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Remember when a guy won Money in the Bank and all we could talk about was when exactly he would cash it in? Let’s face it, that briefcase was one of the most intriguing concepts that WWE had come up with in years; it was a guaranteed talking point and conversation topic basically everyday among fans. Ah, those were the days. What happened to them? That’s easy; Seth Rollins happened to them.

Before anyone goes all Alicia Fox on me, rest assured that I am not trying to throw Seth under the bus here, far from it. In fact I am one of those guys that happen to believe he will become one of the finest technicians that WWE has ever known.

He’s not there yet, of course. Two years is too soon to make that sort of proclamation. But with enough time and enough work, there is every reason to believe that Seth could become one of Vince McMahon’s elite one day.

But that briefcase is not helping his cause any. In fact, it’s become the albatross around his neck. Why is that, exactly? It’s certainly not anything that is coming from within WWE; the company seems fully supportive of him and in storyline terms, he is undeniably the future leader. And for the most part, the crowd is buying in. Seth is over as a heel and the quality of his work in the ring is beyond compare.

So the fact that he’s young, hungry, over with the crowd and fully inline with the WWE machine should bode well for him. The fact that he’s also Mister Money in the Bank should practically guarantee his future is in good hands. However, the biggest problem is that when Seth won the briefcase back in July, the question was not when he would cash in but who would take it from him. More specifically, the question was when would Roman Reigns take it from him?

Don’t look now, but the time is coming soon. Roman cut a promo on the October 28 edition of Raw in which he declared his intention of taking Seth Rollins out. And so it begins. Seth’s time with that briefcase is ticking away. Again, this has virtually nothing to do with Rollins’ ability in the ring. His match with Dean Ambrose at Hell in a Cell was good; it was very good. Of course, it was just one in a long line of bouts in which the Shield architect stepped through the ropes a very unassuming Superstar and exited as the highlight of the night.

Truth be told, that was Seth’s spot from the beginning in The Shield. Dean was the loud and boisterous one, Roman was the strong silent type and Rollins was the cunning technician. While that description sounds good, the fact is that it usually doesn’t equal much in terms of charisma. Can you say Dean Malenko? Don’t hate, I love Dean. The point is that while Seth had his fans and people wanted to see what he could do, it wasn’t until he went through a match that it became evident just how good he was. His reputation did not often precede him.

How many other guys can fans say that about? How many Superstars can just sort of be there and as soon as they work a match, they’re suddenly main event bound, only to then just sort of be there once again? Forget for a moment that Seth is good and has a bright future. Forget for a moment that he’s not exactly Shawn Michaels when it comes to that showboat attitude.

This is not really about Seth, this is about Roman. And Roman is the next top guy. A lot of people don’t want to hear that right now, mostly because of the work that Ambrose has put in since Roman went out with injury. They’re impressed with him and they should be. I am, aren’t you? But there is a reason that all of the rumors about Reigns being elevated to the top are still going around. And there is a reason why Brock Lesnar is the part-time WWE World heavyweight champion who is hated more for his schedule than his ability to draw heat. All of that is adding up to a main event feud and a major showdown at WrestleMania 31. On that night in 2015, Roman Reigns will ascend to the WWE throne.

And it all begins with Seth Rollins. There are various different scenarios that could play out, including Cena beating Lesnar for the championship, only to have Rollins cash in and take it from him. That one makes sense and right now seems like the best fit. But if that happens, then Roman will take it from Seth at Mania and not Brock. If that’s not in the cards then the best path to Mania for Roman other than the Royal Rumble would be the Money in the Bank briefcase. If that happens, then Reigns will persuade Rollins to put the case up in a match and Roman will cash in against Lesnar next year.

Again, Seth is the key. He’s a big part of WWE’s future, there is no question about that. He has been put in far too many spots to shine to believe otherwise. But right now, his job in the short term is to keep working hard to get over and he will keep doing just that.

But his job in the long term is to help his former Shield brother get to the next level. And with any luck, Seth will take the ride with him. If Roman is the next Rock and Ambrose is the next Austin, then Rollins is the next Triple H. If that’s true then Seth will be a big time player whether he has a guaranteed title shot or not. And you can take that to the bank.

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