Seth Rollins Talks WWE Banning The Curb Stomp, If Being A Heel Limits Him, Having Backstage Heat

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins spoke to Rolling Stone Magazine to promote this weekend's SummerSlam event. You can see highlights below, and the full interview at this link.

If he thinks working as a heel has limited him:

"Well, you have to dictate the pace of the match, and not give the people what they want all the time. You can't just go-go-go-go for five minutes every single night, because that works against both sides ? me and the audience. I think that it's been a challenge, but in a good way. It's definitely something that's going to keep my body healthier, and it's just fun to do new things. I love the fact that I spent three years in Ring of Honor, and got to do that style, I love the fact that I got to learn on the indies, I love the fact that I got to work carnivals and fairs and barns, to figure that stuff out, and I love the fact that I'm here in WWE, and I get to be the top guy and figure out how to do that. To me, that's constantly learning and evolving, not just as a character, but as a human being."

WWE banning the Curb Stomp:

"Obviously, it was a move that I was partial to, but it didn't make or break me as a performer. I want to make it clear that it wasn't banned because of a risk of injury ? I've never hurt anybody with the move ever. We mislabeled the move to begin with ? we gave it a lousy name ? and then once I got to this level, we started to notice that I was going to be making a lot of media appearances, and moms were going to be seeing the representative of WWE doing this kind of maneuver, and kids were going to try it and it could go wrong very easily. That's stuff I don't think about, but that's why we have people like Vince McMahon, who have done this for their entire lives ? they think about stuff like that, and they keep us alive and not in court settling lawsuits all the time. So we decided to make a switch and change over, and I'm fortunate enough to be in a position to be handed down a move like the Pedigree, that no one else has been able to use as a finish in the past 20 years. So I don't mind it one bit, and it kind of adds to the character. People say what they will, but at the end of they day, they're not happy about it, so I'm doing my job."

See Also: Views From The Turnbuckle: WWE's Seth Rollins Problem

If he caught heat for speaking out on Tough Enough contestants:

"No, they asked me how I feel about the competitors on Tough Enough, and I told them the truth. I don't feel there's a lot of potential there ? I watched bits and pieces, I went down there and met the competitors, and I didn't feel like there's a lot of heart down there; I didn't feel like there's a lot of passion for what we do. And maybe that's just me be being biased, coming from where I come from, but I like to see people who really want to do this because they love what we do, not people who just want to be famous, or be on TV or be on a reality show or work for a major company like WWE. I want to be surrounded by people who have the same passion for this that I do, and if they don't have that, if they're just around to take a check and call it a day, then they're stealing money from my pockets and from the pockets of the fans. And I'm not into that. I want people who have passion, and love what we do and love this company; if you're not into that, then I'd love for you to find somewhere else to work ? go hang out on America's Got Talent. You can have your 15 minutes of fame on that show, but don't waste your time working with my company."