Seth Rollins is heading into WrestleMania 42 with plenty of momentum, but he’s not pretending everything is perfect physically as he prepares for one of the biggest matches of his career.

Rollins is set to step back into the ring for the first time since October 2025, where he will face Gunther in a high profile singles clash. The former champion has been out of action for months after suffering a shoulder injury during a match with Cody Rhodes, and while he’s back in the spotlight, he admits he is still not fully recovered.

Speaking during an appearance on ESPN’s First Take, Rollins addressed the timeline of his recovery and why he previously downplayed his condition. He revealed that keeping quiet was a strategic decision to avoid giving Logan Paul an advantage during the Elimination Chamber build.

“Well, look, I don't know if it's been fine for weeks and I got to apologize, but look, if I gave it all away to you right there, then I wouldn't have been able to get into the chamber and make sure that Logan Paul didn't win the Elimination Chamber match. So, in reality, by lying to you, I have done you a favor because I have saved us all the trouble of seeing Logan Paul in a title match at WrestleMania.”

Rollins then offered a blunt update on his current condition, making it clear that while he feels strong, he isn’t operating at full capacity.

“So, thankfully, as for the shoulder, it feels great. I don't know that it's 100%, but maybe 80–90% and I'll tell you what, my 80–90% is pretty good.”

Despite that, Rollins is embracing the challenge ahead, especially with Gunther targeting him in recent weeks. He made it clear he is ready to prove himself on the grand stage.

“Good enough to get us in a position here where we've got a match at WrestleMania. You mentioned it against Gunther who has targeted me actually in the last couple of weeks… So, we're going to find out this Saturday night at WrestleMania who the best really is. And I can't wait.”

The road to WrestleMania has been anything but quiet for Rollins. His shocking return on WWE RAW immediately sent shockwaves through the roster. During a chaotic opening segment involving Paul Heyman and Logan Paul, Rollins emerged from the chaos and launched a brutal assault on Heyman, striking him with a chair before delivering a Stomp that left the veteran laid out.

That moment quickly became a major talking point, especially when Rollins was confronted about it during the same ESPN appearance. Stephen A. Smith criticized the attack, but Rollins showed no remorse and pushed back hard on the idea that Heyman was a victim.

“But did I hear you call Paul Heyman defenseless? Come on. If there is one human being on this planet that deserves what he gets in that ring, it's that man right there, Paul Heyman. And that's just a slice of it. He deserves a whole lot more than that.”

Rollins went on to explain that the attack was rooted in personal revenge, linking Heyman to the injury that kept him out for months.

“Well, look… Paul Heyman, he is responsible at least partially for the injury that took me out last October. And so I have to, you know, revenge is revenge. This is clean. It's a respect thing. You know, you want to come at me like that, you want to damage my career, you want to take me out, you want to take cash out of my wallet… I mean, this is how it's got to be. So, payback is cold. It's a cold dish.”