There are certainly WrestleMania main events that just about everyone agrees were great. They include Hulk Hogan’s clashes with Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior, Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock at WrestleMania 17, Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26, the WrestleMania 20 and 30 Triple Threat matches, and Cody Rhodes finishing the story at WrestleMania 40.
The WrestleMania 31 main event holds a unique place on this list. Going into ‘Mania, a lot of fans rejected Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, foreseeing The Big Dog predictably going over while a vocal portion of the audience was not sold that he was ready for or ever would deserve that top-tier push as “the guy.” The one-on-one action exceeded expectations, though, in a hard-hitting bout that was certainly the best singles performance Reigns had had up to that point by a large margin.
WWE still had itself booked into a corner, though, of undoing that good will with Reigns actually going over and thus reenergizing his haters, or booking Lesnar to win when heel victories in a WrestleMania main event tend to deflate the crowd. The company pulled a rabbit out of its hat, though, with Seth Rollins cashing in Money in the Bank in a moment exciting enough for no one to question the finish. Moreover, WWE achieved the unlikely in putting the title on an Internet darling while protecting its top two names with a chaotic finish.
It may be hard to believe, but ten years have passed since that night, and it’s worth reflecting on one of the most electric moments in the history of The Grandest Stage of Them All, as well as its long-lasting ramifications.
Seth Rollins Went Down As One Of The Greatest Mr. Money In The Banks Ever
In the twenty year history of the Money in the Bank concept on the WWE landscape, fans have seen a variety of Mr. Money in the Bank archetypes and styles of cash-in. Rollins cleanly fit the mold of briefcase holders to precede him like Edge and Dolph Ziggler who were super-talented heels with scheming characters, just looking for their moment to break through to the main event level.
In successfully cashing in during the main event of WrestleMania 31, Rollins not only fit the template but further cemented his status as a new main event guy. After all, while Jack Swagger successfully cashed in on Chris Jericho on an episode of SmackDown and CM Punk won his first World Heavyweight Championship via cash-in on Raw, these were the kinds of moments that could be forgotten because most free TV happenings aren’t exactly built to last in the collective memory without the reinforcement of a great run to follow.
By contrast, crashing a WrestleMania main event showed WWE’s enormous faith in Rollins, and Rollins lived up to the opportunity translating an iconic cash-in to a half-year run on top of the company a career in the main event and upper-mid-card for a full decade and counting to follow.
Seth Rollins Confirmed Any Money In The Bank Scenario Is Possible
When Edge cashed in the very first Money in the Bank, a part of what was so special was that he didn’t simply demand a title shot (as Edge himself has indicated was the original idea), but strategically called his shot when the champion was compromised. John Cena was thoroughly beaten down after surviving an Elimination Chamber title defense and thus easy pickings for Rollins.
That execution set a template for not all, but the majority of cash-ins to follow. Rollins upped the ante, though, in adding himself to the middle of a match in a way that had not been done before, not to mention doing so in the ultimate scenario—a WrestleMania main event—to firmly establish the limitless possibilities of the cash-in concept.
Indeed, there still hasn’t been a cash-in quite this crazy to follow, but the choice Rollins made legitimized the possibility in Austin Theory’s attempts to cash-in during Clash at the Castle and SummerSlam 2022 main events. That’s not to mention Tiffany Stratton credibly faking that she might cash-in in the middle of a War Games match last fal, and Damian Priest stealing a newly won World Heavyweight Championship off Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 40.
WrestleMania 31 Started With One Credible ‘Mania Main Eventer And Ended With Three
Heading into WrestleMania 31, Brock Lesnar was as over as could be as arguably the greatest monster heel of all time. He had ended The Undertaker’s WrestleMania undefeated streak a year earlier. He’d done the unthinkable in squashing John Cena in the main event of SummerSlam 2014. He’d gone on to decisively beat all comers across the seven-months-plus to follow, en route to facing Roman Reigns.
Reigns had a credibility problem—a new main eventer fans weren’t convinced had the talent to justify his push. WrestleMania 31 was one of his truest proving grounds as he hung with Lesnar in a hard-hitting, dramatic bout. Though he didn’t emerge champion, he took enormous strides toward fans buying him as someone who reasonably could win the big one.
And then there was Seth Rollins. Rollins had more fan respect but less push than Reigns in spring 2015, but an exceptional Money in the Bank cash-in vaulted him to world champion status. He had the in-ring chops to put on good-to-great matches with any opponent. He had the cowardly heel character to play a beatable champion—a refreshing change after Lesnar’s combination of playing a monster but only wrestling part-time made title changes feel nary possible.
Perhaps most importantly of all, the end of WrestleMania 31 saw three bona fide main eventers emerge where there had been only one. It’s telling that in the decade to follow, Lesnar would main event three more WrestleManias, Rollins two, and Reigns eight (with ten main event matches, considering the double duty he pulled closing Saturday and Sunday nights at WrestleMania 40 and planned for WrestleMania 41). The future was clear and The Heist of the Century was earned instant classic moment status.
