Seth Rollins has once again reflected on one of the most controversial matches of his career, opening up about the infamous 2019 Hell In A Cell encounter against the late Bray Wyatt. The match ended in a referee stoppage, a decision that sparked immediate backlash from fans and critics and has remained a sore spot in WWE history ever since.
Looking back, Rollins suggested that much of the criticism came from not knowing what truly unfolded behind the scenes during that chaotic weekend. He believes that if fans had been given a clearer picture of the circumstances surrounding the match, the reaction may have been very different.
“I wish they were there for the Hell In A Cell match with Bray Wyatt. I wish they were there for that whole weekend so they could really see what went down. That’s one of those where, there’s such a terrible connotation to that experience from an outside standpoint, and I just go no one really knows what happened there, and I can’t describe it to a point where it makes where people have a different feeling about it.”
Rollins explained that the emotional and logistical pressure surrounding the event built up long before the bell rang, creating a situation that neither man felt proud of once it was over. He noted that seeing the process from start to finish might have helped fans better understand why the match unfolded the way it did.
“If you could have seen that, from start to finish, that week, all the way up to the end of that match, and the next day, I think people would have, I don’t know, appreciation, but a little more empathy maybe.”
Beyond defending the match itself, Rollins made it clear that speaking out now is also about protecting the legacy of Windham Rotunda, who passed away in August 2023. He stressed that Wyatt carried the weight of that night with him and was deeply affected by how it was received.
“There are some places that one specifically I can name and say it, mostly because it’s a defence for Windham, who’s not here to defend himself, and I know that experience really bothered him.”
Rollins added that both men hoped for an opportunity to run things back and erase the stain left by the match. Unfortunately, that chance never came, leaving the experience unresolved for both performers.
“He always wanted to be able to work with me, and vice versa, I wanted to work with him again, to be able to get a better shot at that, because we loved each other and working with each other, but not, that scenario was so awful for both of us, and for him to never be able to get that, I can put that out there and say I wish we had an opportunity to show what happened there and then come back and do it better.”
Years later, Rollins continues to speak with emotion and regret about the night, framing it not as a creative failure, but as a painful moment neither he nor Wyatt ever truly moved past.
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