[dramatic music playing]
[Big E] On this edition of WWE Raw Classics,
it's time to burn it down.
[announcer] He is a visionary.
He is a revolutionary.
[Big E] Witness the shocking moments…
[Cole] Oh my god!
[Big E] …and the stunning in-ring performances
from the "Monday Night Messiah,"
Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
I think the world has forgotten what I'm capable of.
[Big E] It's the Raw Classics of "The Architect,"
and it's coming to you… right now.
[rock music playing]
Aw… Welcome, WWE Universe,
to Raw Classics.
I'm your host, Big E.
And this episode is all about a visionary,
a revolutionary,
and, of course, an architect.
That's right. I'm talking about Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
Throughout his career,
Rollins has blazed a trail to Superstardom,
burning down the establishment en route to becoming a Grand Slam Champion
and captivating the WWE Universe
with his style, swagger, and spectacular offense.
Debuting in 2012 as one-third of The Shield,
alongside Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose,
Rollins and his brothers-in-arms
ran rampant over the entire WWE roster for nearly two years,
smashing anyone and anything in their path.
But while their dominance was undeniable,
their trust in one another perhaps was not.
[men over PA] Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta. Shield.
[rock music playing]
[Cole] And now we get set for our main event.
The Shield, the group who knocked off Evolution last night.
[bell dings]
[announcer] This contest is set for one fall.
Coming down the aisle, representing The Shield,
weighing 265 lbs,
Roman Reigns.
[Cole] This is gonna be some main event.
We encourage everyone to talk about it on social media,
including Twitter,
by using the hashtag #RomanVsOrton.
Because that's our main event tonight, Roman Reigns and Randy Orton.
[John] Ho-ho! Talk about a career night.
What The Shield did last night, a clean sweep over Evolution.
It was unbelievable.
[Cole] That was a great night for The Shield, but I can tell you this.
They cannot be 100% tonight.
All three of these members have to be hurting.
[crowd cheering]
How do we look?
[cheering]
'Cause we feel great.
Bruised, beaten up, for sure.
'Cause last night, we faced our biggest challenge to date.
A no-holds-barred elimination match against Evolution.
But when that napalm settled,
we did exactly what we said we were gonna do.
A clean sweep.
We eliminated every single member of Evolution
without suffering a single casualty.
Now, that is what I call
domination.
-[cheering, applause] -[mic clatters]
Adapt or perish. That was the whole deal, right?
Last night at Payback,
The Shield adapted
while Evolution perished.
[cheering]
And earlier tonight,
the whole world was a witness to their implosion.
[chuckles]
[crowd cheering, whooping]
And the reason Evolution perished
was because, even though they are three of the greatest Superstars
in the history of this industry,
last night, they were not one like The Shield.
In the end,
they were just three strangers,
who happened to be standing on the same side of the ring.
They weren't brothers.
The men standing in this ring
are brothers.
This is Evolution.
This is The Shield.
So, Randy Orton, bring your ass out here and let me break your jaw
with the symbol of excellence.
[no audible speech]
[Cole] Roman Reigns is ready
for our main event…
[John] He better be ready.
[Cole] …against "The Viper" Randy Orton.
Remember what Randy Orton said earlier tonight. That--
[announcer] His opponent, representing Evolution,
from St. Louis, Missouri,
weighing 245 lbs,
"The Viper" Randy Orton.
[Cole] Triple H is a smart man. "The Cerebral Assassin" realizing…
"Listen, Batista quit, I'm bringing a sledgehammer out with me tonight, and…"
Now Seth Rollins realizing, after no-holds-barred last night,
it's gonna be another battle with Evolution here tonight.
[John] "The Architect" of The Shield is loading up with the toys as well.
Well, you gotta fight fire with fire.
[rock music playing]
♪ I see the line in the sand… ♪
[music fades]
In case you haven't figured it out yet,
what I do better than anybody
is adapt.
Last night was Plan A.
Tonight…
[chuckles]
Plan B.
There's always
a Plan B.
-[Cole] Oh my god! -[crowd shouting] Oh! Whoa!
[Cole] What?
-[John] What just happened? -[Cole] Are you kidding me?
Rollins now, he's assaulting Ambrose!
[crowd cheering, booing]
[Cole] Rollins assaulting Ambrose
after he took out Reigns.
[John] What is going on here?
[Cole] These guys are on top of the world. Why would Seth Rollins do this?
-My God, Rollins is destroying Ambrose. -[wrestlers grunting]
[John] Broke that chair over him.
Broke that chair over Ambrose.
[crowd clamoring]
[crowd] You sold out! You sold out! You sold out!
You sold out! You sold out!
[Cole] I'm in shock.
[John] God.
Oh my god, no, the…
The Curb Stomp onto the chair!
[scattered shouting]
[Cole] Guys,
Triple H kept saying earlier tonight that…
"There's a plan. There is a plan."
Why?
[Cole] How did "The Game"
accomplish this?
How did he get to Seth Rollins?
[John] "The Game" says he never loses.
[crowd cheering, booing]
[John] Plan B.
Seth Rollins, did he just make a deal with the devil?
Now Randy gets a turn.
[John] Oh, my god.
[grunting]
[yells] Oh!
[grunting]
[wails]
[crowd booing, cheering]
[Cole] He's just helpless.
[grunts]
[John] And now an RKO onto the chair.
That's…
[Cole] At the beginning of the night, I said we'd seen the end of Evolution,
but now…
[crowd] You sold out! You sold out!
[Cole] …I think we've seen the end of The Shield.
[crowd] You sold out! You sold out! You sold out!
Sometimes you gotta seize the moment.
And, hey, if it means bashing your besties with a steel chair,
so be it.
I… I… I mean that strictly for Seth Rollins.
Woods, Kof,
we good.
And while many accuse Rollins of being a sellout,
his decision no doubt changed the trajectory of his career.
But alas, the sting of betrayal doesn't easily subside,
and Rollins quickly became entangled in a feud
with his former Shield brother Dean Ambrose,
one that led to a Falls Count Anywhere match
just two months later on Monday Night Raw.
[rock music plays]
[Cole] So Dean Ambrose one-on-one with Seth Rollins here tonight.
Falls Count Anywhere.
And this is gonna be one heck of a matchup.
[King] You're right about that. Anything can happen here, man.
-This match can go anywhere in Las Vegas. -[bell dings]
[Cole] Yes, it can, and here we go.
Ambrose and Rollins, and, John, remember, it all started
when Rollins stabbed Ambrose in the back.
[John] I feel sorry for the official. He's gotta follow these guys wherever.
They can go to the concession stand, they can go outside,
in the parking lot, on the Strip.
No telling where they're gonna go.
[King] Rollins right to the throat of Dean Ambrose,
and now Mr. Money in the Bank on the attack.
[John] You know what they say. What happens in Vegas stays…
On Facebook, actually.
-[King] Here's Rollins talking trash. -Come on, Ambrose.
-[John] Stays on Facebook, Twitter. -[Cole] That's right.
[John] Michael?
[Cole] Seth Rollins, look at the look in his eye. Uh-oh.
-Watch out. Dean Ambrose! -[John] Ambrose and Rollins falling down.
What a dropkick.
He kicked Seth Rollins clear out of the ring.
[King] You cannot count out the unstable Ambrose.
[Cole] [Cole] Oh, look out. Out into the WWE Universe.
[John] You can't count out either one. It's Falls Count Anywhere.
[all screaming, clamoring]
[King] Look at Ambrose.
Right out in the midst of the WWE fans,
the capacity crowd here tonight in Las Vegas.
[referee] One, two…
[King] Cover and a kick-out.
-[Cole] Remember, Falls Count Anywhere. -[John] These guys fought in the arena
where they had lumberjacks to keep them in the ring.
Imagine what they can do now they don't have anybody
trying to keep 'em in the ring.
[King] They're just pounding away on each other.
This is gonna happen everywhere in this arena. Watch out!
[Cole] Rollins brought this upon himself. He said, "Ambrose won't leave me alone."
So Triple H said, "Take care of business."
[John] Yeah, you know what's funny about that?
When you saw these choices that the Universe had to make,
I don't think Seth Rollins would have liked any of 'em.
[grunting]
[Cole] And Dean Ambrose just keeps coming at you.
Keeps coming at you. Doesn't leave you alone.
[John] Uh-oh.
-Oh no. -[King] On the steel.
-[John] No! -[King] Ambrose!
[John] Rollins.
[Cole] No, not on the steel!
Ambrose saves himself.
[King] Suplex to Rollins.
[John] That should do it, to clear that unfinished business.
[Cole] Falls Count Anywhere. Shoulders… And a kick-out by Rollins.
[John] That steel grate is so hard,
the referee can barely count without hurting his hand.
[Cole] Funny thing is, I think Dean Ambrose likes this type of matchup.
[wrestlers grunting]
-[Cole] Now within his element. -[John] Ambrose likes any type of matchup.
Some people like it. He's nuts.
[Cole] Seth Rollins even said last week
that Ambrose doesn't care about his own physical well-being.
[John] Course he doesn't. That's why people like him.
He'll light himself on fire, jump off a bridge.
-Who doesn't like somebody like that? -[King] It is "unstable" now, not nuts.
[John] Uh-oh, what's he doing here?
Toys. Toys.
[Cole] All legal in this matchup. It's Falls Count Anywhere.
[John] Uh-oh There are no disqualifications or countouts.
[crowd clamoring]
[King] Well, Ambrose has been waiting for this for a long time.
Look at Ambrose. Look!
-Rollins slammed on a chair. -[screams] Ah!
[King] Man. Oof.
Seth Rollins paying for all his sins tonight.
[John] What do you think Triple H is thinking, watching this?
Best laid plans?
You have done this!
[crowd shouting, chanting]
[Cole] Ambrose measuring Rollins.
-And the chair to Rollins. -[King] Whoa! Whoa!
[Cole] Dean Ambrose punishing his former buddy.
Cover. Hooks the leg on Mr. Money in the Bank.
And a kick-out at two.
[John] Watch this.
A body slam with a little help from your friend, the steel chair.
And he's not through with that steel chair, obviously.
No gratitude.
[King] Gratitude for what?
[John] Seth Rollins gave Dean Ambrose everything he has.
Without Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose is in a padded cell somewhere.
[King] Please don't start the "Architect" business again.
[John] I didn't name him "The Architect," Michael did.
-[Cole] Watch out. -[John] And headfirst off the chair.
Seth Rollins reverses this. Watch.
And Dean Ambrose… Oh!
[crowd clamoring]
[John] Head into the steel chair.
[Cole] Just like that, Seth Rollins is taking over.
This match trending number one in the world right now,
as Monday Night Raw…
Wait a minute. Rollins covering, hooks the leg on Ambrose,
who powers out.
-[King] We are live on Monday Night Raw. -[John] Oh my gosh, look at this.
[King] Rollins vs. Ambrose, Falls Count Anywhere,
after a vote by the WWE Universe on the WWE app.
[Cole] That kendo stick was used during the break. Look at this shot.
Oh, man, right in the midsection.
Now Seth Rollins trying to shove that stick down the throat
of Dean Ambrose.
[King] Seth Rollins trying to get rid of Ambrose.
He thought he did it last night at SummerSlam,
but Ambrose keeps coming back.
[Seth] Get up!
[John] Like that stupid Energizer bunny.
[wrestlers shouting, grunting]
[Seth] This is what you wanted.
This is what you asked for, huh? This is what you asked for, huh?
Come on. Come on, Ambrose.
[crowd clamoring]
[Cole] Ambrose blocked.
And here comes Ambrose.
[John] Seth Rollins might have talked a little too much trash.
[King] Maybe not. Maybe not.
Rollins…
Ambrose bounces off the ropes.
[Cole] Misses his clothesline. Rollins saw it coming.
He knows Ambrose so well. Here's the cover.
-[Cole] It's over. -[King] Hook the leg.
-And a kick-out at two. -[John] It's not over.
Again, the heart and guts of that man Ambrose.
Lights are on, but I don't think anybody's home.
-[Cole] Gutsy, gutsy competitor. -[John] Was anybody home before?
[King] Falls Count Anywhere. No disqualifications or countouts.
[John] Oh no. What's Seth Rollins got in mind with this steel chair?
[King] Ambrose moves out of the way.
Seth Rollins in trouble here. Look at Ambrose now.
[Cole] Ambrose, second rope.
Tornado DDT plants Rollins.
Ambrose to the cover.
Hooks the leg. Can he put Mr. Money in the Bank away?
Rollins kicks out at two.
Another near-fall.
[King] Dean Ambrose in shock. Thought he had him.
I thought he had him.
[John] No, he needs shock. He's not in shock.
-He needs shock therapy. -[Cole] He needs shock treatment.
[King] Ambrose starting to feel it a little bit, guys.
-Oh. -[John] He was going for a Dirty Deeds.
-Seth Rollins countered. Curb Stomp! -[Cole] Going for the Curb Stomp.
Ambrose ducked out of the way.
And, boom, they're down. What a collision.
-Center of the ring. -[King] Man!
[John] Both men giving it their all.
What a great night here on Monday Night Raw.
[King] Watch this.
They say…
Oh, man.
[John] What a collision!
[Cole] Great minds think alike. Apparently, so do twisted ones.
Mr. Money in the Bank up first.
Forearm to the face of Ambrose.
What a shot.
[grunting]
-[Cole] Rollins again… -[John] Forearm.
Ambrose. They're going at one another.
[King] Ambrose won't go away. Rollins won't go away.
[John] Hitting each other with everything they got.
Ambrose's hands down by his waist. Can't get his arms up.
[Cole] Rollins is punishing Dean Ambrose here.
A little punishment of his own.
Uh-oh.
-Kendo stick. -[King] Watch it.
[Cole] Ambrose!
And look at Rollins still hammering away.
-And Rollins-- -[John] On the top turnbuckle.
[King] And Ambrose outside. What's he thinking here?
[John] Batter up.
[King] He's thinking inflict as much pain as possible.
[John] What a way to thank a guy that really gave you your career.
[King] That might be… That could be enough, guys.
Does he have Rollins here?
And Rollins stays in it.
[John] What a competitive match.
[King] Look at this sick, twisted smile on the face of Dean Ambrose.
-[Cole] Yeah, he's-- -[King] Unstable.
[John] I think he has an idea. There's a reason he's called the "Lunatic Fringe."
[Cole] Unstable is an understatement.
-Whatever it is, it'll be fun to watch. -[King] More chairs.
-[John] We don't have enough chairs? -[Cole] Obviously not.
Good lord!
[audience clamoring]
[John] I've heard of "More cowbell," but "more chairs"?
Seth Rollins better get out of there if--
[Cole] Rollins grabs a chair, and Ambrose…
Look at this. Chairs just piled in the center of the ring.
[King] What can you possibly do with all those chairs?
[John] I'm sure Dean Ambrose will figure it out.
I'm sure he'll figure it out. He'll just…
-[Cole] Uh-oh, no way. -[John] Come on.
No way.
-[Cole] Oh, to heck with it. Do it! -[King] No way.
[Cole] Rollins trying to block.
-Wouldn't you? -[John] Seth Rollins better block.
This could end his career.
You get dropped on that mountain of chairs.
[Cole] And Rollins averting disaster there.
Uh-oh! Oh my god. Look at Seth Rollins.
He's got Dean Ambrose up top.
Ambrose into the chairs!
-[King] Oh my god. -[Cole] A powerbomb into the chairs here.
Oh, and Ambrose kicked out!
Whoa!
[King] How in the world did Dean Ambrose do that?
I think that man simply runs on instinct.
Instinct and adrenaline. Look at this.
[Cole] This is incredible.
-[John] What human being… -[Cole] Watch this.
[John] …doesn't get beat right there?
[Cole] Dean Ambrose.
Look who's here.
The Director of Operations, Kane,
who last night cost Ambrose the match
at SummerSlam.
Where did he come from?
[Cole] The referee trying to clear some of those chairs,
but a very uneasy feeling here at ringside with Kane sitting next to us.
[John] He's got a bird's-eye seat.
[Cole] It looks as if Seth Rollins is saying, "Hey, I got this."
Trying to tell Kane he's got everything under control.
-Don't worry. -[King] More toys!
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Kane seems to be enjoying this.
[John] I am too.
[Cole] Well, I think the Universe was chanting for one of these earlier.
A table has shown up.
[John] We got… We got chants being answered.
The Universe is pretty much in control tonight, King.
[King] Look at Kane.
-Smiling. -[Cole] Smile on his face.
Yeah, Kane, the Director of Operations for The Authority.
Seth Rollins with a table set up in the ring.
Rollins now turns his attention back to Dean Ambrose.
Literally dragging Ambrose to the table.
Ambrose hasn't moved since those steel chairs.
You did this to yourself!
You understand me?
You did this to yourself.
He's gonna try to hit that Curb Stomp.
Oh, and Ambrose was able to counter.
Ho-ho!
[King] Say hello to Ambrose's little friend.
[Cole] Don't bring something you don't wanna go through.
[King] Oh my god! Through the table!
Through the table!
They both went through the table!
That'll finish them both off.
[Cole] Dean Ambrose trying to somehow crawl into a cover on Rollins here.
Falls Count Anywhere. Through the table.
Ambrose trying to get close to the victory.
-[John] Hey, wait a minute. -[Cole] Oh no, come on!
Kane up on the apron.
There goes Rollins.
Heads up! Heads up! Heads up!
Ambrose!
Down go Rollins and Kane.
[King] It's Falls Count Anywhere.
Ambrose trying to get the victory inside the ring.
And Rollins with a kick.
Ambrose exploded…
Whoa!
[Cole] That just knocked Seth Rollins out of his boots.
[King] Whoa! What a clothesline!
-Dirty Deeds! Dirty Deeds! -[Cole] Good night!
Ambrose for the victory.
-[King] Hey, wait a minute. -[Cole] Come on. Again, abuse of power.
Again. And Kane with a right hand.
Come on! What's up with this?
[Cole] This is ridiculous. Again, for a second straight night.
-Hey. Here we go. -[King] Look at this.
And now Ambrose bounced off our announce table.
[grunts]
[roaring]
[Cole] Toe hold into the steps.
And now Rollins launched into the WWE Universe.
-Ambrose turns his attention back to Kane. -[King] Watch it!
[Cole] And Kane over our announce table here.
And now Dean Ambrose.
[cheering]
-[King] Look at this! -[Cole] Dean Ambrose.
Across the tables, taking out Rollins.
[King] There's something wrong with that man.
-[woman screaming] -[crowd clamoring]
[King] Kane is flattened right out here beside our announce table.
[Cole] And Ambrose again turns his attention to Rollins.
Rollins trying to retreat.
Trying to run away here, live on Monday Night Raw.
-Falls Count Anywhere. -[John] Watch it.
[Cole] Rollins and Ambrose.
The Director of Operations, Kane, has gotten involved.
-[John] Oh my gosh. -[crowd chanting]
[Cole] Ambrose ripping apart our announce table.
[King] He's taking our monitors, guys.
[King] Ambrose now turns his attention again to Seth Rollins.
[Cole] Rollins up on our table.
What is Dean Ambrose gonna do on our announce table to Seth Rollins?
Come on.
[John] It's Falls Count Anywhere.
Yeah, that's enough.
[cheering]
-Oh my goodness. -Watch it.
Ambrose looking for Dirty Deeds.
-Oh no! -[Cole] And now Kane!
And now Kane! Kane!
Oh my god, chokeslammed Ambrose right onto the table.
Kane with a chokeslam to Ambrose right onto our announce table.
[King] Now Kane telling Seth Rollins, "Get him."
This is a two-on-one assault.
The match is still going on.
-[Cole] The Authority's-- -[John] No disqualification. No countout.
-[Cole] Curb Stomp! -Oh my god, no!
Curb Stomp on the table.
[John] Oh, man.
Finish him!
[Cole] Rollins screaming to Kane to finish him.
Guys, maybe that'll mercifully end this.
What on earth?
What the hell?
Oh my god, he left a…
Wait. Whoa.
Oh my god. What? Stop him. Somebody stop him.
Kane, come on.
Guys, somebody stop Kane.
[King] Cinder blocks down here.
[Cole] No, no, no! Somebody get him off there.
Somebody get him down.
Somebody get him down!
It's gonna end his career.
-No, no, no! -[King] No!
No!
[audience booing]
[referee] Back it up.
[Cole] Someone's gotta get help out here.
We need some help.
-I need some help! -We need help!
I need some help or the wrestler's gonna die.
We need help over here!
[crowd] You sold out! You sold out!
-You sold out! You sold out! -[bell dings]
Match is over, man. You went too far!
-[crowd booing] -[no audible speech]
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, the referee has stopped this match.
Your winner,
Seth Rollins.
[booing]
A brutal throwdown that only accelerated Rollins' meteoric rise to the top.
Over the next few years, "The Architect's" plans for Raw supremacy were on track,
proving even his most ardent critics wrong.
But in case you still weren't sold
on the greatness of Seth "Freakin" Rollins,
I give you one of the defining matches
in the career of "The Visionary."
It would be the "Monday Night Messiah"
competing in a grueling seven-man Gauntlet Match.
♪ Burn it down ♪
["The Vision (Seth 'Freakin' Rollins)" playing]
[crowd roaring]
[Cole] We heard Seth Rollins declare last week,
once again, he wants to be the man on Monday nights.
Tonight could begin the fresh start for "The Architect."
[announcer] His opponent, from Davenport, Iowa, weighing 217 lbs,
Seth Rollins.
[Cole] So let's set the stage here tonight.
The seven men in this Gauntlet Match
will be a part of the Elimination Chamber match
come Sunday at the pay-per-view event in Las Vegas.
For the first time ever, seven men compete.
Three men are gonna start. Four men are gonna be locked in pods.
The last man standing faces Brock Lesnar
for the Universal title at WrestleMania.
[Coach] There is a certain irony in how similar tonight is
to what we'll see on Sunday.
You notice, guys, that Roman Reigns said, "I'm not worried about that."
"I'm not worried about tonight."
"I'm worried about what it can do to a person's body."
Well, tonight, we're gonna test the mental and the physical makeup
of all seven men.
[Cole] Great point, Coach, because the rules of the Gauntlet Match are this.
Two men will start. That's Rollins and Reigns.
Whoever wins this match will move on to face the next challenger.
The winner of that match will face the next challenger and so on,
until all seven men have competed
and there is a decisive winner of the Gauntlet Match.
And, Corey, a great way to build momentum toward Sunday.
[Corey] It could be, but I have to disagree.
I understand Roman's bravado, his confidence.
He's not worried about tonight, but he should be.
All seven competitors should be very concerned about tonight
because if you leave Monday night with some sort of injury
and enter the chamber anything less than 100%, you're screwed.
[Coach] But, Corey, I got one word for you and that one word is "momentum."
And for one of these seven men here tonight,
they're gonna have that Big Mo on their side, heading into Vegas.
[Cole] Rollins and Reigns,
Shield brethren along with the injured Dean Ambrose,
but tonight start things off in the Gauntlet Match.
[crowd] Burn it down! Burn it down!
[Cole] And there is a possibility these two would go face-to-face
inside the Elimination Chamber on Sunday as well.
[Corey] Yeah, they say time heals all wounds,
but you know Seth Rollins hasn't forgotten that Roman Reigns was the man
who eliminated Seth from the Royal Rumble match.
Rollins has gotta be looking for payback.
[Coach] The thing I love about what Seth has said the last couple of weeks is that
he's ready to put his professional life in front of everything else.
He understands that he was once at the top and he wants to get back there.
[Cole] Well, he wants it to be "Monday Night Rollins," Coach.
[Coach] Love it.
[Cole] Seth Rollins says, "Whatever it takes,"
and #GauntletMatch if you wanna talk about this history-making match
to kick off Monday Night Raw here tonight live in Phoenix.
And once upon a time,
[Corey] Seth Rollins absolutely lived by the credo "Whatever it takes."
That's what took Seth to the mountaintop.
Some people would argue he's lost a bit of that edge in recent years.
If Seth can regain that sort of fire, the sky's the limit.
[Coach] I think that what crumbled in the last couple of years
happened with the knee injury, right?
Once that happened, he started to have to take a step back
'cause he missed a significant period of time.
I think he's back to being 100% healthy, and that's why the bravado is where it is.
[Cole] Feeling-out process for these two men here tonight.
Reigns, on the other hand… We've talked a lot about Seth.
Roman always believes it's Roman against the world.
He sent out a tweet that said,
"Sunday, Monday, any day of the week,
it's always #OneVsAll."
And that's what drives Roman Reigns.
He believes that everyone is against him.
[Corey] Roman intimated last week that he wants to find himself
in the same career position, the same professional position
that he was last year,
getting ready to headline WrestleMania.
But Roman needs to be careful not to look past Elimination Chamber
'cause that could be a massive pitfall.
[Coach] I don't think they can look past tonight, to be honest,
because this is one of those situations, one of those nights they'll look back on,
depending on how it goes for any of these men,
as maybe a pivotal night moving forward, heading towards the road to WrestleMania.
[Cole] And you touched on it earlier.
A great opportunity to see where you are stamina-wise,
to build momentum as you have to go through,
in order to win this thing, a number of competitors,
just like you're gonna have to Sunday inside the chamber.
[Corey] However, Sunday, you could have to deal with several competitors at one time.
Tonight will always be one versus one.
This Sunday in Vegas, different situation.
[Coach] And also tonight, there are countouts, there are disqualifications.
We don't have any of that Sunday inside the chamber.
[Coach] I like to compare this to kinda getting…
You know the saying, "You never know how you'll take a punch
until you get punched in the face."
You never know how you're going to approach
these type of situations until you get in there.
[Cole] Reigns and Rollins, Corey,
in almost a feeling-out process in the early part of this match.
[Corey] You're seeing a healthy respect between these competitors.
Both know how capable the opposition is.
Careful not to make any mistake.
When you're this familiar with your opponent,
the slightest mistake can prove to be the end.
[Cole] They're both multi-time WWE Champions.
Leapfrog by Seth.
Nice deep arm drag by Rollins.
And Seth now.
[Corey] Magistral cradle by Rollins.
[Cole] Shoulders down on Reigns! And a near-fall for Seth.
And quickly Seth Rollins back on the attack.
Looking for the backslide on Reigns, trying to put the "Big Dog" away.
And again another near-fall.
-Rollins kick right to the midsection. -[grunts] Oh!
-[Cole] Uh-oh. -[Coach] Oh, look at that.
[Cole] The "Big Dog" fired up.
Rollins taking it to Reigns.
Gauntlet Match continues live.
[Cole] Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins.
All seven men who will compete Sunday in the Elimination Chamber
will run the gauntlet tonight.
[Corey] Roman in control at the moment, using his size advantage over Rollins.
But "The Architect" continues to fire.
[Cole] And Seth Rollins, creating separation.
Roman follows it up with a wicked elbow.
We already know that The Miz will enter the Elimination Chamber match number one,
but there's a possibility that Reigns and Rollins could come in at two and three
because remember, with seven men now, three men will start the Chamber match.
[Corey] And Elias, who comes in last,
will have the significant advantage we've talked about.
We're talking about a 20-25 minute advantage.
That is huge in that type of match.
[Cole] Well, just like the last man who enters the Gauntlet Match tonight,
whoever that may be.
[Coach] Whether it be tonight or this Sunday at Elimination Chamber,
there's a real possibility that the last competitor in
can basically just pick the scraps, pick the bones of the carcasses
of whatever competitors are laying at their feet at that point.
Are you doing okay, Corey, over there?
-[Corey] Having a great time. -[Coach] That was rough. Carcasses?!
[Cole] Only two men out of the seven on Sunday
have actually been in Elimination Chamber matches before.
John Cena's been in six. He's won three of 'em.
Miz has been in two.
Roman Reigns has never been in an Elimination Chamber match.
Neither's Rollins. Cover by the "Big Dog."
Hook of the leg, and a kick-out by Seth.
[Coach] That kinda surprised me
that Roman Reigns hadn't been in an Elimination Chamber match before.
-Did it surprise you, Michael? -[Cole] Indeed, and as Reigns…
Take another look again at the power of Roman Reigns.
[Corey] Almost driving Rollins through the mat,
but it wasn't enough to keep "The Kingslayer" down for three.
[Cole] Remember in Elimination Chamber, what surrounds the ring.
You've got that steel grating outside the ring area.
If Roman Reigns could deliver a slam like that outside the ring,
it'd do a lot more damage than we just saw.
[Corey] The structure in and of itself is a weapon,
and we've seen guys get so creative over the years
in how to use the chamber to best injure and maim their opponents.
I think we'll see more in Las Vegas.
[Coach] And with five guys that have yet to be in the Elimination Chamber,
you wonder how they're each going to adapt
and how their game plans will adapt and how quickly they will adapt.
[Cole] Well, ask Triple H how dangerous the Elimination Chamber match is.
He's been in more chamber matches than anybody.
-Blockbuster by Rollins! -[Coach] Down goes Reigns.
[Cole] Triple H suffered a severe injury in one. You see Rollins now--
There it is! The sling blade to Roman Reigns.
[Corey] And Rollins starting to build momentum.
Rollins favoring his knee a little bit, trying to get the blood flowing.
This is what's so dangerous about a match
this close to a big match like the Elimination Chamber.
If Rollins's knee is less than 100% Sunday,
you can count him out.
[Cole] Rollins, top rope, launches himself.
There's the flying clothesline. Takes down Reigns.
[Corey] In a match like this, a Gauntlet Match,
it becomes paramount to end each match as quickly as possible.
Minimize your own physical exertion.
One of these two Superstars
is gonna have five other men to battle tonight.
[Coach] Great point. You wanna be successful, but at the same time,
kinda protect, almost, your spot on Sunday and also your body.
[Cole] Seth Rollins looking to launch himself.
Suicide dive, but he runs into a right hand by Reigns.
Roman with that cinder-block-like right just turned Rollins's lights out.
Seth does not wanna be there. Drive By position for Reigns.
[Coach] Hey, we're seeing already these two putting it all on the line,
and you wonder, the next Superstar that's gonna come out here
has got to be licking their chops at what they're going to encounter.
[Corey] Right, and it's impossible to adequately prepare
for any particular individual
because you don't know who you'll step in the ring with next.
[Cole] And Roman Reigns now.
Delivering a clothesline to Rollins. Seth back to his feet.
And Reigns continuing the pressure.
I wanna get back to how dangerous this chamber is.
That very first chamber match, when Triple H got hurt,
he left that match and immediately went to the hospital,
where he spent the night.
He had a partially crushed trachea.
[Coach] Well, I don't think that we can underestimate…
We talk about the physical aspect, we talk about the mental aspect,
but what about after the match is over?
What about a night like that?
How long did it take for Triple H to come back
and physically, emotionally be 100%?
[Corey] I think a number of our Superstars have gone on the record saying,
"Once you compete in the Elimination Chamber,
you're never the same again."
[Cole] Locked and loaded, Roman Reigns. Rollins center.
Went for the Superman Punch. Seth caught it.
[Corey] Looking for the Revolution Knee, but… Counter with a big headbutt.
[Cole] Reigns again went for the Superman Punch.
Got caught by Seth with a kick to the midsection.
Will Seth's knee hold up?
Rollins has Roman Reigns up top.
Buckle Bomb! Oh-ho-ho!
-Into a Superman Punch. -[Coach] How?
[Cole] Using the momentum out of the corner to deliver the punch.
Rollins, Reigns, both down as the Gauntlet Match continues.
[Cole] And this is still the first match in our Gauntlet Match tonight.
Rollins vs. Reigns.
[Corey] Already you're seeing Seth Rollins reach deep into his arsenal,
looking to put the "Big Dog" away.
If Seth hits this, it could be over for Roman.
-Rollins goes for the frog splash. -[Coach] Oh!
[Cole] Nobody home as Reigns rolls out of the way.
Again, all seven men in Sunday's Elimination Chamber match
on the WWE Network
will compete tonight in this Gauntlet Match.
[Corey] Look at both Rollins and Reigns.
Both men battered, beaten, and both men…
One of these two men is gonna have to compete against more competitors.
At least one. Possibly five more.
[Cole] You see the height of Seth Rollins, how high he got in the air
before delivering the splash as Reigns rolled out of the way.
[Coach] This goes back to what Rollins was saying.
He wants to make Monday night his show again.
It is performances like this that will get that done.
[Cole] Both men using one another to reach their feet.
It's gonna be an old-fashioned slugfest.
Look at Rollins fighting back. Reigns with the rights as well.
I'm not sure you wanna get into a slugfest, however,
with Roman Reigns.
Oh! And the "Big Dog" now firing back.
[Coach] Rollins on rubber legs right now.
Oh! Sidesteps Roman. Out goes Reigns.
Rollins feeling some kinda way.
[Cole] He tried this once before.
This time… suicide dive takes out Reigns.
[Coach] I don't think Seth's done yet.
[Cole] Rollins knows what it takes to keep the "Big Dog" down.
And a second time for Rollins.
[Coach] The competitive spirit between these two men,
despite the fact that, normally, they're really good friends.
That's out the window tonight. I love it.
[Cole] That's what it's gonna be in the chamber.
Every man for himself
for an opportunity to meet Brock Lesnar for the Universal title at WrestleMania.
Rollins top rope. Oh!
And a Superman Punch!
[Corey] Good night!
[Cole] Rollins may be out.
Cover by Reigns. Hooks the leg.
A kick-out by Rollins.
Wow. Again, you see some of the heart that Seth Rollins has inside.
What he's all about.
Seth Rollins came out last week. Wanted a WrestleMania moment.
Has an opportunity to give himself one.
[Coach] If Roman had connected with this any harder,
I don't think Seth would have been conscious by WrestleMania.
-Look at the impact. -[Cole] Wow.
[Corey] Right to the jaw of "The Architect."
But somehow, almost miraculously,
Seth Rollins able to beat the referee's three-count.
[Coach] I'm always amazed how guys compete
when nobody's watching, when the lights are not the brightest.
But when they're this bright, they're this big,
it makes it even more impressive what both are able to do.
[Cole] It's also more impressive what both are able to do and willing to do,
willing to put themselves through, willing to sacrifice,
just to say they were the better man on that night.
[Coach] So that's the question, what will they be able to do
when they win this particular part of the Gauntlet Match?
[Corey] It's a good question.
[Cole] Roman's setting up.
Has Rollins in his sights.
Rollins caught him.
Looking for the stomp.
Reigns, though, from behind, rolling Rollins up.
Shoulders down. Rollins slips out.
Now it's Reigns in trouble. Stacks him up.
Got him!
Seth Rollins! Rollins got Reigns!
[announcer] Roman Reigns has been eliminated from the Gauntlet Match.
[Cole] Incredible win by Seth.
Wow.
[Coach] He took his eyes off of Seth for just a second. A millisecond.
[Cole] I talked to so many people today who believed Roman Reigns
was one of the favorites in this match tonight,
and he goes out in the first match.
[Corey] Take another look at this. Rollins looking for that stomp.
Reigns counters into a beautiful O'Connor roll,
but Rollins able to shift Roman's momentum just enough
for the cover and a three-count.
Nobody right now is as shocked as Roman Reigns.
[Coach] Let me be clear, we get five more like that?
[Cole] Indeed, and no rest for the weary
because Rollins now has to regroup to face his next opponent.
Roman Reigns realized Seth Rollins caught him.
[Coach] I mentioned competitive spirit. You see the face of Roman Reigns.
He's like, "Hey. You got me this time. Good on you."
[no audible speech]
["My Time Is Now" playing]
[Cole] Uh-oh.
Like I said,
no time-outs for Seth Rollins.
Because here comes "Big Match John."
[crowd roaring]
It's a lively bunch.
Coach.
Corey.
Cole.
We're in the middle of a Gauntlet Match.
Here we go. Let's go to work.
[Cole] Indeed, time for Cena to go to work.
Second match of our Gauntlet Match series tonight.
John Cena. And look at Rollins! Goes right after Cena.
-[Coach] I don't blame him. -[Cole] Here's the cover by Seth.
Hook to the leg on Cena.
And almost caught him.
Rollins ready to go.
[Cole] John Cena has taken control of the Gauntlet Match versus Seth Rollins.
Welcome back to Monday Night Raw.
Rollins defeated Roman Reigns in the first match,
which means he now faces Cena, and, Corey, Seth tried to end this early.
[Corey] Seth realizes he's already at a disadvantage.
John Cena, one of the greatest of all time.
Seth wants any advantage he can get,
whether that means attacking Cena from behind or not.
[Cole] Big night here tonight on Monday Night Raw.
We're gonna have more about what's gonna happen this Sunday
at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event on the WWE Network,
and a big contract signing, guys.
[Corey] She shocked the world when she arrived at the Royal Rumble.
This Sunday in Las Vegas, Ronda Rousey will sign
her official WWE Monday Night Raw contract.
[Coach] It's gonna be cool to see Ronda Rousey see the other ladies up close
on such a big night,
but also having the women see her up close for the very first time as well.
[Cole] It happens Sunday on the WWE Network.
More on this big story later on tonight,
but now back to the match between Cena and Rollins.
And during the commercial break,
we also saw Seth Rollins try to pick up a countout victory over Cena
to save his strength because if he wins this match,
he has to face another competitor in the next Gauntlet Match.
[Corey] Once upon a time, when Seth sat atop the mountain,
he was not afraid to use his wily instincts, his caginess,
his sometimes questionable tactics,
but they always got results.
That's what Seth needs to do tonight and going forward
if he wants to be the champion again.
[Coach] It's about game plan. Right now, you're starting a game plan
that they can utilize on Sunday,
and that's the benefit of having a match like tonight.
[Cole] Cena, cover on Rollins, and Cena all business now.
John Cena said last week
that the road to WrestleMania
means having to survive the most unwinnable match in WWE history,
that being the Elimination Chamber,
and then they have to go on to WrestleMania
to take down the most unbeatable champion in history in Brock Lesnar.
[Coach] We say all the time that
it's not just about how physical you are, how mental you are,
but it takes some luck as well, and I think that's what John Cena meant…
[Cole] Again, Cena cover.
Shoulders down, and a kick-out.
Again, the veteran of John Cena realizing
put the match away as quick as you can,
move on to the next matchup.
[Corey] This is also a great strategy by Cena just wearing down Rollins.
Seth Rollins has already spent so much energy
in the first match with Roman Reigns.
John can just grind on Rollins, just wear him down slowly
with minimal physical exertion on his own part.
[Coach] Yeah, his ring IQ is so incredibly high. I think we're seeing it right here.
Not only is he not exerting a lot of energy
but also he's understanding what it's gonna take
when the next Superstar comes out, if he's victorious.
[Corey] Notice how Cena has his legs wrapped around the torso of Seth Rollins.
Every time Seth exhales, Cena's legs tighten a little bit more.
It's like an anaconda grip on you, just squeezing the breath out of Rollins.
[Cole] Yeah, and the longer these matches go,
the more air Seth needs to bring into those lungs.
John Cena, six times in his career
has entered the Elimination Chamber.
He's won three times.
He once won from the number-one position,
and he's also won from the number-six position.
As John Cena now continues to wear down Seth Rollins.
How much does Seth have left in the tank?
[Corey] A forearm right between the shoulder blades of Rollins.
Cena attempts to figure out what's next.
[Cole] Right to the side of the face.
[Coach] Corey, you said earlier, it's interesting to watch
what these guys will do, how hard they will go,
and it's interesting
because you can't go 100 miles an hour the entire time.
One!
[Cole] John Cena now looking for maybe a countout victory.
[referee] Two!
[Corey] I don't disagree with this strategy from John at all.
[Cole] Already, Seth Rollins has been involved in this Gauntlet Match
over 30 minutes,
here tonight on Monday Night Raw.
He's gonna have to go a lot longer than that
if he wants to win this tonight.
Four other competitors still to come.
Rollins trying to make it back in.
And he makes it in at a count of nine.
Just beats the count.
And John Cena now beginning to realize, if he didn't know already,
what Seth Rollins is made of.
Corey, you've known Seth his entire career.
You're close to the man. What keeps him going?
[Corey] Seth thrives on doubters, being told that he can't do anything.
Seth will do things that are superhuman
just because someone said he couldn't or he wouldn't.
[Cole] Now Cena asking the official to begin a count again
as Rollins is yet to make it back to his feet.
Rollins lives with a chip on his shoulder,
and it's led to some great success.
[Coach] Look at Cena.
In position, ready to attack as soon as Rollins makes it to his feet.
The reason he's a 16-time champion.
[Cole] Belly-to-belly by John.
Again. Look at the power of Cena.
And another one by Cena,
driving Seth into the ring.
A trifecta of belly-to-bellies.
Cover by Cena. Hook to the leg!
And a kick-out by Rollins.
Rollins is still in this. The Gauntlet Match continues.
Seth Rollins is absolutely exhausted
as he meets John Cena in Rollins's second match of the night.
He defeated Roman Reigns earlier on as he looks to run the gauntlet.
[Coach] Can't tell if it's good sportsmanship or frustration
on the part of John Cena.
[Cole] Cena had Seth up top. Looked for the AA.
Rollins buried him with a DDT.
Cover. Can he put Cena away?
Hooks the leg. Near-fall.
[Corey] You gotta wonder, in Seth Rollins's case,
is this one of those instances of the ego being too much?
Could this end up being detrimental to Seth Rollins's career?
Continuing to fight, wearing himself down before the Elimination Chamber match.
It's about momentum.
You wanna leave with a victory. But how much is too much?
[Cole] To your point, Corey,
Seth Rollins has now been in this match over 35 minutes
against both Roman Reigns and John Cena,
two of the best in the world.
[grunts]
[Cole] Seth Rollins, though, he said he wanted this.
He said he wanted to be "Monday Night Rollins."
He wanted to get back to the top, and this is one way of doing that.
-[Coach] This is a great way. -[Cole] Uh-oh.
And John Cena looking to power Rollins onto his…
Oh!
-[Coach] A stunner of some sort. -[Cole] A unique stunner by Cena.
Here's the cover. Wasn't pretty but it was effective.
[Coach] It almost seems like Cena is just trying to get through this
with the least amount of energy possible.
[Corey] If John Cena defeats Seth Rollins,
Cena still has three more competitors to worry about.
[Cole] I don't know what you're talking about.
Look at that. That stunner by Cena. That was unique.
Something we've seen Cena do very rarely.
[Cole] He's screaming at him. He says. "Stay down. What's wrong with you?"
"What are you doing?"
Instead of staying on him the entire time.
[Cole] Now John Cena
looking to put Rollins away and advance in the gauntlet.
Rollins just flailing about. He's running on instinct at this point.
Remember, John Cena said last week he needs to win the chamber.
He needs to get back to WrestleMania to take on Brock Lesnar
'cause he has a score to settle with "The Beast."
[Coach] This is what I'm talking about.
Instead of staying on top of him, instead of staying in the corner,
he's saying, "Come on. Get up. Come on out."
[Corey] Yeah, but, Coach, that's exerting energy,
just being able to get back to your feet.
This is probably a wiser move on Cena's part than you realize.
[Cole] And giving Rollins a fighting chance as well
as he drops Seth with a right hand.
[Coach] I will say that anybody that knows better than John Cena,
we're not gonna find 'em,
on how much you have to have in the tank
to get all the way to the end.
[Cole] John Cena telling Seth, "Hey, I'm still in good shape."
"Haven't even broken a sweat," as he delivers another right.
And Rollins continues to get punished.
Rollins can barely support his own body weight at this point.
There's a bunch of guys in line!
-[referee] What do you say? -[Cena] I feel great.
-Get up. -[referee] You can stop, okay?
And I'll knock you down again.
-Hey, John, he wants to continue. -[Cena] All right.
[Cole] Heard the official ask, and Rollins said, "I'm not stopping."
[Coach] If I'm Seth Rollins, I'm thinking maybe it's time to hit the showers.
This is… You've put on a great effort. You've already defeated Roman Reigns.
-Oh! -[Corey] Don't get greedy, Seth.
[Cole] Straight right. Cover by Cena.
And Rollins this time at one.
[Coach] And this would be a tough…
[crowd clamoring]
[Cole] Rollins barking back at Cena.
Now Rollins is fired up. And here we go.
Cena and Rollins.
[Coach] I don't know what just started pulsing through the body of Seth, but…
It was effective for a moment but
Cena just flattens "The Architect."
[Cole] Elbow. Cover. Can John put him away?
Another kick-out by Rollins.
[Coach] This would be a tough ask if he came out
and it was one-on-one at the start of the gauntlet,
but to ask him to beat John Cena after going…
[Cole] And defeating Roman Reigns.
[Coach] …15-20 minutes with the "Big Dog."
[Cole] Yeah, but here's the deal, Coach.
What if Rollins enters number two on Sunday?
He'll have to go through everybody in the chamber.
-[Coach] I agree. -[Cole] You can't make excuses tonight.
It's a Gauntlet Match.
You could find yourself in the same situation come Sunday.
[Coach] It's a tough ask.
[Corey] I made the analogy to Coach earlier,
if you're a football team and you go 14-1,
sometimes you take that last week off because you know the playoffs are coming.
[Cole] There's gotta be a countout here.
Rollins driven off the apron.
He hit hard, and the official will begin the count.
-[Corey] Just stay down, Rollins. -[Cole] No parallel to Sunday here though.
There will be no countouts inside the Elimination Chamber.
But a countout will end this match.
At least this portion of the Gauntlet Match.
[Corey] And after all Seth Rollins's body has been put though tonight,
you can't honestly tell me, six nights from now…
-[Cole] Count of eight. -[Corey] …he'll be good.
[Cole] Count of nine.
-Rollins drags himself, barely… -[Coach] This is amazing.
[Cole] …back into the ring.
Cena can't believe the heart of Rollins.
You gotta check him out for a concussion.
Back away.
I got all the respect in the world for you.
[Cole] Already Rollins has been involved in 44 minutes of action tonight.
[Coach] Let's just say, hypothetically, Rollins somehow gets past John Cena,
who knows how much longer Seth's gonna have to be in that ring,
competing with high-level competitors tonight?
[Cole] Again, John Cena stalking Seth Rollins.
And Cena with a shoulder tackle.
And another one to Seth Rollins.
Rollins throwing hands.
There wasn't much behind it, but he had enough to counter.
Now Seth Rollins looking to fight back. Launched out to the apron.
Rollins with something left in the tank as he delivers a right to Cena.
[Corey] Oh! Rollins picked out of the sky.
[Cole] And now looking for the STF. Cena's got him!
In the center of the ring. Rollins can't hang on.
-There's no way. -Tap! It's over!
-[Cena] It's over. -Seth, do you give up?
[Cole] You heard Cena saying, "It's over."
Rollins trying to drag himself to the bottom rope.
Cena will pull him back to the center of the ring.
But that may have been a critical error.
Seth Rollins with a sling blade.
Here's the cover. Can he do it?
Kick-out at two.
[Corey] You can still see Rollins favoring his…
not sure if it's his knee or his hip.
It's been clearly bothering Rollins throughout the duration of the match
since Roman Reigns was in the ring.
Gotta give credit where it's due. Seth Rollins continues to fight.
[Coach] I'm never one to question John Cena
or the game plan he's going to implement,
but I feel like the stalking tactic to save energy
may be backfiring just a little bit right now.
[Corey] Maybe you're right, Coach. It's time for one of these Superstars
to stomp on the gas pedal and try to end this thing quick.
[Cole] Well, Rollins trying to do that now as he buries Cena in the corner.
And there's a suplex,
and this'll set Rollins up if he can get Cena off his feet.
Can't quite do it.
Cena rolls him up. Shoulders down.
And a kick-out. Maybe the bad leg came into play there.
[Corey] Or exhaustion, and we've seen Seth perform
that same combination numerous times.
Just not enough left in the tank.
[Coach] And, again, to me, this is a calculated mistake.
[cheering]
[Cole] And Rollins kicks Cena in the face.
Now a boot to the midsection.
Rollins may have Cena where he wants him.
Cena's in trouble. Rollins looking for a major victory here.
And Cena at two.
[Corey] Cena doing the smart thing, rolling to the outside.
I don't know where Seth Rollins is getting this from.
Digging down deep inside, but…
[Coach] I think it should be obvious to John Cena now
that Seth Rollins is not just going to go.
He's going to have to beat him.
[Cole] And now John Cena looking to fight back into this.
[Corey] We just talked about it.
This is exactly the sort of mentality
that's led Seth Rollins to be successful in the past.
We at this table, a lot of people in the audience here,
are saying, "Seth, enough is enough."
That's what Rollins needs to hear
because he'll kill himself to prove you wrong.
[Coach] Rollins trying to bring in John Cena the hard way with a suplex,
and John Cena able to power Rollins over the rope, out onto the apron.
And now… Oh no, Cena sidesteps Rollins,
who goes shoulder first into the post.
[Coach] Every time it feels like Seth might be getting
just a little bit of offense, John--
[Cole] Oh, nobody home!
Rollins, out of desperation perhaps, diving out of the way.
Cena shoulder first to the steps.
And the official begins the count.
[Corey] That can hardly be considered an offensive maneuver from Seth Rollins.
That was luck.
[Coach] Every time he gets a bit of offense,
he's able to move out of the way.
[Cole] But this is a critical moment for both these men, especially Rollins.
The official at a count of five.
Could we see a double countout here in this Gauntlet Match?
Seven!
[Cole] Count of seven.
Rollins starting to stir.
A count of eight by the official.
[Coach] Does that just mean the next competitor has a free pass?
[Cole] Cena back to his feet.
Cena and Rollins just beat the count.
I can't believe they beat the ten-count.
[Coach] And it appeared like that's all the energy they had left.
[Cole] Here's what led to that dramatic near-countout.
Rollins eats the post.
Cena comes full speed ahead. Boom! Right into the steel stairs.
Both men were down but somehow, someway,
both Superstars willed their way back in before ten.
Survival.
That is what it was about there for Seth Rollins.
We are live in Phoenix, Arizona,
a city that knows all about the Elimination Chamber.
It hosted the second Elimination Chamber match in history.
SummerSlam 2003.
The men in the Gauntlet Match tonight
will meet in the Elimination Chamber Sunday on the WWE Network.
[Coach] And there's such a big prize on Sunday.
-[Cole] Oh! -[Coach] Tonight, it's about pride,
and the competitive spirit is off the charts.
[Cole] John Cena with a Five-Knuckle Shuffle. Vintage Cena.
Now he sets Rollins up for the AA.
Rollins up on his shoulders.
John Cena looking to… Oh, look at Rollins!
Able to slip through, shoulders down.
And what about the fight in Rollins?
Uh-oh, Rollins…
Crossface locked in
on John Cena, center of the ring.
Will Cena tap? Will John Cena tap out to Rollins?
I cannot get over Seth Rollins and his performance here tonight
in this Gauntlet Match.
[Coach] It seems to be locked in and smack-dab in the middle of the ring.
[Cole] Cena trying to fight out of it.
Looking to power his way out.
And if there's one man that can do it, it's John Cena.
-And look at the strength in Cena. -[Coach] Ridiculous.
[Corey] Uh-oh.
It's not where Rollins wants to be.
[Cole] Not at all. Looking for the Attitude Adjustment.
Cena.
Rollins landed on his feet.
Got him with a step-up enzuigiri.
And now Rollins, with Cena center of the ring,
looking to fly.
[Corey] Don't do it, Seth. You don't have enough left.
[Cole] High risk.
Frog splash connecting!
Can Rollins pull off a miracle?
A kick-out by Cena at two.
Well, Seth Rollins said he wants to once again
be the man on Monday Night Raw.
And a night like this will do a great deal for that cause.
Seth Rollins just passed the 50-minute mark tonight.
-First Reigns, now Cena. -[Corey] Look at this.
You know Seth Rollins's legs have gotta be burning.
His lungs are on fire right now.
But somehow musters up enough power
to leap from the top rope halfway across the ring
and nearly topple John Cena.
[Coach] I'm not a guy that believes in moral victories,
and I'm sure Seth Rollins is not either,
but if there ever was one, tonight would be it,
with the effort that he is putting in.
[Corey] You said he's over 50 minutes now, Seth Rollins?
Trust me, you're in a ring half that long,
your legs get weak, you get wobbly, you don't get stable.
-I don't know where this is coming from. -[Cole] And John Cena now, explosive move.
AA to Rollins.
And Rollins's night is over. Cena with the AA.
Wait a minute!
Did he kick out? Did Rollins kick out?
He kicked out. The official said two.
[Coach] I think you got a little bit ahead of yourself, Cole.
-[Corey] Don't blame ya. -[Cole] Come on!
After everything Rollins has been through, to kick out of the AA.
-You gotta be kidding. -[Corey] Let's take a look.
[Corey] AA right on the money.
One, two…
Seth Rollins clearly got the shoulder up.
This match continues.
[Coach] If Cena wasn't frustrated before, he is most certainly frustrated now.
[Cole] It's incredible, Corey. You spent a decade in the ring.
You mentioned being in the ring 50 minutes.
He hasn't only been over 50 minutes.
He's been in the ring against two of the best in the world,
Roman Reigns and John Cena.
[Coach] If you're not gonna add Seth Rollins
to that elite list of best in the world after tonight, you gotta be crazy.
-[Corey] No way! -[Cole] Look at Rollins.
[Cole] Superplex!
-And Rollins now with a Falcon Arrow… -[Coach] Are you kidding me?
[Cole] …to Cena. Can he do it?
Can Rollins do it? Hooks the leg.
Cena at two.
What an incredible night here on Monday Night Raw.
[Corey] We've been talking a whole lot about Seth Rollins
and being out here first with Roman Reigns.
We're now getting to that point with John Cena
that if he wins this match,
how much would he have going forward?
[Coach] Take a look at this. First, the superplex.
I don't know where Rollins gets it. Into the Falcon Arrow.
You can see it didn't land exactly like Seth wanted,
but I'm sure it still did a significant amount of damage.
And that young man, his face says it all.
[Cole] And think about this.
We're not even halfway through this match.
There are still four competitors to compete tonight.
[Coach] And all four, I guarantee, are licking their chops…
[Corey] Absolutely right.
[Cole] Rollins went for the stomp. He got caught by Cena.
Cena picked him out of thin air. Here we go, center ring.
[Coach] Don't forget the hip or knee,
whatever Seth Rollins is favoring on the left side.
This has gotta be agonizing.
[Cole] Rollins has gotta tap.
He's gotta preserve himself for Sunday, for the chamber match.
[Coach] I agree.
[Cole] But Rollins still fighting and forces another break.
And John Cena's gotta be beside himself,
trying to figure out what's he's gotta do to put Rollins away.
-[Corey] Rollins off target. -And again, middle of the ring.
-[Coach] Now, this is it. -[Cole] You can credit that to…
[Coach] Oh, look at this. Look at the torque on Rollins's knee.
[Cole] Look at John Cena, just powering through.
[Coach] Seth may not make it to Elimination Chamber at all.
[Cole] Ladies and gentlemen, this is Monday Night Raw.
We are entering hour number two, and our Gauntlet Match is still underway.
Seth Rollins has been in this match nearly 55 minutes.
And he again forces another break against Cena.
We kicked off the night tonight with Rollins beating Roman Reigns,
and now he's in a battle against Cena,
and there are still four more competitors to compete in the Gauntlet Match,
live on Raw.
[Coach] It's amazing when you think of the performances over the years
of guys that have gone, quote, unquote, 60 minutes,
we potentially have a guy that could go 90,
100 minutes, if it takes that long.
[Corey] I'm sure if it's up to Rollins, if he has any say,
that's the last thing he wants six days before the Elimination Chamber.
[Cole] Rollins trying to fight back into the ring.
Only one other match in the history of Monday Night Raw went an hour.
That was Triple H in an Iron Man match.
This Gauntlet Match is already closing in on that that 60-minute mark.
And John Cena now.
And Seth Rollins battling up on the top rope.
[Corey] Cena looking for that Hail Mary.
This will end it if John Cena lands this.
[Cole] Cena with Rollins on his shoulders.
John Cena looking to put Seth away, but look at Rollins.
"The Kingslayer" continues to fight back.
Caught.
Cena gonna roll through but… No way!
You gotta be kidding me.
Seth Rollins. That's something John Cena does.
-Rollins powering Cena. -[Coach] No!
[Cole] An AA to Cena!
You gotta be kidding me!
Cover.
-Cena kicks out. -[Coach] Ho-ho!
-That is one of… -[Corey] My goodness.
[Coach] …the most incredible feats of strength I have ever seen.
[Cole] John Cena does that. Not Seth Rollins.
-[Corey] You gotta wonder if… -[Cole] John Cena does that!
[Corey] …Seth Rollins even realizes what the hell he's capable of right now.
Look at this. 50-something minutes into a match.
Picking John Cena up, delivering an AA.
I don't know how Cena kicked out.
I don't know where Rollins is getting his power from.
This is ridiculous.
In the best way possible.
[Cole] I can't believe this.
I mean, hey, guys, th… think about it.
We still have four more guys to enter the Gauntlet Match.
[Coach] Right now, I'm thinking about that guy.
-If you wanna be "Monday Night Rollins"… -[Cole] This is incredible.
[Coach] …it's about making history, doing things that have never been done.
[Cole] I'm thinking about right now.
If this match were to end now, I'm going home happy.
-[Corey] Exactly. -[Cole] This has been unbelievable.
I mean, Seth Rollins…
If there were any doubters, he's shut 'em up.
There's no doubt about that.
[Corey] But Rollins lives to do,
wants to go down as the greatest there is.
Seth Rollins has taken to the skies already in this match.
One time, it cost him. The other time, he connected.
[Cole] And now…
Went for the Phoenix Splash.
Cena rolled out of the way.
Rollins up on his shoulders again.
AA!
John Cena rolls through.
Look at the power of Cena.
And now Rollins steps behind.
He got him with a knee.
Rollins has got him in position.
The stomp! The stomp to Cena!
Can Rollins capitalize?
Seth drags himself to the cover.
Shoulders down.
-Rollins did it! -He did it!
[announcer] John Cena has been eliminated from the Gauntlet Match.
[Coach] You wanna make Monday night yours, that's exactly how you do it.
By the time Seth fell victim to Elias,
"CrossFit Jesus" had been in the ring for an hour and five minutes,
the longest match of Rollins's career to that point
and one that earned him a standing ovation from the crowd
for his divine performance.
Seth "Freakin" Rollins continued to take on all challengers,
and in May of 2023,
he would become the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion
by defeating AJ Styles at Night of Champions.
Less than one month into his championship reign,
Rollins would defend that title on Raw
in an all-out war against the "Archer of Infamy,"
Damian Priest.
[cheering]
["The Vision (Seth 'Freakin' Rollins)" playing]
[audience] ♪ Oh oh oh ♪
♪ Oh oh oh ♪
[man on recording] ♪ Burn it down… ♪
[Corey] Seth "Freakin" Rollins vowed to be a fighting champion,
a workhorse for Monday Night Raw.
And tonight, Seth is certainly holding up his end of the bargain.
[Kevin] "This isn't a championship for politics and part-timers."
The words of Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
But I'll tell you, Corey, there were many backstage earlier
that were saying that this is a naive move from Seth "Freakin" Rollins
only nine days in to being World Heavyweight Champion.
[Corey] I can't necessarily say I disagree with those assessments.
If I were Seth "Freakin" Rollins,
I might think twice about issuing an open challenge
because Rollins can't predict the future,
especially with someone as dangerous and experienced
as Damian Priest.
Seth Rollins may have just set himself up for an epically short title reign.
[bell dings]
The following contest, scheduled for one fall,
is for the World Heavyweight Championship!
[audience] ♪ Oh oh oh… ♪
[announcer] Introducing the challenger,
representing The Judgment Day,
from New York City, weighing in at 249 lbs,
Damian Priest!
[crowd booing]
[announcer] And his opponent,
from Davenport, Iowa, weighing in at 225 lbs,
he is the World Heavyweight Champion,
Seth "Freakin" Rollins!
[Kevin] Seth "Freakin" Rollins said that he wanted this championship
to be an opportunity for everyone,
and he's backed up that talk tonight,
putting his title on the line just nine days after winning it
at Night of Champions.
[audience] ♪ Oh oh oh ♪
♪ Oh oh oh… ♪
[Corey] Could you imagine how embarrassing,
how humiliating this would be
for Seth Rollins to lose his new World Heavyweight Championship
in his first defense
via an open challenge that was his idea?
This could backfire in a spectacular way.
[Kevin] Don't think anyone would disagree when you say Damian Priest
is one of the threats on Monday Night Raw.
The Punishment within The Judgment Day.
[Corey] If you look at The Judgment Day as a whole,
if you obtain the crown jewel of Monday Night Raw,
the World Heavyweight Championship,
The Judgment Day truly will…
That's why I don't need nobody. Nobody.
[Kevin] The Judgment Day truly will run Monday Night Raw.
[Corey] Rollins not about to put up with the lip from the challenger.
[Kevin] We saw sportsmanship earlier tonight, Priest telling Rollins,
"You're a deserving champion."
No more nice-guy talking.
It's a championship match and the main event on Monday Night Raw.
[grunts]
Rollins able to put on the brakes, baseball slide,
and evades Priest.
Oh!
Priest, a world-class striker with…
Fantastic maneuver by Rollins, sending the challenger to the outside.
[Kevin] Rollins has ideas.
From the apron.
Taking down Damian Priest.
Will Seth "Freakin" Rollins be able to defend his title tonight?
Let's go!
[Kevin] You're watching one of the biggest events
in the history of Monday Night Raw.
Seth "Freakin" Rollins defends his World Heavyweight Championship
against Damian Priest of The Judgment Day.
It's the first time since November of 2021
that a World Championship is being defended on Monday Night Raw.
[Corey] Rollins now trying to call the bluff of Priest,
luring Damian into making a mistake.
And now "The Visionary"
looking to continue his assault, but got caught with a knee.
[Kevin] To the gut of Rollins. And Priest has Rollins where he wants him.
Oh!
Seth turns it around.
[Corey] Priest is rocked and in a bad, bad way.
And here comes "The Visionary."
Oh!
Catlike agility from Rollins.
Oh-ho-ho!
My goodness!
Priest just uncorked the right hand.
It might have cost Rollins a few incisors.
[Kevin] The precision of Damian Priest,
to be able to catch Rollins midair like that.
[Corey] Take a look at this.
This uppercut caught Rollins right in the kisser.
And now Priest teeing off on "The Visionary."
[Kevin] Damian Priest, a man that's beaten former world champions
on Monday Night Raw,
whether it's The Miz, Sheamus, Drew McIntyre,
Styles, Bálor, or Rey Mysterio.
He's been there. He's done that.
Priest is focused on the task at hand,
unleashing his ruthless streak
on the champion, Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
You just wonder at what point does Seth "Freakin" Rollins
question this decision to throw out the open challenge?
[Corey] I don't know that Rollins will question it.
Rollins has been very open about how he claims his hands are off the wheel,
and he's really forged a symbiotic relationship
with the WWE Universe.
[Kevin] This is for the Championship for Damian Priest.
And Rollins kicks out.
[Corey] The WWE Universe drives Rollins forward,
and Rollins feeds off of them.
[Priest] Go to sleep!
[Corey] But right now, even the WWE Universe here in Hartford,
that has been alive and well all night, cannot save "The Visionary."
[Kevin] An electric crowd here in Hartford, Connecticut,
witnessing something special.
Rollins defending his World Heavyweight Championship
against Priest of The Judgment Day.
-[Corey] Cover by challenger. -[Kevin] Priest hooks the leg.
And a rapid kick-out from Rollins.
-[grunts] -[Seth yells]
[Corey] You've got to be impressed thus far
with the challenger, Damian Priest,
who accepted Rollins's open challenge
and clearly came here with the intentions of dethroning Seth…
in Rollins's very first title defense.
Talk about bragging rights for Priest.
[Kevin] Priest, a former United States Champion.
[Corey] And Priest, notice, is moving extremely deliberately
thus far in this matchup.
Priest not leaving any room for error,
calculating every strike before throwing it,
and now, very wisely, just trying to wear the champion down.
[Kevin] Rollins is champion for a reason.
Blow to the back of "The Visionary."
[Corey] Rollins is a champion for a reason. Rollins won the tournament.
He's a top-tier WWE Superstar, one of the best to ever do it.
And Damian Priest would love to carve his legacy at the expense
of someone the caliber of Rollins.
Oh-ho!
Beautiful enzuigiri. The challenger's down.
-[Kevin] It rocks Priest. -I'm okay.
[Kevin] Can Seth "Freakin" Rollins capitalize?
[Corey] This is where Rollins needs the WWE Universe.
To feed off of the energy,
as we look again at this shot to the kidneys by Priest.
With Rollins answering with an enzuigiri
to even the playing field for the moment.
[Kevin] The workhorse title.
Seth "Freakin" Rollins now starting to gain momentum.
-[Seth grunting] Oh! -[crowd] Oh! Oh! Oh!
[Corey] Seth firing chops and punches.
[groans] Oh!
[Corey] Clothesline.
But not enough to take Priest down just yet.
[groans] Oh!
[Corey] Damian beginning to stagger.
[Kevin] Wobbly legs but he's still standing, Damian Priest.
[Corey] Rollins avoided a kick and delivered one of his own.
-[Seth roars] -[Corey] Down goes Priest.
[Kevin] Incredible attacking arsenal from Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
[Corey] The challenger looks all out of sorts,
and Priest better figure something out quickly.
[wrestlers grunting]
[Corey] Backbreaker from the champion.
[Kevin] Rollins is gonna take a climb.
[cheering]
[Corey] Seth surveying the scene,
looking around the XL Center.
The target is acquired.
Priest out of the way.
Oh! And a kick of his own stops the champion.
[Kevin] Priest now looking for a bit of pace and momentum.
[groans]
-[Kevin] Elbow connects. -[Corey] A stage dive in the corner.
[groans] Oh!
[Corey] Rollins halts the momentum. Seth Rollins wants the Pedigree.
Can he get it?
Turnaround by Priest.
Seth Rollins now. Shoulders are down.
[Kevin] Priest out in time.
[Corey] Sling blade by Rollins.
Rollins feeling it now.
[Kevin] Feeding off the energy of the WWE Universe.
Rollins has ideas.
Taking flight!
[Corey] Just caught.
Oh my god!
[crowd clamoring]
[Corey] Face-first into our announce table,
the champion's down.
Can Rollins recover?
[Kevin] Priest and Rollins on the top rope.
[Corey] Priest able to put on the brakes, prevent whatever Rollins was planning,
and a right hand drops the World Heavyweight Champion.
[Kevin] This a first title defense for Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
It's for the World Heavyweight Championship.
What a battle we are witnessing
between the Punishment of The Judgment Day, Damian Priest,
and the champ, Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
[Corey] As promised, it has been strictly one-on-one.
No Judgment Day involvement.
-Mano a mano. -[audience] ♪ Oh oh oh… ♪
[Corey] Tell you this much, Damian Priest brought his A game tonight.
[audience] ♪ Oh oh oh… ♪
[Corey] At many points throughout this match thus far,
Damian Priest has actually been a step ahead
of the World Heavyweight Champion.
But Rollins…
[audience roaring]
[Kevin] Here we go. Suplex!
Superplex from Rollins.
[Corey] But Priest looking to change the momentum. Look at the power.
Falcon Arrow!
[Kevin] To retain the championship, and Damian Priest out in time.
[Corey] A true seesaw moment in this battle,
as we look first at the superplex.
Rollins looked to roll through, but Priest actually switched momentum,
had it not been for the knee of Rollins
to swing the pendulum back into his own favor
and nearly knock off the challenger.
[Kevin] At two and a half, Damian Priest still alive
in this championship match.
[audience chanting, clapping rhythmically]
[Corey] A wild-eyed World Heavyweight Champion picking up speed.
[Kevin] Rollins with a suicide dive! Priest colliding with the announce desk.
[Corey] But Priest still on his feet. Here comes Rollins again.
[Kevin] Oh!
[Corey] Priest still won't go down.
Will the third time be the charm?
[crowd roaring]
[Corey] Priest spills over the announce desk.
[cheering]
[Corey] But look how quickly, almost instinctively,
Damian Priest is pulling himself up.
Rollins realizing there is more work to do
if he wants to leave Hartford as World Heavyweight Champion.
-[Kevin] Priest now back up on his feet. -[audience] ♪ Oh oh oh ♪
Seth Rollins superkick rocking Damian Priest.
[Corey] Rollins now looking to make the climb to the top turnbuckle.
[Kevin] Is this the moment for Seth Rollins?
Frog splash on Priest.
Can he get the cover? Yes he can. To retain the championship.
With Damian Priest kicking out again.
[Corey] What a display of fortitude from the challenger, Damian Priest,
as we look again at the incredible height and extension from Rollins,
but of course, most importantly, the impact,
driving all of the wind out of the challenger, Damian Priest.
But Priest would not quit.
[Kevin] The open challenge issued on Friday, accepted by Damian Priest.
This the "workhorse title," says Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
An opportunity for everybody.
[Corey] Rollins looking to load up the elbow.
Priest beat him to the punch. Literally.
-[Seth groans] Oh! -[Kevin] A kick to the gut.
[Corey] Priest relying on his martial-arts background.
Rolling elbow.
Priest countered. That might do it.
New champion. New champion.
[Kevin] A kick-out by Seth Rollins.
Man, was that close for Damian Priest!
[Corey] And I think Damian Priest realized that was his best shot.
A headlock driver. Priest reaching deep into the arsenal.
Spiking the champion.
And oh so close to becoming the guy.
[Kevin] What a devastating blow it would be for Seth Rollins,
only nine days into his reign.
Uh-oh.
[Corey] Will he take a trip South of Heaven? No.
[Kevin] There's those catlike reflexes from Rollins,
rocked by Priest now.
[Corey] Seth gets the boot up just in time.
Wow!
What a kick by Priest.
[Kevin] Incredible agility.
-[Corey] Damian-- -[Kevin] The height on the kick.
Oh my god!
[Corey] Hurricanrana from the top!
[Kevin] Priest across quickly to win the championship,
but Rollins is still alive.
[Corey] And a look of disbelief
washing over the face of the challenger, Damian Priest.
With good reason.
Saying what more do I have to do to put away Seth Rollins?
Do you want some more pain?
I can do that.
[Corey] Damian Priest asking Rollins if he wants some more pain.
-Proudly declaring he can do that. -[groans] Oh!
You don't wanna give up, huh?
I'll give you some more pain.
[groans] Oh!
[Corey] Priest just battering the World Heavyweight Champion.
[Priest] I got something for you.
-[Kevin] Rolls Seth "Freakin" Rollins. -[Corey] Great counter.
Looking for the Pedigree. Rollins!
Got it!
[Kevin] Can he finish it? Can he get up?
Get across for the cover
and retain the World Heavyweight Championship?
Cover. To retain for Seth Rollins.
Shoulders up from Priest.
[Corey] This deep into a matchup, after the beating Rollins has endured,
it's extremely impressive that he was able to will himself into the cover,
but Seth unable to get enough of his body weight
across Priest's shoulders to pin the challenger down.
[audience clapping rhythmically, chanting]
[Kevin] A perilous position for both Superstars.
[Corey] Bell ringer by Priest.
[Kevin] Duck from Rollins.
Now taking out the knee.
[Corey] Uh-oh.
Oh no. Oh my god, no!
Barricade bomb by Rollins!
That's the same move that ended
Finn Bálor's Universal Championship dreams.
Priest's clutching at his shoulder.
Speak of the devil!
Bálor's here!
[Kevin] The superkick flattens Bálor, but…
this might be Priest's moment.
[Corey] That just turned Rollins inside out.
South of Heaven.
He's gonna do it.
[Kevin] He's clutching his shoulder.
Can Damian Priest get across for the cover?
For the World Heavyweight Championship.
And Rollins gets a shoulder up.
[Corey] Priest is hurt badly.
Why are you here? Weird.
[audience clamoring]
[audience] ♪ Oh oh oh ♪
[Corey] Priest took a moment to ask Finn Bálor, "Why are you here?"
It looked like Damian was disappointed.
-Powering up the champion. -[Kevin] Priest looking for Razor's Edge.
-But the shoulder gave out. -[Corey] Oh!
Priest's shoulder could not hold the weight of the champion.
[Priest groans] Ah!
[Corey] Elbow to the neck.
[Kevin] Rollins stomp!
Stomp by Rollins
to retain the World Heavyweight Championship!
[bell dings]
[crowd roaring]
[announcer] Here is your winner,
and still the World Heavyweight Champion,
Seth "Freakin" Rollins!
A five-time world champion,
the fashionable "Monday Night Messiah"
is arguably one of the greatest WWE wrestlers of our time.
A true fighting champion,
Seth Rollins has gifted the WWE Universe
with countless memorable matches,
all along displaying a passion for the industry
that we hope burns bright on Raw for years to come.
That's gonna do it for this edition of Raw Classics.
I'm Big E, saying,
"Burn it down!"
["The Vision (Seth 'Freakin' Rollins)" playing]
♪ Whoa oh oh oh ♪
♪ Burn it down ♪
[song fades] own ♪