Seth Rollins continues to take shots at Logan Paul; he says the wrestling business would be “dead” if everyone followed Paul’s model.
Rollins has been feuding with Paul for weeks, as the social media star eliminated the former WWE Universal Champion from the Royal Rumble match. Rollins then targeted Paul in a few interviews, and “The Maverick” got revenge by costing Rollins the United States Championship Elimination Chamber Match.
Speaking on WWE After The Bell with Corey Graves, Rollins was asked whether he still thinks Paul is a “tourist” in the wrestling world. He acknowledged the benefits of having stars from outside of WWE come into the company and cited some successful examples before he criticized Paul’s approach.
“Yes and no,” said Rollins. “There are obvious advantages to having people from outside of our world come into our world. Logan Paul is not a new phenomenon. We’ve been doing this in WWE for decades and we’re going to continue to do it for a long time after Logan Paul is gone. There’s just a lot to be said about having these types of performers on our show and whatever they may be doing. You look at the Rock N Wrestling Connection, all the way back to Cyndi Lauper, the first WrestleMania with Muhammad Ali and Liberace, you had it all. It makes sense. It’s a different beast, I feel, when you start getting these people in the ring on a semi-regular basis. You look at Lawrence Taylor against Bam Bam Bigelow, perfect way to utilize these celebrities. Lawrence Taylor was an athlete beforehand, one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history, and also, a guy who wasn’t calling himself a wrestler. He didn’t go around getting a big head thinking, ‘I can do this, I’m so good at this, this is a cake walk for me.’ I don’t want people going around thinking that’s what wrestling is, that it’s paint by numbers, somebody programs you and you’re going to be just fine. Now you’re the biggest star, you’re the best thing that has ever happened and that’s what the business has become. If every single one of us just followed that road map, there wouldn’t be a wrestling business because nobody would be able to do the damn thing. That’s not what it is. It is making the towns, having hundreds and thousands of matches in different cities in front of different sized crowds. It’s learning your trade. This idea that you can, poof, hop on a camera, film yourself, do some crap on social media to become a star and have some worth in the world, maybe I’m an old crotchety man, but I don’t understand what value you’re giving back to the world.”
Rollins went on to state that he doesn’t see what long-term value Paul will bring to WWE. He noted that if everyone followed Paul’s model of coming in and working a few matches a year, the wrestling business would be dead.
“In the Logan Paul situation, I don’t understand what long-term value he’s going to be able to give back to us,” Rollins said. It’s one thing if you come in, do your thing, and leave, but this dude has a contract with WWE. He’s supposed to have a few matches a year. That doesn’t make you an ambassador for the business, that’s not what wrestling is. I don’t want my students, I don’t want the next generation coming up and thinking that’s how you make it in wrestling. If everybody follows that model, the business is dead.” (H/t Jeremy Lambert of Fightful for the transcription.)
Rollins and Paul will come face-to-face on the March 6 episode of WWE RAW. WrestleZone will have coverage of the show as it airs.
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