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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 the cheese.
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.
00:21Turn the place upside down.
00:23I pulled him aside and was like,
00:25I need to know right now you 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!
00:45There's a real relationship, a real pain, and that comes across on camera.
00:49For Triple H, it's about destroying Rollins, destroying his career.
00:53If you're hell-bent on making things difficult, we're done.
00:58You're all right!
00:59So much animosity in this awesome rivalry.
01:04When two legends collide, the rivalry stays pinned in our minds forever.
01:10This is where we break down the legendary stories
01:12behind the greatest rivalries of all time.
01:16I'm Gabriel Iglesias, and this is WWE Rivals.
01:28Seth Rollins, get your ass to this ring and meet your destroyer!
01:35Triple H versus Seth Rollins.
01:37The blurring of the lines, the student and the mentor.
01:40When you think about Seth Rollins and Triple H,
01:43the first thing that comes to mind is they're both, pardon the pun,
01:45they're both students of the game.
01:47I'm calling your ass out right now, Triple H!
01:51It's just a storyline that always happens, and 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.
02:19D-Generation X, Triple H.
02:21The Generation X, if anything, are becoming more degenerate,
02:24but every week...
02:25I got two words for you!
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!
02:44Oh, man!
02:46I mean, he was the anchor of DX
02:48in all of its different incarnations over the years.
02:51Not this way!
02:54And so he was a guy that I always looked up to.
02:57You guys talk about being students of the game?
03:00I am the f***ing game!
03:02And then when he branched out on his own and became The Game
03:06and one of the biggest stars in the history of our industry...
03:09Triple H has realized his dreams!
03:12It's all about Triple H!
03:13I 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
03:20that hated him,
03:22that wanted somebody to kick his ass,
03:24which is probably what he was going for.
03:26This is not what you need!
03:27More guys angry at you!
03:30A lot of people dislike me,
03:32but 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.
03:38But when you say WWE, Triple H,
03:41they're synonymous with each other.
03:43And The Game has won the world title for a tenth time!
03:47Look at Triple H over his career.
03:49He's that good that he can keep himself
03:51as one of the greatest guys that's ever been in the business.
03:53But he's also made guy after guy after guy.
03:56He's a kingmaker.
03:57That's right. A kingmaker.
03:58Because they are kings.
03:59They're not just guys that make on the roster.
04:01These are guys who make it to the top.
04:03Evolution on top of the world!
04:05I mean, the stuff you did with Evolution.
04:07You know, he made Batista.
04:09He made Randy.
04:10You 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,
04:58ended up getting married.
05:02Flash 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.
05:20The opportunity here is massive,
05:23but it's all on you.
05:25How much do you want it?
05:27From what I learned about Triple H in his early years,
05:31you 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
05:41in trying to just make it.
05:43I 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.
05:53It'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?
06:18No, 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
06:37that almost needed to be broken.
06:39Right.
06:40He was someone who wouldn't just be pushed into a corner.
06:43All right, this is the performer you need to be,
06:45so let's shave off your edges.
06:47Like, no, he fought to do things his way.
06:49All 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.
06:55I knew I had a lot to offer to the main roster,
06:58and I was not afraid to speak out.
07:01Kind of ruffles some feathers occasionally.
07:03And some of those feathers that I ruffled
07:06happened to belong to the Red Rooster himself,
07:09Terry Taylor.
07:11Terry was a good friend of Triple H,
07:13and Triple H brought Terry Taylor in
07:15to help kind of groom the top talent.
07:18Seth 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 not ready. He's immature.
07:35I remember thinking, like, this kid
07:37is gonna go up to Raw or to SmackDown.
07:39He's gonna f*** this whole thing up
07:41because he can't get out of his own way.
07:43So I pulled him aside at NXT,
07:46sat down with him in the corner,
07:47and was like, I am two seconds away
07:49from pulling you out of this whole thing.
07:51I need to know right now, you either get on this program
07:54or you can go tell me how great you are someplace else.
07:59He told me, point blank,
08:01he didn't see anything special in me,
08:03and that I wasn't who I thought I was, essentially.
08:09Um...
08:12How honest do you want me to be here?
08:16I thought, go f*** yourself.
08:18That's what I thought.
08:20I've always been supremely confident
08:22in my own ability, and I didn't really care
08:25who he was in that moment.
08:27There was nobody that was gonna tell me
08:29who I was or how special I was or wasn't.
08:33It was something that frustrated me,
08:35but it also very much lit a fire under me.
08:37And I was going to find a way
08:39to make sure that he knew how good I was.
08:41And Rollins taking a chance!
08:44Seth Rollins was already an A-level guy in-ring,
08:48but I think Triple H also noticed
08:50Seth's passion for this industry.
08:52Seth Rollins is a guy who lives and breathes this.
08:57Tonight, we will crown the first-ever NXT champion.
09:01To his credit, he flipped a switch
09:04and just started to work with.
09:06Like, I could see where he could be so successful,
09:09and you're trying so hard to get him there.
09:13Seth Rollins has become the first NXT champion!
09:18It doesn't get any bigger than an endorsement
09:22from the COO.
09:24What an amazing show of respect.
09:28Oh, it meant everything to me.
09:30When you look back at that moment
09:32and what got us to that moment,
09:33it becomes deeper, in a sense.
09:36It felt like we had jumped over some hurdles.
09:39What a moment for a man who 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 gonna be the first one.
09:54So there was a ton of people in this business asking me,
09:56why 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, all right, this is over right now.
10:11I'm gonna forget about it
10:12and we're gonna go do business together.
10:15Don't make me sorry.
10:18Rollins with the knockdown!
10:19Rollins with the cover!
10:22In 2012, Seth Rollins became the first NXT champion.
10:26How often are you right about,
10:28that's the guy, that's the girl, that's who he is.
10:31Seth's the one, Seth's the one.
10:33Just a really smart, educated outlook
10:36that Hunter had on plucking them in the first place.
10:39And later on that year,
10:40the birth of one of the greatest factions of all time,
10:43The Shield, came to be.
10:45This Ryback is unstoppable!
10:47Ryback's unbelievable!
10:49What in the world, what is this?
10:51Who the, what the?
10:54Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins.
10:56Roman Reigns.
10:59Welcome to The Shield of Justice.
11:02Seth Rollins and The Shield
11:04get called up to the WWE main roster.
11:07Three superstars that the WWE audience
11:09was totally unfamiliar with,
11:11but from the time that they got into the squared circle,
11:16they commanded fans' attention.
11:21I was in the locker room as The Shield was building
11:23and there was such jealousy.
11:25They destroyed everybody.
11:26They destroyed every, and they're just building
11:28and they're building and they're building.
11:29This pack of dog mentality, the three-on-one assault.
11:33Not a lot of people get to experience the rise that we did.
11:36It's reckless abandon,
11:37I've never seen anything like this group.
11:40We have a duty, we have to serve justice
11:43and we will do it swiftly and without mercy.
11:47And they came in here and just tore it up and went to town.
11:52They were given the opportunity to step up to the plate
11:54and they took their shot.
12:00In 2013, Paul and I came back as the authority.
12:03Really the authority figures in WWE.
12:06We're the bad bosses.
12:08We're the people who are treating our employees
12:11and our talent terribly just to make a profit for ourselves.
12:15With my power and support, Triple H is the WWE.
12:23Triple H was always a really interesting authority figure
12:26because on screen we got to see him play this
12:29villainous, power-hungry person in charge.
12:32But in reality, we also knew that he was a person in charge.
12:37I became the authority here
12:41knowing what I would have to endure with that role
12:46because nobody likes the boss.
12:48Don't make me take this tie off and come out here.
12:51I've got a sledgehammer under this bed here
12:53and I'm not afraid to use it, all right?
12:54I'm going to take you to the edge, Triple!
12:56The authority actually learned the lines
12:58because of course you wonder how much is reality
13:01and how much is storyline.
13:02And it was thought-provoking in a lot of ways.
13:04People don't really know what's real, what's not,
13:06where does it stop, where does it end.
13:07To me, that's a wonderful thing to have happen
13:10to a show where people don't really know
13:12what's real and what isn't.
13:14Seth Rollins says our case is to fight injustice
13:17and there's no bigger injustice than the authority.
13:21So you've got three studs, the caliber of Reigns,
13:24Rollins and Ambrose.
13:25It's only natural that on a long enough timeline
13:27they're going to collide with the old guard,
13:29the establishment, so to speak.
13:31And that's what you had in Triple H,
13:33Randy Orton and Batista,
13:34a dominant faction from yesteryear
13:37who weren't ready to be done ruling the Roost.
13:39And the Shield was basically looking
13:41to put them out to pasture.
13:42You see the thing is this, Shield,
13:44I brought you into this world
13:47and you were looking at the three guys
13:50that are going to take you out of it.
13:52Evolution versus the Shield was a huge test.
13:54The Shield thinks that they're the new evolution
13:57and there's just one problem with that.
14:00The problem is we're still here.
14:02To be matched up with them, it was like,
14:04yeah, you've handled everybody in your own generation,
14:07but now it's time to can you rise to the star power,
14:11like the elite level that is these three guys.
14:15This is going to be a collision.
14:19The Shield versus Evolution.
14:24This is about where you sit in history.
14:29Who's the greatest faction of all time?
14:33I love those passing of the torch moments,
14:36and that's what it felt like.
14:38You're going to have an opportunity
14:39to work with these three legends
14:41and you're going to be elevated because of it.
14:43This is about domination. It's about being the best.
14:46I was wrestling once, twice a year maybe,
14:49and I was so busy with everything corporately
14:52that it was so difficult to do,
14:54but Seth made it so easy for me to do it.
14:57The experience working with Triple H at that point
15:00became better because it was the first time
15:02we were really working on screen,
15:04so I really got to learn a lot from him.
15:06Oh, my God! Seth Rollins!
15:09Spear by Reigns!
15:12It's over!
15:14Shield has defeated Evolution!
15:20We were doing the Shield and fully rolling
15:22and all that stuff, and I remember thinking to myself,
15:24like, they were as hot as they were going to be,
15:26and they were going to do what?
15:28There was really no place else to go.
15:30In case you haven't figured it out yet,
15:33what I do better than anybody is adapt.
15:38Last night was plan A.
15:42Tonight...
15:45plan B.
15:49What is going on here?
15:52You guys are on top of the world.
15:54Why in the world would Seth Rollins do this?
15:57I knew it was going to hit hard
16:01because I knew how much pain it was going to cause
16:04everybody watching at home.
16:06Are you kidding me?
16:08Rollins, Seth, he's a salty ambrose!
16:11I think we all know what's going to happen.
16:14Rollins, Seth, he's a salty ambrose!
16:17I think we often see these things coming,
16:20and that was one of the times where it felt like
16:22so 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.
16:36At this point, you're untouchable.
16:38Right.
16:40Yeah, and Seth filled that role completely well
16:42because he's the chosen one.
16:44He's the guy. Everybody hates that guy.
16:49I've got to be your guy.
16:51I've got to be the face of this company.
16:53Give me the opportunity.
16:55I am the one who created the Shield,
16:58and I am the one who has destroyed it.
17:05When 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.
17:19Pedigree! A pedigree!
17:21That's Triple H's move!
17:23Rollins used Triple H's pedigree!
17:27It only made sense to start using the pedigree.
17:30I was Triple H's protege.
17:32That 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,
17:41Seth Rollins!
17:45When he was branching out of the Shield,
17:47what do you do with that?
17:49Do you just become another guy in the mix at the top?
17:51Or do you become the guy?
17:55Stop the rage! Cover by Rollins!
17:59Rollins with the title! Rollins with the title!
18:02Wait a minute! Seth 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.
18:30I knew you always had it,
18:32but I'm so proud of you.
18:37That was so special, so incredible,
18:40because that's my friend winning the world title
18:43in the main event of WrestleMania.
18:45I know how hard he's worked for it.
18:47I know what it means to him. What a moment.
18:50I wanted it to be the greatest title run of all time.
18:54The future is now,
18:57and the future is the greatest champion of all time!
19:03You want somebody that will work harder than everybody else.
19:09That man is Seth Rollins.
19:13I think Triple H saw a bit of himself in Seth Rollins.
19:18And I think Triple H took that time for Seth
19:22because he knew what he had.
19:24I'm looking for guys to lead this back, lead the business.
19:27It was wonderful to see.
19:29I'm the man, baby!
19:31It's awesome to watch Seth Rollins walk out of that ring
19:34as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion,
19:37but you can never take it for granted.
19:43The old adage of staying on top is much harder
19:46than getting to the top is absolutely true.
19:49I'm wrestling in Dublin, Ireland against Kane.
19:54I had a table lined up behind old Kane.
19:56I was gonna put him in.
20:02The angle with which I came down
20:04was much more awkward than what I was used to,
20:07and I just blew my whole knee out.
20:09Blew the whole thing, ACL, MCL, meniscus.
20:12The whole thing was gone.
20:14That was it. That was the end of my title run.
20:16I had to go to Alabama and have surgery.
20:21This is a higher level of the injury
20:23because he's a pretty high-energy athlete,
20:25and whenever you have that kind of high-energy stuff,
20:28the injuries are just greater.
20:30I have the utmost confidence that I can get back
20:32and be better than ever, but there's always
20:34that little whisper in the back of your head
20:36that makes you wonder if, in fact, that's even possible.
20:39It's an ACL tear plus a pretty bad meniscus tear
20:42plus a pretty bad MCL tear through both layers.
20:46So definitely on the more severe end of knee ligament injuries.
20:53You know, coming off of Rollins' injury,
20:55how devastating is it when you get hurt and you're champion?
20:58It's just hard when the company gives you the ball,
21:00and when you look at somebody like Seth Rollins,
21:02I mean, he wanted to run hard,
21:04and, you know, he couldn't have been more proud
21:06to be a champion, and then you get hurt.
21:08You really feel like you're not just letting yourself down,
21:11but you're just letting everyone down.
21:13There's a finite number of spots.
21:15You know, you lose your spot.
21:17You feel at some point that the gods are against you.
21:20You know, you think, what in the world?
21:22I finally made it to the freakin' mountain,
21:24and I have been chopped off.
21:26And all of a sudden, you're at home,
21:27and they move on without you.
21:29And that's just the worst thing ever.
21:31It's the worst.
21:32It's so hard to sit there and watch.
21:34Yeah.
21:35Everybody moves on, though.
21:36Yeah, everyone moves on.
21:37That's the thing is that, like, I've been in WWE for a minute,
21:40and, like, everybody feels bad when it initially happens,
21:43but, like, people, the wheel keeps spinning.
21:47You are looking live at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas,
21:52a record crowd of over 100,000 expected for WrestleMania.
22:01Yeah, that was really hard for me.
22:04Missing WrestleMania is one of the worst feelings
22:06as a performer in our industry.
22:08Coming off the previous year's WrestleMania,
22:11I wanted to top that.
22:12I wanted to go into WrestleMania as the champion,
22:15be on the marquee.
22:16And once I went down, I just knew that wasn't gonna happen.
22:19Triple H, Roman Reigns, main event.
22:24The injury, obviously, was unfortunate
22:26and, you know, just a part of what we do.
22:30There you go. Come on. Hold on.
22:31That's it. Push, pull. Push, pull. Push, pull.
22:33There you go. There you go. Good.
22:35Keep going. Come on. Keep going.
22:37I worked out on my knee, and I got cleared and all that,
22:40but I didn't know how I was gonna feel,
22:42and I didn't know if I was ready for it,
22:45and I had just been out of the game from November to May.
22:50You are looking live at a sold-out prudential center
22:53in Newark, New Jersey.
22:5515,963 WWE fans are here,
23:00sold out for Extreme Rules.
23:04I'm ready, and I've done all the things I need to do
23:06and got cleared and, you know, tests and everything.
23:09Like, it still doesn't feel totally real.
23:13Not knowing was a very scary feeling.
23:18Not knowing whether my knee was gonna hold up.
23:21Not knowing whether the people would accept me.
23:27Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
23:32It's Seth Rollins!
23:35It's Seth Rollins on Pedigree!
23:38Seth Rollins is back!
23:40Seth Rollins is here!
23:42On Pedigree to the champion!
23:44Fans realize that, as a performer,
23:47Seth Rollins has become an essential part of WWE TV.
23:52We miss Seth Rollins.
23:55Well, when you thought you'd seen it all,
23:57Seth Rollins returns with a vengeance!
24:06Seth is a prime example of,
24:08he was able to fight through an injury,
24:10come back, and get right back to where he wanted to.
24:14Right back.
24:17Seth Rollins returns from that almost career-ending knee injury.
24:21His mindset has been the same.
24:22I carry this company, and I will do it again.
24:25I deserve to be Universal Champion.
24:29Seth goes through the process that it takes
24:31to get another opportunity at the Universal Championship.
24:35I thought we were going to get kind of a repeat.
24:38Triple H!
24:39Triple H is going to help Rollins win the damn match!
24:44Not like this! Not like this!
24:47I go, okay, Triple H is going to once again
24:49make sure that his guy, Seth Rollins,
24:52wins the Universal Championship.
24:55Anytime you work closely with somebody side-by-side,
24:57I think there's always the,
24:58oh, well, what about the other side of this thing?
25:02Wait a minute! No!
25:04Wait a minute! No!
25:08There's got to be a great story to tell there.
25:13Are you kidding me?!
25:15Are you kidding me?!
25:19Wait a minute! No!
25:21Wait a minute! No!
25:23Wait a minute! No!
25:28Wait a minute! No!
25:30Are you kidding me?!
25:31In 2016, Rollins had just come back from his injury,
25:33and this is when him and Triple H's rivalry kicked back up.
25:38Now Triple H is giving the pedigree to Seth Rollins.
25:40They clearly had fallen out of love with one another.
25:45This may be the most shocking moment
25:47in Monday Night Raw history!
25:50I think it was something that the audience
25:52was sort of clamoring for.
25:54It allowed for us to do some unique things
25:56from a story perspective,
25:57leading into WrestleMania.
25:58It allowed for us to have an obvious story.
26:00Standing by my side,
26:03Seth Rollins would become the man.
26:06Standing by my side,
26:08Seth Rollins would become the face of the WWE.
26:13Standing by my side,
26:17Seth Rollins would get everything he ever wanted
26:21out of this business and more.
26:23And all he had to do,
26:26all Seth Rollins had to do
26:28was hold up his end of the bargain.
26:31And he couldn't do it, could he?
26:33Nah.
26:34His leg gave way and then he came in this ring
26:37and he handed back everything that I had ever handed him.
26:43When you could blur those lines,
26:45all of that,
26:46from the behind-the-scenes content and everything else,
26:50it just really worked.
26:51Welcome, everybody, to NXT TakeOver San Antonio.
26:57The thing about NXT that made it unique
27:00was the talent that was down there,
27:02the fact that it wasn't main roster talent.
27:04One thing is for sure,
27:05when you have two bulldozers who will block for you
27:08and knock down anything in their path.
27:09Show's called TakeOver, right?
27:11Well, I'm taking this s*** over!
27:16This is where it all started,
27:18and I know!
27:19I know you are back there!
27:21You are watching this!
27:22You can see everything!
27:26So I am pulling your a** out right now, Triple H!
27:30Come on! Let's do this thing!
27:33To see Seth essentially desecrate the sacred ground
27:37that is NXT TakeOver,
27:39to walk right in the door and take over the show
27:42that meant so much to Triple H in the past
27:45and that Triple H had built over these years
27:47with countless hours of hard work,
27:49that was a warning shot right there.
27:51Felt like crashing the fourth wall.
27:54Felt like kicking down a door
27:56that we're not supposed to kick down.
27:58He's in his role as NXT head.
28:01He's an exec right now.
28:02Oh, you think you're just gonna put on a suit
28:05and run this NXT show?
28:06No, no, I'm gonna see you there.
28:08With Seth's idea, like,
28:09hey, what if I come to the pay-per-view for NXT
28:12and we do something there
28:13and I won't get out of the ring
28:15until you come out and face me
28:17and, you know, we can have security come out
28:19and get you out of there or whatever.
28:20There's a lot of really cool things to play with.
28:24It's no secret the history
28:25between Triple H and Seth Rollins,
28:27he's not gonna stop till he gets his hands on the game.
28:33When you have somebody
28:34with the legacy that Triple H has,
28:38him versus Seth Rollins
28:39is probably at the top of the list
28:41of the match you'd hope to see.
28:42And, of course, it would have to happen
28:44at WrestleMania.
28:45Nowhere else could it.
28:47Do you want to see Seth Rollins
28:50face Triple H at WrestleMania?
28:54You already know who your creator is.
28:59Well, then, Seth Rollins,
29:00get your ass to this ring
29:03and meet your destroyer.
29:07Triple H calling out Seth Rollins.
29:11Seth said earlier he has nothing left to lose
29:13and it's only once you've lost everything.
29:16Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
29:17That was, who the?
29:19Oh, my God, it's Samoa Joe.
29:21Triple H is heavy.
29:23Samoa Joe attacking and assaulting Seth Rollins.
29:27Triple H sucks me in.
29:29There's Samoa Joe.
29:30He wraps me in a choke and just takes me down.
29:38The way my knee twisted underneath him,
29:40I felt it pop.
29:43And there goes my knee again.
29:46I thought it was gone.
29:47I thought I was going to be out
29:48for another six to nine months.
29:52Just when you think you're going to reach
29:54this culmination,
29:55this story that you've been following,
29:57real life can get in the way.
30:02Could not f***ing believe it.
30:07I don't mean it.
30:08If I got a sore throat
30:09and I got to go out there on stage,
30:10I'm like, oh, I'm hating life, you know?
30:12And I can't even imagine what it would be like
30:14to suffer injuries that would cripple
30:17an average person and still have to function
30:20at those levels is incredible.
30:23Injuries are really unfortunate,
30:25part of our business,
30:26but it also makes you a superhero also.
30:30I'm going to do it.
30:31I'm going to do it.
30:32I'm going to do it.
30:33I'm going to do it.
30:34You're a superhero also.
30:36You hate it at the time.
30:37You hate going through all that rehab.
30:39You hate missing TV.
30:40That was your big moment.
30:42That's legendary stuff.
30:44And sometimes when you have
30:45some bad thing like that happen,
30:46you realize the character of some of these people.
30:50I could not believe it.
30:51I was like, there's no way
30:53I'm going to miss another WrestleMania.
30:57I really think this may heal on its own
30:59with a brace.
31:00So this may not be as bad as we thought.
31:04You just gave me some good news.
31:06Yeah, we're going to see.
31:08Somehow, some way, only tore my MCL.
31:13I say only, but I had to go in
31:15and religiously rehab
31:16and couldn't compete in the ring,
31:18so I was not in great shape.
31:20So not the way I envisioned
31:22riding into my first WrestleMania
31:24back from my previous knee injury.
31:27But you got to take the hand you're dealt.
31:31One thing about Seth,
31:32he'll tough his way through something
31:33if it's for the betterment of the product.
31:35So while it was touch and go,
31:37I don't think there was ever a doubt
31:38that he put everything he had into it.
31:47No way.
31:49Yes way.
31:50Oh my God.
31:52Seth Rollins.
31:55Bad knee and all.
31:57Is here on Raw.
31:59Oh no, this is the smartest decision for Seth Rollins.
32:02Oh my God.
32:06When Rollins drops those crutches
32:08and you see Triple H turn white as a ghost.
32:11The gang wasn't expecting this.
32:12And here comes Rollins.
32:14Rollins is fired up.
32:15Seth Rollins will not let Triple H
32:17dictate his career.
32:19Those are those hero moments
32:21that the WWE is all about.
32:23Oh, bad knee.
32:25Triple H bent the steel crutch
32:27on the injured knee of Seth Rollins.
32:30The prospect of wrestling Triple H anywhere,
32:34whether it be a pay-per-view
32:35or television or WrestleMania,
32:37was very exciting to me.
32:39Nerve-wracking, but exciting.
32:41If I draw up a hold harmless agreement
32:45for a non-sanctioned match,
32:47that means that when I cripple Seth Rollins,
32:50that he can't sue me.
32:52He can't sue my wife.
32:53He can't sue the WWE.
32:58Seth Rollins can barely walk
33:00and he's gonna go into a match
33:01against one of the greatest of all time
33:03in WrestleMania?
33:04He's insane.
33:05I wouldn't consider it a smart decision
33:07by any means,
33:08but Seth is living by what his heart wants to do
33:10and that is destroy Triple H.
33:13I really got to learn a lot from Triple H.
33:15I watched how he manipulated his character
33:18and took a lot of mental notes
33:20on what to do when I was out there.
33:23That was a really valuable experience
33:25for me and my development.
33:27When you sign this contract
33:29and you step into the ring with me at WrestleMania,
33:32Seth, I'm not gonna stop at all.
33:33I'm gonna keep going until I destroy
33:36what I created.
33:38You get one shot at life, Seth.
33:41You take life and you grab it by the throat
33:44and you make it give you everything you want
33:47and screw everybody else.
33:50There's a real relationship there.
33:51When there's a real relationship,
33:53there's real pain, there's real emotion
33:55and I think that comes across
33:56when you see two guys talking to each other in the ring.
33:59This is about redemption.
34:02Do you understand that?
34:03Not revenge.
34:04Redemption.
34:05Because I gave up everything
34:07to stand next to you.
34:09And for what?
34:11It's an honest conversation
34:13between people who respect each other
34:15but also in this particular setting
34:17don't like each other very much.
34:19WrestleMania, you better be prepared
34:22to tear my leg off my body
34:25and beat me with it
34:26because there will be nothing
34:28that can stop me from getting back
34:30what matters most to me in my life
34:32and that's who I was before I met you.
34:38It will be a night forever etched in history
34:41and legends will be born.
34:45It's a nice feeling to be back on the stage, you know,
34:48to watch a match at WrestleMania.
34:50Last year was a rather disgruntling experience for me,
34:54to put it mildly.
34:56To be watching the show from the press box,
34:58so being able to look out
35:00and kind of imagine how things are going to play out tonight,
35:02it's definitely cool.
35:04Let's hope my knee doesn't get tired out
35:06before I get all the way down there.
35:09Getting to WrestleMania
35:10is the hardest thing imaginable.
35:13Really, it is.
35:14Stressful.
35:15So getting there is a testament
35:16to Seth Rollins and his ability
35:17and also the need for him.
35:19We want this.
35:20We've had this story
35:21and the different layers
35:22and the different courses with it.
35:24We've got to finish.
35:32Seth Rollins going one-on-one
35:34with his former mentor, Chaplin.
35:37Student versus teacher,
35:38a match years in the making.
35:44The fact that Seth and Triple H
35:45ultimately converged was inevitable.
35:50Triple H had done so much for Seth's career
35:53at this point from the very beginning.
35:55But the ultimate test was,
35:56can the student now beat the master?
36:00I've seen this guy come in
36:01with a boatload of talent
36:02but then help him overcome things
36:04and watch him develop.
36:06And now I get to work with him at WrestleMania
36:07on the biggest stage that there is
36:09and have this moment with him.
36:11It was magical to be able to do.
36:16Seth Rollins one-on-one with Triple H.
36:18And here we go.
36:20Oh, just the injured knee.
36:22Do it again.
36:25It's WrestleMania 33
36:27and Triple H is finally facing Seth Rollins.
36:31Seth Rollins may never walk again.
36:33Those are two prime examples.
36:35Triple H and Seth Rollins
36:37that win the bell rings very consistently.
36:40And that makes for a great, great rivalry.
36:44A destruction.
36:46That was tough, man.
36:47That was a tough match.
36:49I felt a lot of pressure.
36:51I was so focused on staying healthy.
36:55Rollins tries to fight back.
36:57Desperation mode.
36:59We have this awesome opportunity
37:00and I knew it's going to be big.
37:02It was so cool to do and to be a part of.
37:05Guts over fear.
37:07Launches himself on a Triple H of a knee again.
37:10Seth put so much pressure on himself.
37:12He hates disappointing fans.
37:15Rollins.
37:16Here's the cover.
37:17Can he beat the game?
37:19Oh, and a kick out at two and a half.
37:21Even with one knee down,
37:23an arm missing,
37:25three toes gone off his foot,
37:27somehow he will steal the show.
37:31This has been nothing short of a Herculean effort
37:34from Seth Rollins.
37:35WWE is like a live action adventure soap opera.
37:39There's Stephanie on the apron.
37:40Stephanie on the apron.
37:41And when you're going to get to watch somebody
37:43that you really dislike,
37:45who resembles an authority figure in your life,
37:47get their butt kicked.
37:48Oh my gosh.
37:50Oh, Triple H.
37:52You're that much more invested.
37:54And now Rollins with a pedigree.
37:57Takes advantage.
37:58Can he do it?
38:00The kick slayer.
38:02Somehow, bad knee and all,
38:04Seth Rollins has taken out the game.
38:12The moments that I was able to share with Seth,
38:15it's irreplaceable.
38:17We'll have a bond forever because of that.
38:24Seth, how gratifying was that one day?
38:27I honestly can't,
38:29I can't begin to put it into words.
38:31The whole night, the whole,
38:33the whole last two months,
38:35it's been such an up and down whirlwind
38:37It's been such an up and down whirlwind
38:39between, you know,
38:42wondering if you're ever going to be able to wrestle again.
38:45To be out there in front of all those people again,
38:48you know, with the man who was your mentor
38:50and, you know, love him or hate him.
38:54You know, we've been through a lot together
38:56and I got, on some level, a lot of respect for him.
38:59And it was a very special, special moment out there for me
39:03just to be out there.
39:05Pretty nice feather in the cap, though.
39:09Those years of my life were crazy, man.
39:14The story with Triple H was emotionally taxing.
39:17And then I start to question my body, you know.
39:21Is it me? Am I breaking down?
39:23Am I just not built for this?
39:25Is this the end of my career?
39:27Like, all of these sorts of things cross your mind
39:29and to be able to pull your way through all of that
39:34and then to get on the other side of it
39:36was a very interesting experience in my development as a performer
39:39but also as a human, as a person,
39:41and where I wanted to go from here.
39:47I am a visionary.
39:50I am a revolutionary!
39:53I am Seth Freaking Rollins!
39:57The Seth Rollins we have today is the most consistent.
40:02He's a locker room leader.
40:04Rollins being serenaded by the WWE Universe!
40:08It's so cool to see not only everything come full circle
40:11between Seth and Triple H,
40:13but Seth's finally got to live up to
40:15what Triple H envisioned for him from the very start.
40:18The vision came to life
40:20and it exceeded everybody's expectations.
40:22The main event starts right now
40:24with the brand-new World Heavyweight Championship.
40:27Stopped! Rollins, the cover!
40:30Seth Rollins is your new World Heavyweight Champion
40:35as Triple H is here tonight.
40:38It felt very much like a full-circle moment at Night of Champions.
40:43Almost like a wormhole back in time.
40:46The NXT to that first championship match,
40:49to him being there to raise my hand,
40:51it was very surreal.
40:53I think he said something to me along the lines of,
40:57when we were in there together.
40:59Couldn't have meant more that it was us,
41:02a whole decade later,
41:04pushing the industry forward one more time.
41:09Your own career is big, right?
41:12It means so much to you and you're so driven to do it.
41:15But I could have never imagined
41:17somebody else's success could be that meaningful to me
41:20and I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Seth
41:23because of all of that.
41:26There is no Seth Rollins without Triple H.
41:29He is like my wrestling father.
41:32I needed someone to be hard on me.
41:35I needed someone to believe in me.
41:38And that mentorship is something that I will always treasure
41:44and something that I hope I can pass along.
41:48If I can be a Triple H to somebody's Seth Rollins,
41:52then I will have done right by him.