Seth Rollins On Coming Up With His WWE WrestleMania MITB Cash-In
WWE will soon make their way across the pond as they host this year's Money in the Bank event from London, England. The Money in the Bank concept remains a prime focus for those yearning to receive a title opportunity, as the winners of the respective ladder matches have a guaranteed shot at a championship of their choosing.
As WWE approaches the 2023 Money in the Bank, one of the former briefcase holders has reflected upon his own cash-in, which has been deemed as "The Heist of the Century."
During a recent episode of the "Mark Andrews: My Love Letter to Wrestling" podcast, Seth Rollins discussed the objective he hoped to achieve with his cash-in in 2015. In the process, "The Visionary" noted that the idea actually stemmed from his own brain.
"I had the idea to do the cash-in a couple of months before WrestleMania," Rollins said. "So probably January [2015], December [2014]. I'm riding in the car with Cesaro, Claudio Castagnoli, and we're booking the territory as we do, and I've got these ideas and I'm running them by him. He's got his ideas, and we're just trying to come up with some stuff, and it seemed like a good idea, but I had to find the right time to put the bug in somebody's ear."
Creating An Iconic Moment In WWE History
Back in 2015, Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns were slated to main event WrestleMania 31 as "The Beast" put his WWE Championship on the line. The match started off as a back-and-forth battle between Lesnar and Reigns, but when both men struggled to regain their footing, Seth Rollins rushed down to the ring with his Money in the Bank briefcase.
As Rollins made his official cash-in, the singles match was then elevated to a triple threat. After evading an F-5 from Lesnar (with the aid of Reigns' spear), Rollins delivered a curb stomp to Reigns to capture the pinfall and begin his first reign as WWE Champion.
After Lesnar successfully defended the WWE Championship against Rollins and John Cena at the 2015 Royal Rumble, Rollins believed a major cash-in would recharge his momentum. "I thought it was a great opportunity to create a moment unlike any we've ever seen. I thought it was a great way to build myself, but also to build Roman [Reigns] and give him somebody to chase. I just didn't think the time was right, I didn't think the audience was ready for that victory, and fortunately for me, I think people saw it that way as well."
While Rollins had the plan laid out for months, he wasn't notified of its approval until mid-way through WrestleMania 31, after he had wrestled Randy Orton earlier that night. Up until the moment his entrance music was played, Rollins says he was convinced the company was going to backtrack on his idea. Luckily, they didn't, and an iconic pro wrestling moment was created.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Mark Andrews: My Love Letter to Wrestling" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.