WWE Rivals: Triple H vs. Seth Rollins, Season 4 Episode 5
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00:00It is Seth Rollins going one-on-one with his former mentor, Triple H.
00:06Their rivalry was one of those art imitating life sort of things.
00:10Triple H signed Seth, developed Seth.
00:12And Rollins taking a chance.
00:14Seth wouldn't just be pushed into a corner.
00:17He fought to do things his way.
00:19I came here to do what I do best.
00:21I'm going to play something like that.
00:23I pulled him aside and was like, I need to know right f***ing now.
00:26You either get on this program or you're done.
00:29I'm going to keep going until I destroy what I created.
00:33I thought, go f*** yourself.
00:35I gave up everything to stand next to you, and for what?
00:40You have this epic battle, which is the boldest time itself.
00:43And here comes Rollins!
00:44It was a real relationship, a real pain.
00:47And that comes across on camera.
00:49But Triple H, it's about destroying Rollins, destroying his career.
00:53If you're hell-bent on making things difficult, we're done.
00:57We're done.
01:00You're out of line!
01:02So much animosity in this awesome rivalry.
01:07When two legends collide, the rivalry stays pinned in our minds forever.
01:13This is where we break down the legendary stories behind the greatest rivalries of all time.
01:19I'm Gabriel Iglesias, and this is WWE Rivals.
01:25Seth Rollins, get your ass to this ring, and meet your destroyer!
01:32Triple H versus Seth Rollins.
01:34The blurring of the lines, the student and the mentor.
01:37When you think about Seth Rollins and Triple H,
01:40the first thing that comes to mind is they're both, pardon the pun,
01:42they're both students of the game.
01:44I'm calling your ass out!
01:46Right now, Triple H!
01:48It's just a storyline that always happens,
01:51It's just a storyline that always happens,
01:53that it's the greatest thing ever,
01:54because you're going to have a prize student,
01:56you're going to have the old master,
01:58and eventually they're going to have to fight each other.
02:02Oh yeah, that's good.
02:03Mean, mean, that's the way to do it.
02:07I've been a WWE fan my entire life.
02:09One, two, three!
02:12I was a Hulkamaniac as a kid,
02:14and then really fell in love again with wrestling during the Attitude Era.
02:18D-Generation X, Triple H.
02:20The Generation X, if anything, are becoming more degenerate with every week.
02:25I got two words for ya!
02:30I spent many an afternoon in detention
02:33for wandering around the halls telling everyone to suck it,
02:36as I'm sure a lot of young men my age did.
02:40And Triple H was a huge part of that.
02:42Triple H with a pedigree!
02:45I mean, he was the anchor of DX
02:47in all of its different incarnations over the years.
02:53And so he was a guy that I always looked up to.
02:56You guys talk about being students of the game.
02:59I am the f***ing game.
03:01And then when he branched out on his own and became the Game,
03:05and one of the biggest stars in the history of our industry.
03:08Triple H has realized his dreams!
03:10It's all about Triple H!
03:12It's all about Triple H!
03:14I had a lot of mixed emotions, you know?
03:16I think I always respected Triple H,
03:18but I think as a kid there was always a part of me that hated him.
03:22That wanted somebody to kick his ass,
03:25which is probably what he was going for.
03:27This is not what you need! More guys angry at you!
03:31A lot of people dislike me, but I don't give a s***.
03:34So why let it bother me, you know?
03:36You can't have the good guy without the evil guy.
03:39When you say WWE, Triple H, they're synonymous with each other.
03:43And the Game has won the world title for a tenth time!
03:48Look at Triple H over his career.
03:50He's that good that he can keep himself
03:52as one of the greatest guys that's ever been in the business.
03:54But he's also made guy after guy after guy.
03:57He's a kingmaker.
03:58That's right, a kingmaker, because they are kings.
04:00They're not just guys that make the roster.
04:02These are guys who make the top.
04:04Evolution on top of the world!
04:06I mean, the stuff you did with Evolution.
04:08You know, he made Batista. He made Brandy.
04:11You know, that's been his role for a long time here.
04:13They're all champions! All of Evolution!
04:17All of us have been there where that guy takes you
04:20from that mediocre place to when you come through the curtain.
04:24And you're like...
04:27Like, oh, that's what it's like.
04:30And you don't forget those people.
04:32I'm always trying to get talent to another level.
04:35Because I see the other side of it,
04:37and I know what comes out of it and where you'll land.
04:40If you just listen to me, I can help you.
04:43Triple H has a story in the WWE
04:46like nobody else that's ever existed.
04:49As Triple H got to the top of the heap
04:52in terms of active superstars,
04:54him and Stephanie McMahon,
04:56the boss's daughter, ended up getting married.
05:01Flash forward all the way to Triple H's career
05:05as a superstar-slash-executive.
05:08He was the guy that started creating
05:11the WWE's developmental system, NXT,
05:14shaping the superstars that would become
05:17the top members of the WWE roster in the future.
05:21The opportunity here is massive,
05:24but it's all on you. How much do you want it?
05:28From what I learned about Triple H in his early years,
05:32you know, he wanted to learn every single thing
05:34that he could about the industry.
05:36And I feel like we saw that a lot with Seth Rollins.
05:39It's almost like they're both so stubborn
05:41and trying to just make it.
05:44I first met Seth in some small town
05:46for an independent wrestling show we were doing together.
05:49I knew right then that he was a fantastic athlete,
05:51really great performer.
05:54It's all I really decided I wanted to do.
05:56I didn't really have any other career choices.
05:58So we kick off NXT with a much-anticipated Seth Rollins.
06:02Rollins is a very hot prospect.
06:05Even though WWE wasn't offering the world at the time,
06:09they were offering an opportunity for me,
06:11and I didn't really want to be anywhere else.
06:13I was going to take my shot at WWE.
06:17Are you more reserved?
06:19No, I'm not reserved at all.
06:20All right, so definitely bring that out.
06:21I want to see that on those eyes.
06:23I came here to NXT and do what I do best.
06:26Go to the place upside down and change the world!
06:30NXT, that's where this rivalry started,
06:34because Seth Rollins was really like a stallion
06:38that almost needed to be broken.
06:40Right.
06:41He was someone who wouldn't just be pushed into a corner.
06:44All right, this is the performer you need to be,
06:46so let's shave off your edges.
06:47Like, no, he fought to do things his way.
06:50All I wanted was growth.
06:51I wanted to be on WWE television.
06:53I wanted to be on Raw.
06:54I wanted to be on SmackDown.
06:56I knew I had a lot to offer to the main roster,
06:59and I was not afraid to speak out.
07:01I kind of ruffled some feathers occasionally,
07:03and some of those feathers that I ruffled
07:07happened to belong to the Red Rooster himself,
07:10Terry Taylor.
07:11Terry was a good friend of Triple H,
07:14and Triple H brought Terry Taylor in
07:16to help kind of groom the top talent.
07:19Seth was a frustrated, angry young man
07:22that wanted it all, and he wanted it now.
07:26Triple H was getting ready to get Seth
07:28and call him up to the main roster,
07:30and I said, he's not ready.
07:32He's immature.
07:34I remember thinking, like, this kid
07:36is going to go up to Raw or to SmackDown.
07:38He's going to f*** this whole thing up
07:40because he can't get out of his own way.
07:42So I pulled him aside at NXT,
07:45sat down with him in the corner,
07:46and was like, I am two seconds away
07:48from pulling you out of this whole thing.
07:50I need to know right now,
07:51you either get on this program,
07:53or you can go tell me how great you are someplace else.
07:58He told me, point blank,
07:59he didn't see anything special in me,
08:01and that I wasn't who I thought I was, essentially.
08:08Um...
08:11How honest do you want me to be here?
08:13I thought, go f*** yourself.
08:15That's what I thought.
08:17I've always been supremely confident
08:19in my own ability,
08:20and I didn't really care
08:22who he was in that moment.
08:25There was nobody that was going to tell me
08:27who I was or how special I was or wasn't.
08:31It was something that frustrated me,
08:33but it also very much lit a fire under me,
08:35and I was going to find a way
08:37to make sure that he knew how good I was.
08:39And Raw, we're singing it!
08:41Seth Rollins was already an A-level guy in-ring,
08:45but I think Triple H also noticed
08:47Seth's passion for this industry.
08:49Seth Rollins is a guy who lives and breathes this.
08:53Tonight, we will crown the first-ever NXT champion.
08:58To his credit, he flipped the switch
09:00and just started to work with.
09:02Like, I could see where he could be so successful,
09:05and you're trying so hard to get him there.
09:08Seth Rollins has become the first NXT champion!
09:13It doesn't get any bigger
09:15than an endorsement from the COO!
09:18What an amazing show of respect!
09:22Oh, it meant everything to me.
09:24When you look back at that moment
09:26and what got us to that moment,
09:28it becomes deeper, in a sense.
09:31It felt like we had jumped over
09:33the edge of a cliff,
09:35and in a sense, felt like we had
09:37jumped over some hurdles.
09:39What a moment for a man
09:41who dared to be different!
09:45When we put the NXT title on,
09:47it was a big deal for everybody.
09:49They saw this as this incredible moment,
09:51and they were like,
09:52oh my God, this is going to be the first one.
09:54So there was a ton of people in this business
09:56asking me, why are you doing it with him?
09:58Because that was my call.
10:00I get how talented he is,
10:01but he's the biggest problem we have.
10:03Don't do it with him.
10:04The era of Seth Rollins has begun!
10:09So I said, alright, this is over right now.
10:11I'm going to forget about it,
10:12and we're going to go do business together.
10:15Don't make me sorry.
10:18I'm hanging the app.
10:19Rollins with the knockout!
10:21Rollins with the cover!
10:24In 2012, Seth Rollins became
10:26the first NXT champion.
10:28How often are you right about
10:30that's the guy, that's the girl,
10:32that's who it is.
10:33Seth's the one, Seth's the one.
10:35Just a really smart, educated outlook
10:38that Hunter had on plucking them in the first place.
10:41And later on that year,
10:42the birth of one of the greatest factions of all time,
10:45The Shield, came to be.
10:47This Ryback is unstoppable!
10:49Ryback's unbelievable!
10:51What in the world, what is this?
10:56Dean Ambrose.
10:57Seth Rollins.
10:58Roman Reigns.
11:00Welcome to the Shield of Justice.
11:02Seth Rollins and The Shield
11:04get called up to the WWE main roster.
11:08Three superstars that the WWE audience
11:10was totally unfamiliar with,
11:11but from the time that they got into the squared circle,
11:17they commanded fans' attention.
11:22I was in the locker room as The Shield was building,
11:24and there was such jealousy.
11:26They destroyed everybody.
11:27They destroyed everybody.
11:28They destroyed everybody,
11:29and they're just building and they're building and they're building.
11:31This pack of dog mentality,
11:33the three-on-one assault.
11:35Not a lot of people get to experience the rise that we did.
11:38It's reckless abandon.
11:39I've never seen anything like this group.
11:42We have a duty.
11:43We have to serve justice,
11:44and we will do it swiftly and without mercy.
11:48Man, they came in here and just tore it up and went to town.
11:53They were given the opportunity to step up to the plate,
11:55and they took their shot.
11:58In 2013, Paul and I came back as the authority,
12:02really the authority figures in WWE.
12:05We're the bad bosses.
12:07We're the people who are treating our employees
12:10and our talent terribly,
12:12just to make a profit for ourselves.
12:15With my power and support,
12:18Triple H is the WWE.
12:23Triple H is always a really interesting authority.
12:25Triple H is always a really interesting authority figure,
12:27because on screen, we got to see him play this villainous,
12:31power-hungry person in charge.
12:34But in reality, we also knew that he was a person in charge.
12:39I became the authority here
12:43knowing what I would have to endure with that role,
12:47because nobody likes the boss.
12:50Well, maybe take this tie off and come out here.
12:52I've got a sledgehammer under this bed,
12:54and I'm not afraid to use it, all right?
12:56I'm going to take it on the edge, people.
12:58The authority actually learned the lines,
13:00because, of course, you wonder how much is reality
13:03and how much is storyline.
13:04And it was thought-provoking in a lot of ways.
13:06People don't really know what's real, what's not,
13:08where does it stop, where does it doesn't.
13:09To me, that's a wonderful thing to have happen,
13:12to a show where people don't really know
13:14what's real and what isn't.
13:16Seth Rollins says our case is to fight injustice,
13:19and there's no bigger injustice than the authority.
13:22So when you've got three studs,
13:23the caliber of Reigns, Rollins, and Ambrose,
13:25it's only natural that on a long enough timeline,
13:28they're going to collide with the old guard,
13:30the establishment, so to speak.
13:32And that's what you had in Triple H,
13:34Randy Orton, and Batista,
13:35a dominant faction from yesteryear
13:38who weren't ready to be done ruling the Roos.
13:40And the Shield was basically looking to put them out to pasture.
13:43You see, the thing is this, Shield,
13:45I brought you into this world,
13:48and you were looking at the three guys
13:51that are going to take you out of it.
13:53Evolution versus the Shield was a huge test.
13:56The Shield thinks that they're the new evolution,
13:59and there's just one problem with that.
14:01The problem is, we're still here.
14:04To be matched up with them, it was like,
14:06yeah, you've handled everybody in your own generation,
14:09but now it's time to, can you rise to the star power,
14:13like the elite level that is these three guys.
14:17This is going to be a collision.
14:21The Shield versus Evolution.
14:26This is about where you sit in history.
14:31Who's the greatest faction of all time?
14:35I love those passing of the torch moments,
14:38and that's what it felt like.
14:40You're going to have an opportunity to work with these three legends,
14:43and you're going to be elevated because of it.
14:45This is about domination. It's about being the best.
14:48I was wrestling once, twice a year maybe,
14:51and I was so busy with everything corporately
14:54that it was so difficult to do,
14:56but Seth made it so easy for me to do it.
14:59The experience working with Triple H at that point
15:02became better because it was the first time
15:05we were really working on screen,
15:07so I really got to learn a lot from him.
15:09Oh my God, Seth Rollins!
15:12Spear by Reigns!
15:15It's over!
15:18Shield has defeated Evolution!
15:23They were doing the Shield and fully rolling and all that stuff,
15:26and I remember thinking to myself like,
15:28they were as hot as they were going to be,
15:30and they were going to do what?
15:32There was really no place else to go.
15:34In case you haven't figured it out yet,
15:37what I do better than anybody is adapt.
15:42Last night was plan A.
15:45Tonight,
15:49plan B.
15:58What is going on here?
16:00You guys are on top of the world.
16:02Why in the world would Seth Rollins do this?
16:05I knew it was going to hit hard
16:08because I knew how much pain it was going to cause
16:11everybody watching at home.
16:13Are you kidding me?
16:15Rollins, Seth, he's a fucking impostor!
16:18I think we often see these things coming,
16:20and that was one of the times where
16:22it felt like so many people were just in shock.
16:24Why? Why?
16:29You're Seth Rollins.
16:31You turn on the Shield, who's now a beloved group.
16:34You've got Triple H in the ring with you.
16:37At this point, you're untouchable.
16:39Right. Yeah.
16:40And Seth filled that role completely well.
16:43He's the chosen one.
16:45He's the guy.
16:46Everybody hates that guy.
16:50I've got to be your guy.
16:51I've got to be the face of this company.
16:53Give me the opportunity.
16:54I am the one who created the Shield,
16:58and I am the one who has destroyed it.
17:06When you're working with Triple H so closely,
17:08you learn so much.
17:10You learn to think of things
17:12not in terms of moves or action,
17:15but in terms of story and moments.
17:20Pedigree! A pedigree!
17:22That's Triple H's move!
17:24Rollins used Triple H's pedigree!
17:28It only made sense to start using the pedigree.
17:31I was Triple H's protege.
17:33That was part of who I was at that time.
17:35There is only one man, a ring general like no other,
17:38and he is the future of the WWE,
17:42Seth Rollins!
17:46When he was branching out of the Shield,
17:48what do you do with that?
17:49Do you just become another guy in the mix at the top?
17:52Or do you become that guy?
17:56Cover by Rollins!
17:59Rollins with the title!
18:01Rollins with the title!
18:02Wait a minute!
18:03Seth Rollins with the title!
18:04Are you kidding me?
18:06Winning the championship was one of the most surreal moments
18:10I've ever had in my entire life.
18:13Seth Rollins is the WWE World Heavyweight Champion!
18:26You stepped out bigger than I ever imagined you could.
18:30I knew you always had it.
18:33But you're not so f****** proud of it.
18:39That was so special, so incredible.
18:41Because that's my friend winning the world title
18:44in the main event of WrestleMania.
18:46I know how hard he's worked for it.
18:48I know what it means to him.
18:49What a moment.
18:51I wanted it to be the greatest title run of all time.
18:55The future is now!
18:58And the future is the greatest champion of all time!
19:06You want somebody that will work harder than everybody else.
19:12That man is Seth Rollins.
19:16I think Triple H saw a bit of himself in Seth Rollins.
19:21And I think Triple H took that time for Seth
19:25because he knew what he had.
19:27I'm looking for guys to lead this pack, lead the business.
19:30It was wonderful to see.
19:31I'm the man, baby!
19:33It's awesome to watch Seth Rollins walk out of that ring
19:36as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
19:39But you can never take it for granted.
19:46The old adage of staying on top is much harder than getting to the top
19:50is absolutely true.
19:53I'm wrestling in Dublin, Ireland against Kane.
19:57I had a table lined up behind old Kane.
19:59I was going to put him in.
20:04The angle with which I came down
20:06was much more awkward than what I was used to.
20:09And it just blew my whole knee out.
20:11Blew the whole thing.
20:12ACL, MCL, meniscus.
20:14The whole thing was gone.
20:16That was it. That was the end of my title run.
20:18I had to go to Alabama and have surgery.
20:23This is a higher level knee injury
20:25because he's a pretty high-energy athlete.
20:27And whenever you have that kind of high-energy stuff,
20:30the injuries are just greater.
20:32I have the utmost confidence that I can get back
20:34and be better than ever,
20:35but there's always that little whisper in the back of your head
20:38that makes you wonder if, in fact, that's even possible.
20:41It's an ACL tear plus a pretty bad meniscus tear
20:44plus a pretty bad MCL tear through both layers.
20:49So definitely on the more severe end of knee ligament injuries.
20:55You know, coming off of Rollins' injury,
20:57how devastating is it when you get hurt and you're champion?
21:00It's just hard when the company gives you the ball.
21:02And when you look at somebody like Seth Rollins,
21:05I mean, he wanted to run hard.
21:07And, you know, he couldn't have been more proud to be a champion.
21:10And then you get hurt.
21:11You really feel like you're not just letting yourself down,
21:14but you're just letting everyone down.
21:16It's a finite number of spots.
21:18You know, you lose your spot.
21:19You feel at some point that the gods are against you.
21:22You know, you think, what in the world?
21:24I finally made it to the freakin' mountain,
21:26and I have been chopped off.
21:28And then all of a sudden, you're at home,
21:30and they move on without you.
21:31And that's just the worst thing ever.
21:33It's the worst.
21:34It's so hard to sit there and watch.
21:37Everybody moves on, though.
21:39Everyone moves on.
21:40That's the thing is that, like, I've been in WWE for a minute,
21:42and, like, everybody feels bad when it initially happens,
21:45but, like, people, the wheel keeps spinning.
21:49You are looking live at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas,
21:54a record crowd of over 100,000 expected for WrestleMania.
22:04Yeah, that was really hard for me.
22:06Missing WrestleMania is one of the worst feelings
22:08as a performer in our industry.
22:10Coming off previous years' WrestleMania,
22:13I wanted to top that.
22:14I wanted to go into WrestleMania as the champion,
22:17be on the marquee.
22:18And once I went down, I just knew that wasn't gonna happen.
22:21Triple H, Roman Reigns, main event.
22:26The injury, obviously, was unfortunate
22:28and, you know, just a part of what we do.
22:33Come on, come on.
22:34Push, pull, push, pull, push, pull.
22:35There you go.
22:36There you go.
22:37Keep going.
22:38Keep going.
22:39I worked out on my knee, and I got cleared and all that,
22:42but I didn't know how I was gonna feel,
22:44and I didn't know if I was ready for it,
22:47and I had just been out of the game from November to May.
22:52You are looking live at a sold-out prudential center
22:55in Newark, New Jersey.
22:5715,963 WWE fans are here, sold out, for Extreme Rules.
23:06I'm ready, and I've done all the things I need to do
23:08and got cleared, you know, tests and everything,
23:11like, it still doesn't feel totally real.
23:17Not knowing was a very scary feeling.
23:21Not knowing whether my knee was gonna hold up,
23:24not knowing whether the people would accept me.
23:30Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
23:35It's Seth Rollins!
23:38It's Seth Rollins! A pedigree!
23:41Seth Rollins is back!
23:43Seth Rollins is here!
23:45A pedigree to the champion!
23:47Fans realize that, as a performer,
23:50Seth Rollins has become an essential part of WWE TV.
23:55We miss Seth Rollins.
23:58Right when you thought you'd seen it all,
24:00Seth Rollins returns with a vengeance.
24:05Man!
24:09Seth is a prime example of,
24:11he was able to fight through an injury,
24:14come back, and get right back to where he wanted to.
24:17Right back.
24:20Seth Rollins returns from that almost career-ending knee injury.
24:24His mindset has been the same.
24:26I carry this company, and I will do it again.
24:28I deserve to be universal champion.
24:32Seth goes through the process that it takes
24:34to get another opportunity at the universal championship.
24:38I thought we were gonna get kind of a repeat.
24:41Triple H!
24:43Triple H is gonna help Rollins win the damn match!
24:47Not like this! Not like this!
24:50I go, okay, Triple H is gonna once again
24:52make sure that his guy, Seth Rollins,
24:55wins the universal championship.
24:57Any time you work closely with somebody side-by-side,
25:00I think there's always the,
25:01oh, what about the other side of this thing?
25:04Seth Rollins!
25:05Wait a minute! No!
25:06Wait a minute! No!
25:08What the? What was your act?
25:10There's gotta be a great story to tell there.
25:12A pedigree to Rollins!
25:14Are you kidding me?
25:16Are you kidding me?
25:19Hanging the app.
25:22Seth Rollins! Wait a minute! No!
25:24Wait a minute! No!
25:26What the? What was your act?
25:31A pedigree to Rollins!
25:32What is? Are you kidding me?
25:34In 2016, Rollins had just come back from his injury,
25:37and this is when him and Triple H's rivalry kicked back up.
25:41Now Triple H is giving the pedigree to Seth Rollins.
25:44They clearly had fallen out of love with one another.
25:49This may be the most shocking moment
25:51in Monday Night Raw history!
25:53I think it was something that the audience was sort of clamoring for.
25:57It allowed for us to do some unique things
25:59from a story perspective leading into WrestleMania.
26:02It allowed for us to have an obvious story.
26:04Standing by my side,
26:06Seth Rollins would become the man.
26:09Standing by my side,
26:11Seth Rollins would become the face of the WWE.
26:16Standing by my side,
26:20Seth Rollins would get everything he ever wanted
26:24out of this business and more.
26:26And all he had to do,
26:29all Seth Rollins had to do,
26:32was hold up his end of the bargain.
26:34And he couldn't do it, could he?
26:36No. His leg gave way,
26:39and then he came in this ring,
26:41and he handed back everything that I had ever handed him.
26:48When you could blur those lines,
26:50all of that from a behind-the-scenes content
26:53and everything else, it just really worked.
26:56Welcome, everybody, to NXT TakeOver San Antonio!
27:03The thing about NXT that made it unique
27:05was the talent that was down there,
27:07the fact that it wasn't main roster talent.
27:09One thing is for sure, when you have two bulldozers
27:12who will block for you and knock down anything in their path.
27:16Well, I'm taking this s*** over!
27:20This is where it all started,
27:22and I know, I know you are back there,
27:25you are watching this, you can see everything.
27:30So I am pulling your ass out right now, Triple H.
27:34Come on, let's do this thing!
27:37To see Seth essentially desecrate the sacred ground
27:41that is NXT TakeOver,
27:43to walk right in the door and take over the show
27:46that meant so much to Triple H in the past
27:48and that Triple H had built over these years
27:51with countless hours of hard work,
27:53that was a warning shot right there.
27:55Felt like crashing the fourth wall,
27:58felt like kicking down a door
28:00that we're not supposed to kick down.
28:02He's in his role as NXT head, he's an exec right now.
28:06Oh, you think you're just gonna put on a suit
28:09and run this NXT show?
28:10No, no, I'm gonna see you there.
28:13It was Seth's idea, like,
28:14hey, what if I come to the pay-per-view for NXT
28:17and we do something there
28:18and I won't get out of the ring
28:19until you come out and face me
28:21and we can have security come out
28:23and get you out of there or whatever.
28:24There was a lot of really cool things to play with.
28:28It's no secret,
28:29the history between Triple H and Seth Rollins,
28:31he's not gonna stop till he gets his hands on the game.
28:37When you have somebody with the legacy that Triple H has,
28:42him versus Seth Rollins
28:43was probably at the top of the list
28:45of the match you'd hope to see.
28:46And, of course, it would have to happen at WrestleMania.
28:49Nowhere else could it.
28:51Do you wanna see Seth Rollins face Triple H at WrestleMania?
28:58You already know who your creator is.
29:03Well, then, Seth Rollins,
29:04get your ass to this ring and meet your destroyer.
29:10Triple H calling out Seth Rollins.
29:14Seth said earlier he has nothing left to lose.
29:17It's only once you've lost everything.
29:19Oh, my God!
29:20Who the hell is...
29:21Who the...
29:22Oh, my God!
29:23It's Samoa Joe!
29:24Triple H is heavy!
29:26Samoa Joe attacking and assaulting Seth Rollins!
29:30Triple H sucks me in.
29:32There's Samoa Joe.
29:33He wraps me in a choke and just takes me down.
29:40He found me.
29:42The way my knee twisted underneath him,
29:44I felt it pop.
29:47And there goes my knee again.
29:50I thought it was gone.
29:51I thought I was gonna be out for another six to nine months.
29:56Just when you think you're gonna reach this culmination,
29:59this story that you've been following,
30:01real life can get in the way.
30:04I could not...
30:06f***ing believe it.
30:15Justin, are you really doing this again?
30:18I don't know, man.
30:19If I got a sore throat and I gotta go out there on stage,
30:21I'm like, I'm hating life, you know?
30:23And I can't even imagine what it would be like
30:26to suffer injuries that would cripple an average person
30:30and still have to function at those levels is incredible.
30:34Injuries are really unfortunate, part of our business.
30:37But it also makes you a superhero also.
30:40You hate it at the time, you hate going through all that rehab,
30:43you hate missing TV, that was your big moment.
30:46That's legendary stuff.
30:48And sometimes when you have some bad thing like that happen,
30:51you realize the character of some of these people.
30:54I could not believe it.
30:56I was like, there's no way.
30:58I'm gonna miss another WrestleMania.
31:01I really think this may heal on its own with a brace.
31:04So, this may not be as bad as we thought.
31:09You just gave me some good news.
31:10Yeah, we're gonna see.
31:13Somehow, someway, only tore my MCL.
31:17I say only, but I had to go in and religiously rehab
31:21and couldn't compete in the ring,
31:23so I was not in great shape.
31:25So, not the way I envisioned
31:27riding into my first WrestleMania
31:29back from my previous knee injury.
31:32But, you gotta take the hand you're dealt.
31:36One thing about Seth, he'll tough his way through something
31:39if it's for the betterment of the product.
31:41So, while it was touch and go,
31:42I don't think there was ever a doubt
31:43that he put everything he had into it.
31:45SETH ROLLINS
31:53No way.
31:55Yes way.
31:56Oh my God.
31:57Seth Rollins,
32:00bad knee and all,
32:02is here on Raw.
32:04Oh no, this is the smartest decision for Seth Rollins.
32:07Oh my God.
32:11When Rollins drops those crutches
32:13and you see Triple H turn white as a ghost.
32:15The gang wasn't expecting this
32:17and here comes Rollins.
32:18Rollins is fired up.
32:20Seth Rollins will not let Triple H dictate his career.
32:23Those are those hero moments
32:25that the WWE is all about.
32:27Oh no, bad knee.
32:29Triple H bent the steel crutch
32:31on the injured knee of Seth Rollins.
32:35The prospect of wrestling Triple H anywhere,
32:38whether it be a pay-per-view or television or WrestleMania,
32:41was very exciting to me.
32:43Nerve-wracking, but exciting.
32:46If I draw up a hold harmless agreement
32:49for a non-sanctioned match,
32:51that means that when I cripple Seth Rollins,
32:55that he can't sue me.
32:57He can't sue my wife.
32:58He can't sue the WWE.
33:04Seth Rollins can barely walk
33:05and he's gonna go into a match
33:06against one of the greatest of all time in WrestleMania.
33:09He's insane.
33:10I wouldn't consider a smart decision by any means,
33:13but Seth is living by what his heart wants to do
33:15and that is destroy Triple H.
33:18I really got to learn a lot from Triple H.
33:21I watched how he manipulated his character
33:23and took a lot of mental notes
33:25on what to do when I was out there.
33:28That was a really valuable experience
33:30for me and my development.
33:32When you sign this contract
33:34and you step into the ring with me at WrestleMania,
33:37Seth, I'm not gonna stop at all.
33:39I'm gonna keep going until I destroy what I created.
33:44You get one shot at life, Seth.
33:47You take life and you grab it by the throat
33:49and you make it give you everything you want
33:52and screw everybody else.
33:55There's a real relationship there.
33:57When there's a real relationship,
33:58there's real pain, there's real emotion
34:00and I think that comes across
34:01when you see two guys talking to each other in the ring.
34:04This is about redemption.
34:07Do you understand that?
34:08Not revenge, redemption.
34:10Because I gave up everything to stand next to you
34:14and for what?
34:16It's an honest conversation
34:18between people who respect each other
34:20but also in this particular setting
34:22don't like each other very much.
34:24At WrestleMania, you better be prepared
34:27to tear my leg off my body and beat me with it
34:31because there will be nothing
34:32that can stop me from getting back
34:34what matters most to me in my life
34:36and that's who I was before I met you.
34:42It will be a night forever etched in history
34:45and legends will be born.
34:50It's a nice feeling to be back on the stage
34:52to have a match at WrestleMania.
34:54Last year was a rather disgruntling experience for me
34:58to put it mildly.
35:00To be watching the show from the press box
35:02so being able to look out
35:04and kind of imagine how things are going to play out tonight
35:06it's definitely cool.
35:08Let's hope my knee doesn't get tired out
35:10before I get all the way down there.
35:13Getting to WrestleMania
35:14is the hardest thing imaginable.
35:17Really, it is.
35:18Stressful.
35:19So getting there is a testament
35:20to Seth Rollins and his ability
35:22and also the need for him.
35:23We want this.
35:24We've had this story and the different layers
35:27and the different courses with it.
35:28We've got to finish.
35:32Time to go big.
35:36It is Seth Rollins going one-on-one
35:39with his former mentor, Chaplain.
35:41Student versus teacher.
35:43A match years in the making.
35:48The fact that Seth and Triple H
35:50ultimately converged was inevitable.
35:56Triple H had done so much for Seth's career
35:58at this point from the very beginning
36:00but the ultimate test was
36:02can the student now beat the master?
36:05I've seen this guy come in with a boatload of talent
36:07but then help him overcome things
36:09and watch him develop.
36:11And now I get to work with him at WrestleMania
36:13on the biggest stage that there is
36:14and have this moment with him.
36:16It was magical to be able to do.
36:23Seth Rollins one-on-one with Triple H.
36:25And here we go!
36:27Oh, that's the injured knee!
36:30Do it again!
36:33It's WrestleMania 33
36:35and Triple H is finally facing Seth Rollins.
36:38Seth Rollins may never walk again.
36:41Those are two prime examples.
36:43Triple H and Seth Rollins
36:45that win the bell rings very consistently.
36:47And that makes for a great, great rivalry.
36:54That was tough, man.
36:55That was a tough match.
36:56I felt a lot of pressure.
36:59I was so focused on staying healthy.
37:02Rollins tries to fight back.
37:04Desperation mode.
37:06We had this awesome opportunity
37:08and I knew it was going to be big.
37:10It was so cool to do and to be a part of.
37:13Guts over fear.
37:14Launches himself on a Triple H of a knee again.
37:17Seth puts so much pressure on himself.
37:20He hates disappointing fans.
37:22Rollins.
37:24Here's the cover.
37:25Can he beat the game?
37:26Oh, and a kick out at two and a half.
37:28Even with one knee down,
37:30an arm missing,
37:32three toes gone off his foot,
37:34somehow he will steal the show.
37:38This has been nothing short of a Herculean effort
37:41from Seth Rollins.
37:42WWE is like a live action adventure soap opera.
37:46Oh yeah, there's Stephanie on the apron.
37:47Stephanie on the apron!
37:48And when you're going to get to watch
37:50somebody that you really dislike
37:52who resembles an authority figure in your life
37:54get their butt kicked.
37:55Oh my gosh!
37:58Triple H!
37:59You're that much more invested.
38:01And now Rollins with a pedigree!
38:04Takes advantage!
38:05Can he do it?
38:07The King Slayer!
38:09Somehow, badly at all,
38:11Seth Rollins has taken out the game!
38:21The moments that I was able to share
38:23with Seth,
38:24it's irreplaceable.
38:27We'll have a bond forever because of that.
38:32Seth, how gratifying was that win for you?
38:37I honestly can't,
38:38I can't begin to put it into words.
38:40The whole night, the whole,
38:42the whole last two months
38:44has just been such an up and down whirlwind
38:46between, you know,
38:49wondering if you're ever going to be able to wrestle again.
38:52To be out there in front of all those people again,
38:55you know, with the man who was your mentor
38:57and, you know, love him or hate him.
39:01You know, we've been through a lot together
39:03and I got, at some level, a lot of respect for him.
39:06And that's a very special,
39:08special moment out there for you,
39:10just to be out there.
39:12The win was a nice feather in the cap, though.
39:16Those years of my life were crazy, man.
39:21The story with Triple H was emotionally taxing.
39:24And then I start to question my body, you know.
39:28Is it me? Am I breaking down?
39:30Am I just not built for this?
39:32Is this the end of my career?
39:33Like, all of these sorts of things cross your mind
39:36and to be able to bowl your way through all of that
39:41and then to get on the other side of it
39:43was a very interesting experience
39:45in my development as a performer,
39:47but also as a human, as a person,
39:49where I wanted to go from here.
39:55I am a visionary.
39:57I am a revolutionary!
40:00I am Seth Freaking!
40:05The Seth Rollins we have today
40:07is the most consistent.
40:09He's a locker room leader.
40:11Rollins being serenaded by the WWE Universe!
40:15It's so cool to see not only everything come full circle
40:18between Seth and Triple H,
40:20but Seth's finally got to live up to
40:22what Triple H envisioned for him from the very start.
40:26The vision came to life
40:27and it exceeded everybody's expectations.
40:29The main event starts right now
40:31with a brand new World Heavyweight Championship.
40:35Stop! Rollins, the cover!
40:38Seth Rollins is your new World Heavyweight Champion
40:42as Triple H is here tonight.
40:46It felt very much like a full circle moment
40:49at Night of Champions.
40:51Almost like a wormhole back in time.
40:53The NXT to that first championship match,
40:56to him being there to raise my hand,
40:58it was very surreal.
41:01He said something to me along the lines of,
41:03we've come a long way when we were in there together.
41:07Couldn't have meant more that it was us
41:09a whole decade later
41:11pushing the industry forward one more time.
41:16Your own career is big,
41:19and it means so much to you
41:21and you're so driven to do it.
41:23But I could have never imagined
41:25somebody else's success could be that meaningful to me
41:28and I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Seth
41:31because of all of that.
41:34There is no Seth Rollins without Triple H.
41:36He is like my wrestling father.
41:39I needed someone to be hard on me.
41:42I needed someone to believe in me.
41:46And that mentorship is something that
41:49I will always treasure.
41:51It's something that I hope I can pass along.
41:55If I can be a Triple H
41:57to somebody's Seth Rollins,
41:59then I will have done right by him.