event, like part of the main event,” Rollins said while addressing his WrestleMania 31 cash-in. “If you look at it on the lineup, it would be because it’s technically the Triple Threat match because I changed the match to a Triple Threat. But I was not on the marquee. I wasn’t advertised as the main event. So, at this point, there’s many, many arguments to be had. I feel like I have never been in a main event of WrestleMania.”
It is a distinction that reflects both the unusual nature of Rollins’ biggest WrestleMania accomplishment and WWE’s changing structure for its signature annual event. Rollins has been associated with three WrestleMania matches commonly identified as main events. Yet each comes with context that makes the World Heavyweight Champion’s personal definition more specific than simply appearing in the last match listed on a card.
For more background on this topic, read Seth Rollins Jokes About LA Knight During Josh Allen WWE Comparison.
WrestleMania 31 remains Rollins’ signature moment
At WrestleMania 31, Rollins created one of the most enduring cash-in moments in WWE history. Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar were competing for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship when Rollins entered the bout with his Money in the Bank contract. He cashed in, turning the scheduled singles title match into a Triple Threat contest, and left with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
That sequence is routinely remembered as the conclusion of WrestleMania 31, and it is understandably treated as a WrestleMania main-event triumph in the broadest sense. Rollins altered the championship match on the spot, won the title, and delivered a closing image that has been replayed for years.
However, Rollins’ point is that he was not one of the names WWE built the match around before the event. Lesnar and Reigns were the advertised championship attraction. Rollins’ role was designed as a surprise, even if the ultimate result elevated his involvement into one of the most important finishes in WrestleMania history.
That difference matters to Rollins because he is measuring the achievement not just by where the match landed on the running order, but by the promotional responsibility attached to it. In his view, cashing in to seize the final moment is not the same as entering WrestleMania as one of the featured competitors publicly positioned to close the show.
Major roles at WrestleMania 40 and 41
Rollins’ later WrestleMania appearances have only added more nuance to the conversation. At WrestleMania 40, he was part of Night One’s main event alongside Cody Rhodes against The Rock and Roman Reigns. The bout was central to the event’s sprawling Bloodline story and directly affected the WrestleMania 40 Night Two championship match between Rhodes and Reigns.
Rollins was also the World Heavyweight Champion during that WrestleMania weekend. His position within the presentation was substantial: he worked a prominent match on Night One, then aided Rhodes during the Night Two main event. From a promotional perspective, he was visibly connected to WWE’s largest story, appearing alongside Rhodes, Reigns and The Rock in the event’s major marketing imagery.
Rollins acknowledged that those facts create a reasonable counterargument. He said Becky Lynch sees WrestleMania 40 as evidence that he has already reached the level in question.
“I’ve had night one main events, and I’ve helped in the night two main event at WrestleMania 40 with Cody and Roman, and I had the cash-in, but I’ve never been the person on the marquee to finish the show, night two,” Rollins said.
He later added, “Everybody has a different perspective on that, especially now that it’s gone to two nights, you know? Becky’s like, ‘Oh yeah, you’ve main evented.’ The WrestleMania 40 because the poster material is me, Cody, Roman, and Rock. I’m there, you know what I mean? I was World Heavyweight Champion.”
WrestleMania’s two-night format has made the phrase “main event” less straightforward than it was when the event ran as one show. Closing Night One is a major honor and a headline position, particularly when a storyline is designed across both nights. Still, Night Two carries the traditional finality of WrestleMania itself, and that is the spot Rollins is describing.
At WrestleMania 41, Rollins again worked a Night One main event, facing CM Punk and Roman Reigns in a Triple Threat match. The three-way bout brought together three of WWE’s most decorated and high-profile figures, making it another enormous assignment for Rollins. But because it headlined the first night rather than the final night, he again sees it as different from the exact achievement he is seeking.
The specific WrestleMania goal still ahead
Rollins did not dismiss the importance of the opportunities he has already received. Few performers can point to a WrestleMania résumé that includes a championship cash-in to end the event, a Night One main event with The Rock and Roman Reigns, involvement in Cody Rhodes’ crowning moment, and another Night One headliner opposite Punk and Reigns.
Still, he made clear that his ambition remains intact. For Rollins, the remaining box to check is being unmistakably identified as one of the competitors who will carry the responsibility of ending Night Two. It is a goal that requires more than being involved in a historic segment or a high-profile program. It means being announced, promoted and remembered as the central attraction of WrestleMania’s final match.
“It’s a tough sell. It’s a tough sell. Maybe,” Rollins said. “I got a few years left. We’ll see if I can get there.”
That assessment is realistic given the level of competition for WrestleMania’s most prestigious position. WWE’s roster features multiple established headline acts, and the final match is often determined by the company’s top championship direction, crossover attractions, long-term rivalries and the timing of major title changes. Even wrestlers with Hall of Fame-caliber credentials can find themselves in major WrestleMania matches without closing the final night.
Rollins’ track record nevertheless gives him a credible case to eventually get that opportunity. He has been a world champion, a major figure in WWE’s championship scene across several eras, and a reliable performer in high-pressure premium live event environments. His history with Reigns, Rhodes, Punk and other top stars also leaves WWE with numerous potential paths to a Night Two closing program if the right story develops.
Rollins has returned to the ring after SummerSlam
Rollins’ most recent appearance on WWE programming came at SummerSlam, where he lost the World Heavyweight Title match to Roman Reigns on Night Two. He returned to in-ring action in September during WWE’s South America house show tour.
Whether Rollins eventually headlines the final night of WrestleMania will remain a matter of booking, timing and the stories surrounding WWE’s top championships. But his comments clarify that he is not questioning the magnitude of his prior WrestleMania contributions. Rather, he is drawing a line between being part of the event’s biggest moments and being the explicitly promoted final act of the entire weekend.
For many fans, the WrestleMania 31 cash-in alone will always place Rollins among the event’s defining main-event performers. Rollins himself sees one more distinction left to earn. Until he is standing in the ring as a featured name in the advertised Night Two closer, he believes the true WrestleMania main event remains on his list of unfinished business.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.