Every Seth Rollins World Heavyweight Championship Title Defense So Far, Ranked

At Night of Champions 2023 in Saudi Arabia, Seth Rollins defeated AJ Styles to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. Rollins holding a World Championship was long overdue, as it was the first time he held a World Championship since he dropped the Universal Championship to the late Bray Wyatt at Crown Jewel 2019. Rollins’ World Heavyweight Championship reign has been superb, and the Visionary has held the gold for 163 days and counting. His championship reign is historic as it’s the longest title reign for a new inaugural World Champion.

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Rollins has been a fighting World Champion, as he has defended the World Heavyweight Championship at every PLE since he’s held the title. Some wrestlers have had multiple chances to beat Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship and have failed to get the job done. Furthermore, some of Rollins’ title defenses were solid matches, but some were underwhelming.

8 Seth Rollins Vs. Finn Balor – Money In The Bank 2023

July 1, 2023 – London, England (The 02 Arena)

Seth Rollins defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Balor across the pond in London, England at Money in the Bank 2023. Rollins and Balor were capable of producing much better, and it felt like the match didn’t get out of first gear. Balor targeted Rollins’ ribs throughout the match.

The new Mr. Money in the Bank Damian Priest interfered and he was at ringside. Fans chanted “cash in” and Priest had a seat at ringside. Rollins was distracted and Balor hit the Coup De Grace on Rollins’ ribs on the outside and he executed another. However, Balor looked at his Judgment Day stablemate and he was distracted by Rollins retaining the gold, but the finish felt anticlimactic.

7 Seth Rollins Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – Payback 2023

September 2, 2023 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PPG Paints Arena)

Payback 2023 was the first premium live event that the World Heavyweight Championship went on last, and it was the first time that Shinsuke Nakamura main evented a PLE in a singles match. Rollins’ back troubles were highlighted throughout, and the King of Strong Style targeted it.

The crowd was quiet for parts of the match and this bout went on longer than necessary at 25 minutes. Rollins executed the Pedigree on Nakamura in the match, and the Visionary executed the Stomp out of nowhere which was enough to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.

6 Seth Rollins Vs. Bron Breakker – NXT Gold Rush Week One (6/20/23)

June 20, 2023 – Orlando, Florida (WWE Performance Center)

Seth Rollins was the first-ever NXT Champion and he was back in NXT on week one of NXT Gold Rush on June 20, 2023. Rollins defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Bron Breakker, and this was the biggest match of Breakker’s career to date.

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Rollins’ ribs were taped up and Breakker was in control in the early stages. Rollins put Breakker through the broadcast table with a frog splash. Their match was competitive, and it was a good showing for Breakker who overpowered Rollins, but Rollins weathered the storm and retained the World Heavyweight Championship with a couple of Curb Stomps.

5 Seth Rollins Vs. Damian Priest – Raw (6/5/23)

June 5, 2023 – Hartford, Connecticut (XL Center)

Nine days after winning the World Heavyweight Championship at Night of Champions, Seth Rollins defended the gold for the first time against Damian Priest in the main event of the June 5, 2023 edition of Raw. This was the first World Championship title match to take place on Raw since November 2021. This was a fantastic back-and-forth match, and the Judgment Day’s Priest wanted to bring the title home to his faction.

Priest showcased his resiliency as he kicked out of Rollins’ Pedigree. Moreover, Rollins nailed Priest with the buckle bomb onto the barricade. Finn Balor interfered and Rollins clocked him with a superkick. Furthermore, Priest executed South of Heaven but Rollins kicked out. Priest and Balor were arguing and Rollins countered the Razor’s Edge, and he finished off Priest with the Stomp ensuring that his World Heavyweight Championship reign wasn’t going to end at the first hurdle.

4 Seth Rollins Vs. Sami Zayn – Raw (11/6/23)

November 6, 2023 – Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (Mohegan Sun At Casey Plaza)

Seth Rollins defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Sami Zayn on the November 6, 2023 edition of Raw. This was the first World Heavyweight Championship match to take place on Raw in five months. This was a decent match that lasted 20 minutes.

Rollins attempted the Pedigree on the apron but Zayn countered it. However, Rollins executed the Pedigree but Zayn managed to kick out. Nevertheless, Zayn cinched in the Liontamer and Rollins retained the World Hevyweight Championship with a roll-up.

3 Seth Rollins Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – Fastlane 2023

October 7, 2023 – Indianapolis, Indiana (Gainbridge Fieldhouse)

Seth Rollins and Shinsuke Nakamura once again headlined a WWE premium live event at Fastlane 2023, and this time they clashed in a Last Man Standing match with Rollins’ World Heavyweight Championship up for grabs. The King of Strong Style once again targeted Rollins’ back and Nakamura used nunchucks to inflict punishment on the defending champion.

This was a physical battle and Rollins crashed and burned through the broadcast table as Nakamura spat mist in Rollins’ face and he pushed him off the ladder. The action moved into the crowd, and Rollins put Nakamura through the table with a Falcon Arrow, and despite Nakamura getting up he collapsed to the ground with the Visionary seeing off Nakamura in a successful World Heavyweight Championship title defense.

2 Seth Rollins Vs. Drew McIntyre – Crown Jewel 2023

November 4, 2023 – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Mohammed Abdu Arena)

Unquestionably, the best match of Crown Jewel 2023 was Seth Rollins’ World Heavyweight Championship title defense against Drew McIntyre. This was the curtain-raiser in the battle of two former two-time WWE Champions going head-to-head. The atmosphere was electric, and the crowd was backing the Scottish Psychopath to get the job done.

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This World Heavyweight Championship title match had fans on the edge of their seats. Both men had a refusal to stay down and they kicked out of each other’s respective finishers. It was a valiant effort from McIntyre, but Rollins continued his World Heavyweight Championship run after he put McIntyre away with the Stomp.

1 Seth Rollins Vs. Finn Balor – SummerSlam 2023

August 5, 2023 – Detroit Michigan (Ford Field)

It was clear that Seth Rollins and Finn Balor were going to have a rematch as the finish in their World Heavyweight Championship match at Money in the Bank 2023 was anticlimactic. They faced off at SummerSlam 2023, and this match was seven years in the making as it was a rematch from their SummerSlam 2016 encounter which Balor prevailed in to become the inaugural Universal Champion.

Balor had “seven” painted on his upper right shoulder and Rollins’ entrance jacket was similar to the one he wore in their Universal Championship clash at SummerSlam 2016. This match was fast-paced, and Balor executed a buckle bomb on Rollins on the barricade which was a callback from their match at SummerSlam 2016. Señor Money in the Bank Damian Priest interfered with his Money in the Bank briefcase in tow. Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio also interfered to give their Judgment Day stablemate a helping hand. Nevertheless, Balor executed the Coup De Grace but Rollins kicked out. The fans were red hot for this match, and it did not fail to disappoint. Rollins executed the Stomp on Priest’s Money in the Bank briefcase and he retained the World Heavyweight Championship with Priest cutting a disconsolate figure.