[6.0] "good match with a horrible finish seth carried the match and the storytelling was awesome but all of this is useless cause roman retain his title"
[10.0] "What a divine match! The atmosphere heated up from the first seconds, and the psychology and history between Rollins and Raines took on new colors. Every hold, every move was imbued with tension and the depth of past betrayals. The finale gave me goosebumps and left me yearning for a sequel. This is exactly why we love wrestling - drama, emotion and skill at its peak!"
[10.0] "The emotions shown by Roman Reigns here were off the charts, simply some of the best I've ever seen, the long term story telling (which is still ongoing three years later) is off the charts, and we're still waiting to see the culmination. I personally love this and can't wait for the rest"
[2.0] "First 5 minutes, actually good. Seemed like these two had real chemistry with Rollins not looking like he was wrestling underwater and Reigns selling really well for him. Unfortunately this match had another 15 minutes and it was pretty abyssal. Perhaps I am a monkey for not understanding the brilliance of Reigns delivering his lines like he's in a english dub of a shonen anime and then reminding us all that the shield was a thing that existed. You can do these things much more subtly. You don't even have to do it subtly, its just that here the 'callback' was done pretty poorly and shoved in your face. An obnoxious Rollins doesn't help this match anymore either and didn't try at all to adjust his psychology to fit a heel as Reigns was getting the majority of the boos. Would have been better as a 5 minute opener that saw Rollins do everything he did and then have Reigns hit him with a chair or something to DQ him."
[10.0] "This site is so stupid. Every person who votes in Cagematch is a fucking monkey. You're not able to understand even a masterful story like that, which represents one of the most important moment for Roman Reigns during his reign as Tribal Chief. You're without any hope, you don't deserve anything from this wonderful discipline. This match is a Masterpiece. Fuck all of you. (9.5/10)"
[8.0] "This was an epic match, the storytelling here was amazing with Seth throwing Roman off and getting in his head with The Shield. Roman eventually snapped and choked Seth out and didnt let go when Seth grabbed the rope, leading to a disqualification that fit in the fued. Its a shame we needed to wait two years to get any sort of follow up, but this was still good for what it was."
[6.0] "For a long time, the big plus point, namely Rollins' Shield strategy, carries the match almost single-handedly. This recognizable feature skillfully distracts from the fact that the performance in the ring isn't all that special, and for me only the table spot is actually relevant. The ending is also somehow strange to inappropriate, whereas Reigns' punishment leaves a small impact. Rounded off."
[10.0] "I really, really love this match. It's very tightly paced, and every action matters for the story they're telling. It's a very WWE flavor of melodrama, but it feels appropriate for these two. Seth's entrance, the way he torments Roman at the beginning, the laugh, the fist he holds up, the triangle choke -> powerbomb spot, his absolutely shattered expression after the chairshots. Roman's instability during the entire match, the way he hits seth with the chair and then *comes back to hit him again, * the way he walks off smiling but is still talking to himself, trying to convince himself that he's the real winner here. well, he didn't win, but seth definitely lost. I'm... okay with the DQ ending, like it's *fine* for the story they were trying to tell. Very stupid that Seth never got a rematch, though. They were so stuck on Brock v Roman at WM 38 that they just tossed this whole story to the side."
[9.0] "I really liked the story that was told, Seth is always the one guy that could get inside Roman's head from The Shield break-up, him in his Shield attire was great for playing mind games on Roman and despite the DQ finish they had a really great heel vs heel match."
[4.0] "What was the point of this match? Seth came out with the Shield gear, walked through the crowd & had the Shield theme playing to troll Roman. After that, they had a decent match. Then Roman locked in his signature. He gets a submission DQ, but the DQ match doesn't lead anywhere. They never had a rematch for the title. Weird match. ***"
[8.0] "Really good match to open the show. Rollins' Shield entrance was masterful. Then the match begins with Rollins getting the upper hand having gotten into Roman's head. The nearfall on the second curb stomp almost had me. After this, Seth looks utterly shocked and his confidence fades. Finish worked for me, too."
[10.0] "One of the most underrated matches in WWE history. Long term storytelling with story that still continue. DQ finish was perfect here, Roman lost psychology war with Rollins, Seth made him think that he can't beat him so Roman went for DQ finish. Reigns never forgot that chair shot in the back.... Most important match in terms of Bloodline saga, Seth knew how to react at mania XL, he costed Reigns his Undispiuted title. Everything clicked here, Seth attire, Roman's facial expresions, ending. Not every match need to by top in ring wrestling contest to be 5star match, that amazing story and psychology deserves it soo much"
[9.0] "I just love this match, from the entrances to the aftermath of the contest this is a delicate combination of pro-wrestling and sport entertainment, with even the DQ ending not being a minus but perfectly complementary to the story, with Seth Rollins maybe being the one to best figure against tribal chief Roman Reigns, cracking him from within. My only gripe is that they didn't followed up in any way what they cooked up here, and it's a shame because maybe more than even Brock Lesnar himself the architect came out as the one with the abilities of defeating Roman Reigns"
[7.0] "This build-up to this was absolutely fantastic. Rollins has shown to be a master of mind games, and proves that point here again by wearing his old gear from The Shield. However, I must say that this match disappointed me just a bit. Don't get me wrong, everything was entertaining here and I enjoyed this, but I just felt like this deserved more. The disqualification finish doesn't help this either. While this match was still good, the story surrounding it is the best part."
[10.0] "I know many people dont like the DQ finish, but I think this was the only way to protect both Roman and Seth at the time. The buildup, Seths entrances, Shield bomb through the announcer table, the callback chairshot, everything was perfect. Even the finish with Roman didnt want to let Seth go was great character development in my opinion. I hope we can get the rematch someday when Roman is all alone so there will be no interferences, just pure match between this two like money in the bank 2016."
[7.0] "Kurzweiliges Match, das meiner Ansicht nach etwas länger noch hätte andauern können. Das Ende ist WWE-like, jedoch nicht schlecht gemacht wie ich finde. Zu einer höheren Punktzahl fehlt mir noch ein bisschen mehr Wrestling und eben 3-4 Minuten mehr."
[3.0] "I'm confused, I watched this live and was bored to death. Slow, bad ending, a bad character in Roman Reigns and Seth getting destroyed for no reason without losing the match cleanly. And nothing else happened because, whelp, Lesnar needs that title match at Mania."
[8.0] "This match SLAPPED. It wasn't long, and I understand being disappointed by the finish, but this was a phenomenally told story. This is genuinely one of the best storylines WWE has done in the last decade, to the point I don't even care too much about the actual match. But heck, even that was really good. These two clearly have great chemistry and I'm absolutely ecstatic for the rematch. I may have to change my rating for Seth Rollins as a wrestler after this, the Edge feud, and the mini-feud with Kevin Owens, Big E, and Bobby Lashley. Seth Rollins' career has been reinvigorated so much lately. They didn't have to do anything crazy here, they just laid their characters on the line and delivered a match I'll probably wind up rewatching several times until the inevitable rematch. *4.25*"
[9.0] "Great match with a very questionable ending, although to be honest, I really liked it. Seth's Shield entrance will be remembered for years to come and also Roman did a great job with his facial expressions during that moment. I just wish they could've extended the feud to WrestleMania, because it had a HUGE potential. Nevertheless, I still hope they will come back to this rivalry in the future."
[9.0] "An amazing starting sequence to open the match, loved the near fall after the power bomb through the table, one of the few times where I thought Reigns would lose. Of course many people complained about the finish but they were absolutely not going to put the title on Rollins, the best way to keep Rollins looking strong"
[8.0] "This was a great opening match. It was refreshing not seeing Roman being the dominant one like he usually is in most of his matches, Seth's mind games actually worked for the most part, and with their past in The Sheild, it had a great story. Obviously both have great chemistry. The finish was kind of meh, a typical WWE finish. Could've ended with Seth fainting in the lock or something. Still, this was a very good match. ***3/4"
[8.0] "the match started off great with seth coming out to the shield entrance, playing mind games on roman. the match itself was great, following a DQ finish from roman. this was one of the rare cases in which a DQ finish was perfect. it was absolutely needed here and helped protect both wrestlers."
[8.0] "I don? t even give a shit about the DQ ending bruh, this was fire. Great match and the ending made sense from a story standpoint. Seth wearing shield attire is gold."
[8.0] "Seth, mit Shield Gedächtnis Gear aber der Freakin war schon auch dabei. Man sah auch The Head Of The Table hatte von Shield genug. Ein starker Opener (***1/2)."
[6.0] "Great match and story, but the ending really took away from what it could've been. It's not often you see a match end by DQ after disobeying the ref's 5 count, but uniqueness doesn't mean it's still not a super lame way for a match to end. ***1/4"
[9.0] "Reigns was great, per use. Rollins, this year especially, has figured out to start the story of the match with his entrance better than anyone outside of perhaps Hiroshi Tanahashi. The storytelling was top notch here, with great action on top of it. I know lots of fans punish matches for dq endings, but this one didn't bother me in the least. From Roman's entrance, Pat Macafee(and the build itself) foreshadowed the ending we got, which was Roman coming hinged & being a directionless ball of anger without his cousins or council to direct him. The Shield powerbomb early on, Seth laughing at the spear and screaming "I'll always love you, Roman! , " the discussion of why Rollins breaking up The Shield was such an affecting event for him, and then Roman finally taking his revenge after years of it being delayed - incredible. If they never fight again, the story ended in a full circle. Easily one of the best 2 or 3 dq finishes I can recall."
[6.0] "A nice match beteween these two even if I thought it would be better. The DQ finish wasn't the best choice to me, I was prefering a clean win, but otherwise it was nice. ***1/4"
[7.0] "This match was really good and if it had a bit of a hotter finishing stretch + a better finish instead of the DQ this could've been WWE's MOTY. Seth using the old Shield entrance and attire was beautiful. Absolutely loved the psychology of this match, which isn't something I can often say about main roster matches. Seth definitely hams it up with his joker-inspired character work but I tolerated it this time. Seth did a pretty good job taunting Roman throughout the match. There was a great pace and story here. Seth gets the better of Roman in their exchanges like it's always been. Seth outwrestles Roman every time in kayfabe and in reality. Seth on the offense doesn't always do it for me, but he was really good here. His dives looked good for once, he hit the Shield powerbomb early and capitalized from it and he didn't do the suplex/falcon arrow spot. I loved the sequence with Seth hitting his stolen Hero/Ospreay rolling elbows and getting the Curb Stomp nearfall. Also there was a nice callback from MITB 2016 with Seth countering the spear into a pedigree. Roman's performance was rock solid. He hit his power moves pretty well and didn't go into the melodrama until the finish. Speaking of the finish, a lot of people hate it but I didn't really care. Roman can't drop the belt before WM and Seth shouldn't lose clean so they booked themselves into a corner. I guess the DQ could've been done in a more interesting way. Roman shouting some melodramatic dialogue with the guillotine on Seth was comedy gold though. ***1/2"
[8.0] "Best match of the night, ruined by WWE booking. Thats a terrible ending to the match of the night, clearly WWE thought the Lashley/Lesnar match or the Royal Rumble match would also be great but they both fell short. Also the placement of the match was very odd, Roman and Seth are 2 of the most over wrestlers on the roster and they put them in the opening slot for some odd reason. I understand having it before the Lesnar/Lashley match due to how that match ended but opening slot is odd to me. I could see that being the case if Roman was defending against a lower level performer on Smackdown such as a Cesaro or Sheamus but not Seth. So 10 for the match but the odd spot and terrible finish drops it to an 8."
[10.0] "Many will complain about the finish, but it? s real poetic that Reigns spot where he returns the favor on Rollins hitting him in the back with the chair. A DQ finish not only protects the narrative of ? Reigns can? t beat me? but also continues the long reign of Reigns. This story is definitely not over, and the match was great."
[7.0] "Match of the Night and pretty much the only great thing on the show. I liked Rollins coming in using the SHIELD's get up and I liked Roman's selling as a babyface to Rollins' heelish dominance which I assume was Roman giving as much to Rollins as possible considering the ending. While I didn't mind the DQ, I thought the ending was a bit flat and boring and I thought that Rollins getting beaten to powder went on for a bit too long. Also what the hell was that ref spot."
[6.0] "This was easily the best match of the show, even though it had a weird finish. Seth Rollins gave a solid performance and was mainly responsible for this being a decent match."
[7.0] "The best match of the night by a long shot. Roman and Seth worked well together with various callbacks to the Shield. Also, while I understand why a lot of people don't like it, I did like the finish. Roman couldn't beat Seth clean, so he had to do something about it."
[7.0] "This match was being one of the best of the year, the chemistry and psychology in the ring between Roman and Rollins was being very good. The match was having its moments of excitement, but in the end everything was ruined with the result, DQ. The match was good, but it could have been more."
[8.0] "This match was so good until that DQ finish. I mean it was creative and the better DQ finishes for these matches, but it led to nothing for this feud. Rollins is back on RAW like nothing happened and Reigns is no longer undefeated which makes it worse. You've built this guy up as an undefeated badass but when a boy with a bulletproof vest comes around, he's just scared about him. Just have him spear him and pin him and AFTER you can do the chair attack thing don't do the DQ."
[10.0] "A perfect match! Only complaint is that we are not getting a Seth/Roman rematch right after this. Match was entertaining, action was great, story was compelling. DQ was perfect and made all the sense in the world: way to get heat on your biggest heel"
[8.0] "Very good match, intense, with a good chemistry and storytelling. Maybe an end a bit to simple ? A bit disappointed by this finish, but I really enjoyed the match !"
[7.0] "First time I watched a WWE main roster bout in a long long time. Surely, that was cool shit. Reigns and Rollins told a great story, I kinda like some storytelling-driven fights as they made it intense. However, the finish killed all the interest I had. Both dudes felt like jokes here. Post-match could have been a better finish. Overall, they didn't dissapoint me."
[7.0] "This was a good match in a vacuum, but was a huge let down considering the talent and story involved. Had this gone 20+ minutes and ended cleanly and decisively, no doubt it would've reached near-classic territory."
[7.0] "Ich bin in den Weekly's nicht drin aber die beiden haben es geschafft sofort meine Aufmerksamkeit zu bekommen, durch den Shield Entrance und Romans Reaktion darauf. Match war ebenfalls gut und es ging direkt zur Sache. Lediglich das Ende mochte ich nicht wirklich."
[6.0] "This match was amazing. The teamwork of the two wrestlers, Roman and Seth, was really good. I'm not a fan of Roman Reigns, but this match was really good. But the ending of this great match was terrible."
[7.0] "Very exciting...Rollins's 'Joker' persona is fantastic and everything, even the shitty undecisive ending, made sense within the story WWE has been telling. It's the opener, both tonight and that this is their first singles match in-a-while, so a clear-winner, though desired on such a big-time stage, wasn't necessary. 3 3/8 - 2/5"
[8.0] "This had pretty good storytelling and was a good change of pace from the usual Roman matchup, the DQ makes sense since Roman wants to put an end to Seth but I don't get it if your not going to do a rematch.***3/4"
[5.0] "Not bad but def could have been a lot better in my own personal opinion it could have been better yeah. This match being the start of the show really popped the crowd I loved Seth's shield entrance and I loved Seth's joker work but this match only getting 15 minutes was a real shame."
[5.0] "This was two different matches in one. First, a very good effort by Rollins, energetic, very good match, and then Reigns took out all the energy of the match, slowed everything down and made it a show instead of a match. The finish, which was not really built up during the match, and promptly made less important by what Reigns did after the match, was not done well and dragged the match down. Very disappointing after such an amazing first half. 5/10 breads"
[9.0] "This is the best match I've watched end in a disqualification since Austin/Angle at SummerSlam in '01. Reigns and Rollins put out their best work and delivered a masterpiece in wrestling psychology and storytelling. I loved every call back. Every move they hit, every action they took, mattered, and meant something to their history and characters. A decisive finish would have made this an all-time classic."
[9.0] "First of all, I liked a lot to see Rollins making his entrance as a member of The Shield, it worked pretty cool with the promos they have been making trought this feud, Roman also did his part getting angry at it. Now, talking about the match, it was pretty good too. This two have ine of the best in-ring chemistry of WWE. With Rollins managing the match at the beggining, then Reigns, then both of them, kept me interested from the start to the end. Even if there was a DQ, I think it was the best way to finish the match, letting them to have another rematch in a near future. Both of them looks very strong, even if Reigns crashed Rollins with that chair. Very good match, and very good PPV opener. The crowd also helped a lot, since minute 3 they were chanting as they were watching a classic. [****1/2]"
[7.0] "This was on the way to reach great level and that ending happened. I was really entertained by the match. It was energetic with fast-paced actions. Both men threw big moves to each other and countered their moves, which was very fun to watch. They kept the intensity and pace so the crowd was really into their battle. The ending didn't make sense to me, but it was just typical WWE booking."
[7.0] "Es hätte so schön sein können. Der Auftritt von Rollins passt super zur Storyline und führt in eine richtig gute Intensität. das Match der Beiden ist dann auch super (bei Beiden keine Selbstverständlichkeit) und dann.....ja dann kam das Finish. Natürlich npasst das zur Storyline - aber zu Einen macht es wieder mal deutlich wie blödsinnig diese Regel ist, dass bei DQ der Titel nicht wechselt (warum lassen sich nicht alle Champs disqualifzieren') und zum Anderen hätte man die Geschichte auch erzählen können, indem Rollins zum Beispiel "das Bewusstsein verliert". Dann hat er nicht aufgegeben und Reigns bleibt trotzdem Champion. Aber so bleibt ein mehr als fader Beigeschmack."
[5.0] "Coming into the show I was most excited for this match. When Rollins came out to the SHIELD music, It was the best part of the night. The match overall was good until the bad and sloppy finish. They could have done so much more with this match yet again WWE booked themselves in a corner."
[7.0] "A pretty good title match here, both men gave a good account of themselves, and the psychology of Seth angering Reigns to the point he couldn't control himself worked very well. Seth wore his Shield gear to remind Roman of the past, and Roman ended up detting DQed for not releasing when Seth was in the ropes. The callback to the ending of the Shield as Roman attacked Seth with a chair was also great - this was a somewhat rare example of WWE doing a non-clean finish well."
[7.0] "This was a pretty good back and forth match. I didn't care for the ending but I liked Seth's mind games with his entrance. Roman continues to look like a beast as champ and I have no idea who WWE is going to have beat him for that title."
[7.0] "Das war klar das beste Match der Show aber sicherlich auch kein MOTYC. Man brauchte etwas um reinzukommen aber dann nahm es einen auf jeden Fall mit und sähte zumindest so ein paar Zweifel am ja eigentich feststehenden Sieg von Reigns - aber über das Finish kann man dann wieder diskutieren. Ich fand das Match insgesamt mehr als anständig und halte 7 Punkte für angemessen."
[7.0] "This was a good match until the ending. I loved the mind games that Seth played leading to Roman's frustration. However, the ending should've been different, it deflated my hype for the rest of the PPV."
[10.0] "Maybe this rating will seem high, but I really think this match deserves it. In-ring action was great, with an awesome pacing, which is not a surprise from a Roman vs Seth match, but that's not the reason for this rating, on pure in-ring action I agree that's would be more an 8. But this match was top level in pure storytelling, they managed to give it at first kind of a tweener vs tweener feel, with Rollins being manipulative but playing with the crowd and Roman looking way more human and tormented by his relationship with his former Shield brother, and that's great, you have to do this to get a crowd invested in heel vs heel. Rollins did a perfect job playing as a master tactician against Reigns, trying to abuse his insecurities to get the upper hand, the entrance and the smile after the spear were the most blatant examples of it. Even the ending makes sense, Rollins did everything to put Reigns in a dire psychologicial state, of course, when given the opportunity, Reigns will be more invested into make him suffer than into taking the winner's check home. And of course, the best thing about this match, the crowd truly hated Reigns after this match while he looked kinda too cool last few months, just listen at them, that's a perfectly done plan. MOTN by a mile."
[7.0] "Really enjoyable match up until that stupid WWE finish. Seth carried Roman of course, but it was genuinely interesting. Why not give us the full match though' I am already not excited for the rematch; especially since we know Roman is going to win anyway."
"This was a great match especially loved the entrance, it was a great call back and it really added to the match. I also didn't mind the DQ finish because it fit into the story. ****1/4"
[8.0] "Gute Umsetzung beider Charaktere. Gerade was Rollins da alles gemacht, super-gut. Auch Reigns muss sich da ein Lob abholen, steckt aber dennoch hinter Rollins zurückt. Zusammengerechnet mit dem Aftermath war das eine sehr runde Geschichte, bei der man auf ein Nachspiel hoffen mag, sicher nicht immediately, aber wann auch immer. Bestes Match des Abends,"
[7.0] "Actually a pretty good and chaotic match. I loved Rollins's character work and how he interacted with Roman in the ring. That Spear counter that Rollins did again back from MITB was great. It was fun to watch, until we got the ending. Because WWE just can't have anything clean. Yes, I understand that it's part of storyline and Roman got mad etc etc, but it could've been the same if they just let Seth go to sleep. That referee "check" looked really awful, it was like he wasn't checking If he's out, but just literally putting his hand on the rope."
[8.0] "A very good match with the flattest possible finish. I get that they established Roman hated Seth, but not letting go on a 5-count less than 15 minutes into the match' I really liked this before the finish too, the storytelling about The Shield and the actual back-and-forth bombs and nearfalls were great. It was well-done heel vs heel stuff. But the finish kills it dead before it could go into its final gear and really deliver, I assume so Seth can be in the Chamber with Roman next month. Great effort with a bad finish, pretty much the slogan of WWE these days. The post-match beatdown was great though, if the DQ itself was better-done this could've been wholly awesome. ***1/2+"
[4.0] "The match was good stuff. But my god that ending was so dumb. A DQ in a PPV title match' Really' Not to mention getting DISQUALIFIED to keep your title. That's dumb every time it happens."
"From the entrence of both gentlemens, I could feel the story between them. Great performance, great story sell, but this ending... eh... But honestly, i can give 9.0 for this match"
[8.0] "The fight itself has been very frenetic, psychological, looking for the tickles of a rivalry of years, but the end... When will WWE stop laughing at all those people when they see that the champion retains by DQ' In short, its logics, its rules. In short, a great fight and a bad ending."
[6.0] "This match had potencial to be an awesome one, but oh god, of course its a WWE booking. Great start, storytelling and everything about the match, but the anticlimatic ending and the the decision to end in a DQ, so so bad. ***"
[8.0] "Seth Rollins ist in Reigns' Kopf und unterstreicht das schon beim Entrance. Die Shield-Nummer funktioniert. Im Match hauen die Herren früh die großen Moves raus, zeigen aber in allen ihren Sequenzen ihre wunderbare Chemie. Das Finish ist in Anbetracht der Story und dem Hintergrund der Beiden für mich ziemlich logisch, verhindert aber natürlich, dass es sich hier wirklich etwas größer anfühlen kann."
[3.0] "It was not a bad match, but ending was extremely bad and useless, and Seth Rollins, like Finn Balor, was buried by Roman Reigns, and the next person is none other than Drew McIntyre to be buried by Roman Reins."
[6.0] "Great start, for me as a very irregular wwe watcher it still became quickly clear this is an important match of two former partners. Unfortunately the match ended with a nonsense dq finish, where the ref on top placed the hand of Seth on the rope."
[8.0] "A really good match with a DQ finish to kick off the whole PPV. LOL. Also, Roman does not forgive Seth for his 2014 betrayal of The Shield brotherhood, even though they REFORMED The Shield in 2017. LOOOL. AMAZING storytelling."
[5.0] "This was worked pretty well, but the actual finish is one of the dumbest I've ever seen on a pay-per-view. If you watch this and just imagine a less stupid ending, you can easily take this up to a 6 or 7."
[6.0] "This was fine mostly but I spent most of it confused on who is meant to be the face because both guys are incredibly obnoxious. WWE just do not know how to book finishes since Pat Patterson left."
[5.0] "If you're going to book a finish like this, fine! Storyline matches are essential. However, don't do it during your world title match on a Big 4 PPV. This could have been the finish on your go home show in a tag or something. Why ruin a good match for that' Oh yeah, Brock."
[9.0] "I may have hated the show as a whole, but none of that blame should be placed at the feet of these two men. Everything in this match from beginning to end was so damn good. It reminded me of how much I used to love Seth Rollins, and it proved to me that Roman Reigns is THAT GUY. Great stuff from these two guys!"
"The best match of the show and by far... Seth Rollins entrance with The Shield's theme was awesome. The match was good and had, I think, a good finish."
[8.0] "This was a great opener considering what the rest of the card would be like. I really enjoyed the mind games being employed here by Rollins. The Shield gear and entrance, was well as the fist bump was some great storytelling. Roman sold it all just as well, noticeably losing his cool, which was refreshing to see from him. I wasn't sure how to feel about the finish, but Roman was growing desperate as the match continued on, so the finish makes sense since Roman was apparently looking for an easy way out of a match he likely would have lost. The action itself was great. These two always have great chemistry with one another, and this did not disappoint. Love the pedigree reversal by Rollins, good powerbomb table spot, and the match itself flowed nicely. In all, this was match of the night for me. ****"
[6.0] "3.5/5 stars in my opinion. This is the first ppv match these two had since 2016 I believe and who knows the last time they had a TV match together. This match would've been 4 stars or higher but the reason for the 3.5 is WWE's constant use of DQ finishes. WWE's inability to have have a decisive result kills this match."
[2.0] "Action from the start was surprisingly good, so good, that I actually bought a possibility this becoming a great match. But then there was Reigns' monologue, and then, of course, there was that stupid, but hilarious finish. Arguably, this match is where this show peaked."
[7.0] "This was heading towards a 9 and then the finish happened. It's like they do it on purpose. They do everything they can to make the audience not enjoy what they put on. 3-5 mins more with a normal finish and it would've been the best Roman title defense since Wrestlemania. ***1/2"
[8.0] "Great match, poor finish. This was the only match on the card that genuinely resembled a professional wrestling match, and both men deserved more given how poorly booked the finish was."
[8.0] "Suberb match here. The in-ring psycology and the storytelling could not have been better. Seth and Roman have a long story and they just brought the story back for this match. The pace was good and there were some nice spots. I did not like much the dq finish, but Roman could not lose the title and Rollins had to be protected because he will go for the WWE title at Mania, I guess."
[6.0] "Rollins' entrance got the crowd off their feet and myself ready for the match. Started out great and was paced very well and if it wasn't for the ending this would be getting an 8."
[9.0] "An absolute classic starting from Rollins' "Shield" entrance and ending at post-match revenge by Reigns with similar imagery to Seth's betrayal of the "Shield". Great callbacks with "Powerbomb" through a table and "Spear" reversal into "Pedigree". Perfectly told the story of Rollins getting into the head of Roman, which leads to Rollins dominating his opponent in the first part of the match with some fast pace and then Reigns completely loses it and retains via very logical DQ."
[8.0] "A really fun opening match with Seths SHIELD entrance and some cool callbacks to previous Reigns and Rollins matches, best match of the night but it shouldn't have ended in DQ"
[10.0] "The rare match I won't detract for having a DQ finish, as it was perfectly executed here. Outstanding work for both men and the match of the night by far. They went all out from the opening bell and never let up. Legit match of the year candidate."
[6.0] "Fine match until the finish. Had good heat. Hard to understate how bad the finish looked with the ref raising his arm into the rope into the dq."
[7.0] "So eine coole Aufmachung, mit dem Shield Entrance von Rollins und den genialen Reaktionen von Reigns dazu. Das Storytelling war Top-Notch und lässt mich auf mehr in naher Zukunft hoffen. Auch wrestlerisch war das gut und auch hier fand man einige Callbacks zu früheren Matches. Über das Ende kann man viel diskutieren, aber im ersten Moment enttäuschte es mich schon etwas. Dennoch war das im Gesamtpaket wirklich unterhaltsam und auch der Beatdown nach dem Match war super(***3/4)."
[8.0] "Already a classic confrontation! Each of their fights is filled with a story that works. In the ring, they are completely suited to each other and always give out fights above average. Here Seth finally broke Roman by crushing him on the basis of old friendship. Everything is correct, it's a pity that the end turned out to be rather sad. The novel broke down."
[6.0] "This match was pretty good. The entrance of Rollins was epic with The Shield gear and music. I really thought that match will be longer and with more epic moments. I mean, The Usos were banned from ringside and it could be a really good technical match, but okay. It ended with a DQ. Overall was it satisfactory"
[2.0] "Also ich dachte hier zeitweise ich bin im falschen Film. Ein reines Movefest ohne jegliche wrestlerische Grundlage. Ein Tablespot in der ersten Minute, ein Frog Splash später und die Fans chanten direkt "This is awesome! ". Zum Glück gab's ein Replay, wie Reigns Rollins beim Top Rope Sprung mit einem Punch abfängt. Dieses Selbstabfeiern kann ich wirklich nicht nachvollziehen. Nearfall-Phase nach 5 Minuten und der Rest des Matches wird dann mit Spears und Superman Punches aufgefüllt. Zugegeben, ich habe die Face/Heel Dynamik zwischen den beiden auch überhaupt nicht verstanden. Was sollte das bescheuerte Lachen und warum bringt ausgerechnet das Reigns so aus dem Konzept' Das DQ Finish soll die Story wohl irgendwie weiterentwickeln, löst bei mir, der nur für den Rumble bei WWE reinschaut, aber keinerlei Interesse aus. Mieses Finish für ein mieses Match. Hat mir überhaupt nicht gefallen, vor allem in der Präsentation im Kontrast zu dem was eigentlich gezeigt wurde."
[9.0] "I loved this match. The only really good match of the night. Perfect storytelling and psychology in this match. Good wrestling and crazy entrance by Seth Rollins. The ending leaves a bit of disappointment, but, thinking about it is consistent."
[8.0] "This was a very good match, especially in terms of the story being told in the ring. Seth Rollins playing the psychology is great, just with his Shield-themed entrance. And the post-match, Roman Reigns hitting Seth Rollins with a chair shot to the back like Rollins did before by betraying the Shield. Awesome. On the other hand, a small negative point in my opinion, I would have preferred a pinfall finish, and not a disqualification. [***3/4]"
[3.0] "A DQ finish at a PPV but it gets rated highly on this site because of nostalgia' A decent enough match but not nearly as good as people are making it seem. The finish absolutely killed this match for me but relative to the rest of matches on this card its like HBK vs Undertaker, which is not a compliment. The quality of matches in WWE is shockingly bad."
[8.0] "The best match on the show. Rollins' attire was a really surprisingly. And I sure that the end of this match is good notwithstanding that's DQ."
[7.0] "This was a good match. They told a good narrative of Seth having Reigns' number early on, which is what the build to this has suggested too. I thought that Seth did a surprisingly nice job doing his thing; most of his offense looked nice, and there were a couple of legitimately really cool moments such as that whole sequence that started with the Hero elbows & ended with the great Curb Stomp nearfall. Reigns was also awesome smashing him around when it was time for that - this was thankfully no boring headlock dialogue Reigns, and well, well, well, he was really good. Just wrecking Rollins with his smashmouth-strikes & throwing him around with his power. Awesome shiz. Now I don't know what to truly make of Seth's cringeworthy Joker-inspired character work, but it's certainly nothing positive, and holy shit did I hate the whole ending melodrama shit. It's a pretty damn respectable sized stain on an otherwise really fine title bout. "HE WON'T ALLOW ME TO LET GO! 1" -- for FUCKS SAKES."
[7.0] "Was für ein cooles Match! Die Ringpsychologie war hier absolut genial. Shield-Rollins war schon der erste Kracher. Die Dominanz gegen Reigns war auf diese Art lange nicht gesehen und von daher besonders. Der Konter in den Pedigree war mein Highlight des Matches. Das ungewöhnliche DQ Ende wird die Meinungen sehr spalten. Ich bin mir auch nicht sicher, wie ich das finden soll. Da es für mein Empfinden aber dann doch gut ins Gesamtbild gepasst hat, bin ich Positiv gestimmt. Warum man Rollins hier schützt versteh ich allerdings nicht."
[9.0] "Great storytelling here with Rollins dominating Reigns in the beginning with his quickness until Reigns hit that one big Lariat. A lot of throwbacks to their history (e.g. The Shield entrance, the Shield Bomb, the Pedigree). I don't mind the finish either because it made sense from a psychologial standpoint. Rollins was trying to get in Reigns' head the entire match. He was laughing at him and mocking him. This caused Reigns to lose his temper ending with a disqualification, which in the end proves Rollins' point that Reigns can't beat him when it matters. I'm pretty sure this wasn't their last encounter and I'm already looking forward to their next match. ****1/2"
[7.0] "Very good opener, marred down a bit by the finish, and to a lesser extent, the lack of urgency by both men. Felt like they were going through their greatest hits most of the time instead of wrestling with the sense of urgency like the build-up would suggest. As rotten as the finish was, this was undoubtedly the best thing on the show by a mile. Some quality action in here if you care to look. [***1/2]"
[7.0] "Rollins was great. I have always been disappointed by Rollins' character work since way back but recently he has been on a zone, outplaying and outsmarting the most dominant Champion in recent memory. The action was Also very good, but the character work and story were even better. From Rollins' entrance using the Shield's old music and attire, Rollins just ooze confidence, his gameplan was perfect and he executed it brilliantly. The DQ finish was a little disappointing tbh, Many will claim that it's to set up a future rematch but I think it was lazy and unimaginative. WWE Creative has already use up their brains back in Summer Slam 2020 and everything they are doing now is a repeat. ***3/4"
[9.0] "Best part of the Rumble for me. Loved so many aspects of it. Starting from Rollins' entrance from the crowd in the Shield gear and theme - a wonderful callback. The acting was perfection from both of them during the match and after. Roman with the chair shot back 8 years after the betrayal to bookend a terrific match. To me, sometimes story is more important and the story telling was on point here. Loved it."
[5.0] "There were some inspired moments here but they were bogged down by the lame theatrics that plague Roman Reigns main events. This time it was mostly from Rollins laughing/doing his whole Joker act. Then there was the finish which took it a whole other notch down."
[5.0] "The DQ ruined the whole match for me, it started really well, Seth and Roman have a great chemistry, + the Shield entrance and outfits for Rollins. Could have been a legendary match, what a waste..."
[8.0] "I will always deduct WWE points for a DQ finish because they lean on them too much when they're unsure where the heat should go, how firm the rub should be, but Roman did win this match, let's be real, and it was a great match. Rollins has been, yet again, doing some career work with this newer gimmick and I'm excited to see him continue to excel in 2022."
[6.0] "This was really good. An absolute great opener, until the finish. WWE's dedication to only yelling a Roman Reigns story only plays out worse for them in the future because they don't do enough to make sure he's truly challenged here. Sure it leaves a door open for Seth to get revenge! But that same door is open for Roman to just claim that win later."
[8.0] "Incredible storytelling by two of the absolute best in the world. Seth Rollins has been on another level for a while now and this was a masterpiece of a performance by him. The entrance, the laughing in the face of an opponent who has decimated his opponents, the taunting, the out-wrestling of a man whose number he objectively has. It was all downright brilliant. Roman Reigns sold it all to perfection as he blended insecurity, shock, and frustration into one of his best performances to date. I actually enjoyed the finish and thought it perfectly fit the type of match and story this was. And the callback to Rollins turning on The Shield was tremendous. 4.25 stars, 8.5 out of 10. This was excellent."
[5.0] "More interesting then Roman's usual matches at first with seth gaining the upper hand but then it went right to the boring Roman control period and his mid match monologues, then you had the awful finish and even more monologuing from Roman. The big problem with this match is who was supposed to be the face. It seems it was seth but he was acting like a goof throughout the match. **/34"
[8.0] "Best match of the night, with some good storytelling of Rollins getting in the head of Reigns, the match built to a crescendo, and finally a DQ finish that makes sense and elevates a story. Only legitimately good thing on the card."
[3.0] "Yeah I don't really see what other people saw in this match. The action felt slow and unbelievable, the selling was the stereotypically hokey type that hearkens back to the likes of HHH, it had a couple of big moves but then ended quite unceremoniously. Just not my thing."
[10.0] "Absolutely loved the storytelling in this match! I was looking forward to Roman vs. Seth for the Universal Championship for a long time and it did not disappoint. Both guys brought the intensity from start to finish. The ending was basically a clean finish too. In every other title match, Roman's opponent would have passed out in that Guillotine and that would have been it. On to the next challenger for Roman. But Seth's mind games had too far and Roman's anger got the better of him. It led to a different display from the usual Roman Reigns who had been dominating challengers in clean wins. This wasn't about winning... it was personal. Great story, A+ match!"
[6.0] "I didn't quite understand this match. It was supposed to be personal but didn't feel like it. They weren't able to tell a good story in the ring and it honestly felt like just random BIG MOVES here and there. The lame finish didn't do this any favors. Overall decent action but nothing special. [***]"
[7.0] "Was good up until the ending when Roman got disqualified for kicking too much ass. Thought Seth had a very energetic performance, even if I did not really like the Joker type character he has going. ***1/2"
[2.0] "I have no idea why this match has the highest rating. It started really interesting, but within a few minutes Rollins was already preparing for his ultra finisher in the form of Phoenix Splash, naturally without causing any reaction with such a teaser, and the match turned into a standard finisher fest, which in the case of the depth of the relationship between these two is a real creative poverty. I understand when two tanks collide and they can arrange a similar massacre, but here it just confused me to the very end. And at the end, one of the stupidest endings I've ever seen. Rollins absolutely doesn't go to be a psychologist who gets into people's heads and eats them from the inside, he is not as good as a conditional Bryan to sell it at the proper level, and in the presence of such a booking, even the best efforts will not be justified in any way. But I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised by anything except the rating (*)."
[10.0] "Allein wie es mit der Entrance von Rollins beginnt. Die gesamte Story wurde so unglaublich toll erzählt. Ich hatte zwischendurch wirklich Gänsehaut und das Ende ist trotz der DQ einfach perfekt gewählt. Noch dazu war die In-Ring Action ebenfalls ziemlich stark. Eindeutig DAS Highlight der Show."
[7.0] "A great change of pace for Roman's title defences as it was filled with true hatred that suited the relative quickness of the runtime. Rollins knowing that Reigns' character is traumatised by his time in The Shield as well as Rollins' betrayal was a great way to incorporate Shield nostalgia and resulted in some of the best work he's done since returning from the initial 2015 knee injury. Great callback to the Money in the Bank 2016 finish, excellent near-falls, a story that was resonant for new fans who could infer the connection between the two and the long time fans who had emotional attachment to both, it would have been at least two numbers higher if Reigns had managed to make Rollins pass out with that final choke. However, Charles Robinson sabotages the finish by blatantly dropping Rollins' hand on the rope, which undermines Rollins' determination to refuse to lose to his old friend. If he'd made it on his own before passing out, then maybe the DQ finish could have worked, since it would amplify the intensity of their hatred and set up their (probable) Saudi rematch well, but the execution is disastrous and one of the worst instances of referee failure in the modern era. Too much theatre kid acting for my taste in the post match, which needed to calm down a little and let the power of the narrative do the work. Good overall but leaves a bad taste in the mouth, especially since the opening 13 minutes were so electrifying."
[7.0] "It was a good match. Had some awesome false finishes and Rollins trying to get in Reigns' head throughout the match was really good. Had a consistent pace from the opening bell and never slowed. My biggest issue is the god awful finish. You bring Rollins to SmackDown to presumably to get the belt off Reigns but instead we got whatever this was. They also spent way too long post match for the couple of chair shots. Good match but the finish detracts from it. You NEVER start a PPV with a DQ. [***1/2]"
[8.0] "Klasse Opener der seine Aufgabe definitiv erfüllt hat, nämlich Lust auf mehr zu machen. Rollins mit den Mind Games durch seinen Entrance fand ich richtig gut. Wenn man das Finish weglässt absolut nichts auszusetzen. Ich hätte mir aber ein cleanes Finish gewünscht. Kann doch nicht so schwer sein Reigns gewinnen zu lassen und Rollins trotzdem nicht schlecht aussehen zu lassen. Klares Match of the Night."
[5.0] "A hot start, with Rollins calling back to The Shield. A chaotic match would follow, easily the highlight of the show - despite a lame DQ finish to make Reigns look as strong as possible."
[8.0] "This is a match in the mould of Reigns' best since adopting this gimmick - a mixture of high-impact moves and excellently melodramatic character work. Rollins looks both fantastic and unhinged, knowing just how to get under Reigns' skin, and we get a chance to really delve into Roman's psyche with the arc he traverses between the bells. The finish is initially a little anti-climactic, but it felt genuinely meaningful to both characters - possibly more so than a decisive victory would have. The in-ring action, whilst at times limited, is still very explosive, and this is just a great storytelling match."
[6.0] "Das Match fing gut an. Rollins im Shield Montur war ein netter Throwback. Danach ging es Schlag auf Schlag in typischer WWE Manier mit einem Popcorn Match. Dann kam leider das Finish."
[8.0] "Strong, strong match that could have easily been a 9 were it not for the lame DQ finish. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins have such easy chemistry that I'll be happy to see this program progress through to WrestleMania 38 even if Roman/Brock was the program that was built more and made more sense. Excited to see them go to an actual finish eventually."
[5.0] "It was good match, but then they had to ruin it with a pointless DQ and we all they all it's going to lead to is a match at Saudi while the Mania match will be Roman vs. Brock for the 100th time."
[8.0] "Man i hope they extend this and this is the Mania main event. These guys have such good chemistry, finish was a bit lame but makes me think more to come."
[7.0] "Felt truly epic, a WM main event level match, especially with the SHIELD dynamic. Didn't play out like a regular match, as Rollins went towards finishing moves early on. The DQ finish was fine, felt unexpected."
[8.0] "Good match with some really good story telling, didn? t like the finish at all and it definitely took away from the match but I guess it makes both guys look good coming out of it, I just thought there were better ways to do it, still a very good match and the first stomp got a great near fall mostly because wwe booking is so random"
[5.0] "Phenomenal psychology, incredible work, the definition of a balance of action and story. Unfortunately I can't rate it any higher given the ending."
[6.0] "Honestly, watching live this was nothing special. The action was alright, but the finish was godawful and the structure of the match was all over the place. You start off with the Shield powerbomb spot on the announce table, then take to the ring to wrestle the entire match, and then go back to the story in the post-match after the godawful finish. Good but nothing I'll want to see ever again. [***]"
[9.0] "Excellent match with an excellent story. WWE don't do much right, but with this they definitely did. The story of the match was Seth was in Roman's head and the mind games led to Roman snapping and destroying Seth. Great stuff here."
[7.0] "Very good match as we know how they roll. Rollins had the upper advantage psychologically by bringing back The Shield in its physical looks and moves and it was a great touch to tick off Reigns. But, the ending brought everything to a screeching halt and I'm not a fan of it. 3.5 out of 5 stars!"
[8.0] "Great match, especially as an opener. Seth's callback to The Shield was great, the two gave it their all, but I feel as if Seth was carrying the match throughout. Bit of a lame ending, having Reigns be DQ'd because the refused to let go of the guillotine could've been done much better. Reigns' beatdown after the match was also a callback to The Shield (in their breakup), and I actually started to feel a bit bad for Seth since no-one came to help. There also was no clear Face/Heel in this match as they're both great heels. I hope these guys have another match in the near future with No DQ's and a longer match."
[9.0] "What an amazing match. Amazing pre-match stuff, amazing action, amazing storytelling. I would have loved the match to be a bit longer, but honestly that's ok. It was a good length at least. I even loved the ending. Roman Reigns snapped, proving that Seth Rollins truly did get in his head. This is a must watch and honestly it will very likely go down as my 2022 WWE match of the year, if not in general. ****1/2"
[8.0] "Really good match. Was solid from the starting minute. Rollins with the Shield entrance and music, hitting the Shield powerbomb and going for the fist bump after the Spear were all brilliant. The DQ finish for a big title match was annoying, but the post match angle saved it and brought it back to an 8."
