THE VERY FIRST CHAMPION
It was in 2005 that Tyler Black’s career truly began. He broke onto the scene in Ring of Honor like many others, and signed with WWE in 2010 at just 24 years old. He joined the company’s developmental club, FCW, before entering the NXT roster in June 2012. It would take him only a few weeks to make an impression there, advancing to the final of a prestigious tournament called Gold Rush that would crown a brand-new NXT champion.
On the episode of August 29, the spotlight shone on Florida. Dusty Rhodes delivered this fine golden belt news: two men would battle to wear it. Jinder Mahal goes in first, followed by Seth Rollins. Ecstatic, the 26-year-old wrestler strides toward the ring with one objective in mind: to capture this title. Widely supported by the crowd that day, Seth had every chance to win the belt.
Thanks to his agility and technique, the Maharajah would soon be overwhelmed. But with his strength, Jinder Mahal also had an answer. After 15 minutes of a match heightened by the crowd, Rollins lands his buckle bomb and his stomp to secure the victory. He would hold the title for about a hundred days. In February 2019, the multiple world champion revisited his WWE training period, which he greatly enjoyed.
He states:
« I was just a kid trying to do my best. […] I was trying to look really cool, to come off as a tough guy. Coming from the independent circuit, I felt a lot of pressure in the sense that I wanted to ensure my arrival in WWE wasn’t just hype. […] I find that time passes so quickly… Especially my time at FCW and NXT. Looking back, when I think about it, I remember how amazing those moments were. »
A RETURN TO NXT, TEN YEARS LATER
Seth Rollins wouldn’t stay long in WWE’s developmental branch. He would make his main roster debut in November 2012 as a member of The Shield. His illustrious career is well known. Six world championships to his name, a string of memorable segments, to name a few… Today, Seth Rollins has accomplished everything in WWE. At 40, he has become a cornerstone in this company.
In 2023, 11 years after his coronation against Jinder Mahal, Seth Rollins had returned to wrestle in NXT as the world heavyweight champion. He had faced Bron Breakker in a June match on an NXT show called Gold Rush. After his victory, the reigning champion addressed the fans.
He declared:
« I’d like to share a little anecdote with you. When Bron Breakker asked me to come here to defend my title in NXT and I accepted, many people asked me: “Seth, does it make you nostalgic? Are you moved?” To be honest with you, it had been so long since I had stepped foot in an NXT ring, and I’ve been lucky to experience so much around the world, that my sincere answer was no, it didn’t touch me as much as I would have believed. Until I arrived here.
That is exactly it—each of you embodies the same energy with which I left NXT ten years ago. You’re still the proving ground for every person back there; you, your vitality, your love, your energy, that is what made me a visionary, what made me a revolutionary, what made me Seth Rollins.»
