Seth Rollins promises everyone he'll be fine.
In recent weeks, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins has been feuding with Shinsuke Nakamura, who has targeted the champion's injured back. On the August 21 episode of WWE Raw, Rollins noted that he has two fractures in his lumbar spine, and he doesn't know how much longer he'll be able to keep competing at his current level.
Speaking on WWE's The Bump, Rollins was asked to describe how he juggles being a champion while thinking about his long-term health.
“It is what it is. All of us have something. We’ve all got some sort of nagging injury, we’ve all got something that’s pulling at us, telling us we need to slow down. That’s just part of the game. I know that. Everybody knows that. Now, my injury might be a little more serious than some people. But I know how to manage it. I told Shinsuke, I told the world. I won the World Heavyweight Championship with a broken back. I’ve been defending the World Heavyweight Championship with a broken back. So even though Shinsuke’s the first guy to really target that injury, I feel like I know what it takes to manage it. I’ll be just fine, I promise you. I promise everybody out there who’s concerned. I’m gonna be fine. I promise you guys, I will be fine. The championship is in good hands," Rollins said.
Rollins was also asked whether he views battling through the injury as a badge of honor, especially as ge continues to defend the title. He noted that there is some pride in working through it. However, Rollins emphasized that he doesn't want to risk his future, so he has to be careful with handling the injury as he aims to give the audience what they deserve.
“That’s a tricky question. In some sense, yes. Obviously there’s some pride in being able to work through pain and work through suffering. But at the end of the day, I know the risks. I know what can happen if something goes wrong, so it’s 50/50. I love being someone that can push through boundaries, that can push limits and all that stuff. But at the same time, I don’t want to risk my future. I don’t want to put myself in a position where it’s going to be difficult for me to have a life with my family in my future. I don’t want to end up in a wheelchair when I’m 50 years old. So I’ve got to tow that line. I’ve got to be very careful with how I handle this and how I mitigate whatever’s going on back there to make sure I can still give the audience what they deserve, give the championship what it deserves, and make sure that I’m gonna be okay for the future," Rollins said.
Shinsuke Nakamura said Rollins was not cleared to compete on the September 11 episode of WWE Raw. More information is available here.
Rollins previously said he should probably get surgery on his back, but he is trying to avoid it. Check out his comments here.
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