Seth Rollins credits himself as one of the architects behind modern WWE's shift toward athleticism and opportunities for smaller performers during his recent appearance on Bert Kreischer's cooking show.
The WWE Superstar discussed his arrival to WWE's developmental system in 2010, when he walked into the notorious FCW warehouse in Tampa as the former Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Champion.
"I learned a lot there from a political standpoint. I learned how to have confidence in myself," Rollins explained. "When I walked in, I thought I was walking into the big leagues. But what I realized when I got there was that I was already better than everybody in the room. And so, it allowed me to have the confidence to be like, 'Oh, I can now lead all of these people in the ring. I can take them and help elevate them because I know what I'm doing.'"
Rollins described the brutal conditions of the FCW warehouse: "It was a sweat box. There was no AC in the place. So you would just go in Tampa, Florida, like in the summertime indoor. It was excruciating."
How Seth Rollins Changed the Game
Reflecting on his impact on the industry, Rollins noted the dramatic transformation in WWE's approach to talent.
"It's night and day compared to like the athleticism, the fact that smaller guys can get more opportunities and they're taken seriously as big stars in the business," he said. "Even the big guys—they've had to adapt their style to keep up with the small guys where it used to be the other way around. If you were anybody small under six foot that wasn't Rey Mysterio, you didn't stand a chance."
During the same interview, Rollins also opened up about finding the right life partner in Becky Lynch and his struggles with social media toxicity that nearly destroyed their relationship in 2019.
Rollins is currently recovering from an arm injury with an expected return around WrestleMania season.