Seth Rollins' return

What Seth Rollins' return means for WWE and Roman Reigns.

WWE superstar Seth Rollins made his return during Extreme Rules 2016. (WWE)

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins made his return at Extreme Rules on Sunday night. And it couldn't have come at a better time.

Aside from a fantastic four-man Intercontinental Championship match, Sunday's pay-per-view was rather uneventful. However, after news broke Rollins was spotted in New Jersey (site of Extreme Rules), fans began to anticipate the superstar's comeback.

Rollins arrived just after Roman Reigns defeated AJ Styles to retain the WWE Championship. Rollins delivered a pedigree to the champ, picked up the title and hoisted it in the air. The crowd at the Prudential Center went crazy.

When Rollins went down with a horrific knee injury last November, he was the WWE's top villain. He was aligned with the Authority and generally considered a pariah among fans.

Yet, upon his return, Rollins takes on the role of a savior. WWE has struggled to overcome his absence, along with those of Daniel Bryan (who is retired), John Cena and Randy Orton. During that time, fans have refused to accept Reigns as the organization's new face.

Judging from Rollins' pedigree, a move he's taken from mentor Triple H, Rollins' character likely won't change that much. But the fans clearly made their choice Sunday night. The phrase "Everyone but Roman" has now transformed into "We want Rollins."

What happens next is half up to WWE and half up to the fans. Vince McMahon and Triple H have shown a steady commitment to Reigns sitting atop the organization. However, they've shown just as much confidence in Rollins, who was always the standout in-ring performer in The Shield.

Rollins' injury may have just been the best thing that could have happened to WWE and Reigns. Reigns has slowly been working his way into heel territory, despite his insistence he's not a "good guy" or a "bad guy."

Rollins' return finally provides WWE a proper adversary to engage in the kind of feud that could finally elevate Reigns in the eyes of the fans. Reigns and Rollins have a backstory. They're former friends turned enemies and they have a tremendous amount of in-ring chemistry.

A feud between the two would, no doubt, paint Rollins as the fan favorite and Reigns as the villain. That may not be what WWE intended, but it's what the company needs.

Having two talented young stars duke it out heading into SummerSlam in August is a winning scenario. Coupled with the return of John Cena and a probably appearance by Brock Lesnar at a big summer pay-per-view, WWE may be in better shape after Extreme Rules than anyone expected.

Seth Rollins make his return.

source: www.cleveland.com