Seth Rollins, the newly crowned World Heavyweight Champion, revealed a cunning plan that led to his ‘Ruse of the Century’. During the opening segment of Monday Night Raw in Brooklyn, Rollins disclosed that he faked his knee injury three weeks prior at Saturday Night’s Main Event to outsmart his rivals. He shared this plan only with his wife, Becky Lynch, and his advisor, Paul Heyman.
The secrecy was critical to his strategy: by convincing his enemies that he was incapacitated. Rollins ensured they would lower their defenses, creating the perfect opportunity for him to strike. The plan unfolded flawlessly at SummerSlam 2025. Moments after CM Punk defeated Gunther to claim the World Heavyweight Championship, Rollins discarded his crutches, attacked Punk, and cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to steal the title.
To what extent did Seth Rollins go to keep up the kayfabe?
WWE maintained tight secrecy around Rollins’ fake injury, with only a select few aware of the truth. To preserve the storyline’s authenticity, Rollins went to extraordinary lengths to uphold the illusion, even lying during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show shortly after SNME.
On a follow-up appearance, he admitted to using crutches consistently for three weeks. His everyday activities, like gym visits, taking his daughter Roux to the beach for ice cream now included with crutches. He was even dropping her daughter, Roux, off at preschool and dining with his wife, Bianca Belair, and Montez Ford. The crutches, however, he noted, were physically taxing, nearly causing a shoulder injury.
Rollins’ family played a pivotal role in maintaining the kayfabe, too. Lynch, though reluctant, kept the secret from her friends and family, a task she found frustrating. Rollins reassured her that the payoff would justify the deception. Their daughter, Roux, treated the ruse as a playful game, though she inadvertently revealed her father’s secret to her preschool teacher. Fortunately, the information stayed within the classroom, preserving the storyline’s integrity.