5 NXT 2.0 dream matches for Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins is a rare example of an NXT call-up done right. Brought into the fold as part of The Shield alongside Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, the first NXT champion has gone on to achieve success at every level in the company.

The current number one contender for Big E's WWE Championship has won most titles WWE has to offer on the main roster and has had a litany of dream matches.

NXT has gone through quite the evolution since the first man to take the throne departed. Names like Adam Cole, Finn Balor, Sami Zayn, and Samoa Joe have since arrived and departed what became the third brand of WWE.

But now NXT has come full circle and reverted to its roots as a developmental territory, under the new name and design of NXT 2.0. The developmental reboot has seen a variety of new faces arrive, adding to an already impressive roster of young and prospective talent.

What if Rollins were to ever return to the former black-and-yellow brand? What dream matches await The Architect on NXT 2.0? Let's take a look:

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#5 Seth Rollins vs. Pete Dunne

The parallels between Seth Rollins and Pete Dunne are abundantly clear. Both men helped inaugurate NXT brands.

Pete Dunne reached the final of the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament, the inauguration of the WWE UK Championship, and Seth Rollins reached and won the final of 2012's NXT Gold Rush Tournament to inaugurate the NXT Championship.

And like pre-main roster Seth Rollins, Pete Dunne has started to carve his own destiny in NXT/NXT 2.0.

Beyond the aforementioned parallels, Dunne and Rollins are impossibly good in-ring workers. They both do an excellent job of telling stories in the ring and on the mic.

Pete Dunne's brutal British strong style would make for a brilliant blend when combined with Seth Rollins' agile in-ring style and selling.

Their personas offer a mesh of great character work too, with Rollins an arrogant and sneering villain and Dunne a no-nonsense, scrappy rogue. The latter may well be on a path to the main roster and Rollins' level of competition, but it would be a dream to see them fight in NXT.

#4 Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker

Seth Rollins emerged as the first face of NXT, and it would appear Bron Breakker is shaping up to be the face of NXT 2.0.

If NXT Halloween Havoc 2021 did one thing right, that was presenting Bron Breakker as a legitimate star.

Even despite scarily botching a second rope maneuver, Bron managed to put himself across as an excellent worker during his match for the NXT Championship against Tommaso Ciampa.

Rollins too found success so early in his NXT career, and he would be the perfect kind of opponent for Bron Breakker. It just makes sense, the first face of NXT taking on who is set to become the new face of NXT 2.0.

It would be like taking on a previous Lineal Champion - "To be the man, you've got to beat the man."

Again, there is the in-ring ability between them. They are both insanely talented workers with high-paced and intense work rates. Bron is a smash-and-grab athletic worker, whereas Seth Rollins is considered an agile in-ring worker.

Rollins would almost certainly make Bron look like a star with his Oscar-level selling and storytelling.

The idea of Bron Breakker vs. Seth Rollins being so exciting is indicative of the immense star potential the former possesses and the perpetual star power the latter has accumulated.

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#3 Seth Rollins vs. Johnny Gargano

Johnny Gargano is a star that has evolved so much in NXT, to the point that it is getting hard to picture him anywhere else under the WWE umbrella.

It is way too early to say whether Gargano will get along with the new dawn of NXT. The uncertainty is such a shame because Gargano has managed to craft so much rich history with WWE's third brand through his character work, in-ring storytelling, and a never-say-die perseverant work rate.

It has already been made abundantly clear that Rollins can craft excellent stories. But what has also been made obvious for NXT fans is Johnny Gargano's compelling way of delivering beautifully crafted and passionate stories, as with his feud against mortal enemy Tommaso Ciampa, or before their rift when they were #DIY and taking on The Revival (FTR) tandem of Dash Wilder (Cash Wheeler) and Scott Dawson (Dax Harwood).

Seth Rollins vs. Johnny Gargano would pit the ultimate heel against the ultimate babyface, where a well-worked narrative development would give magnitude to the stakes and deliver a gripping experience.

#2 Seth Rollins vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Seth Rollins and Tommaso Ciampa both occupy places on NXT's Mount Rushmore. Ciampa has been a cornerstone of WWE's third brand and is great at character development, having created an obsessive and slightly delusional relationship/attachment to the NXT Championship.

Ciampa has even given the NXT title a name of endearment, Goldie.

As far as in-ring action goes, he moves in such a way that every bump he takes is amplified, adding to the rich vein of storytelling already crafted by the brilliant minds behind Ciampa-Gargano.

Even in his work with Timothy Thatcher, WALTER, Aleister Black, and Karrion Kross, Ciampa excelled at presenting stories, and it would appear that he has the rare knack of working well with any and every wrestler.

He has been specifically chosen to take NXT into their new era, and his work with Bron Breakker makes it apparent why that is the case. Ciampa makes people look like stars and quite literally puts his body on the line at all times.

Seth Rollins was the first NXT champion, and Tommaso Ciampa is the first to win that title in the NXT 2.0 era - the story writes itself.

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#1 Seth Rollins vs. Roderick Strong

Interestingly, Roderick Strong was Seth Rollins' final major opponent before the latter went to WWE.

Strong, like Rollins before him, eventually made his way to NXT and looked to craft his legacy. He was always on the cusp but never able to fully finish the job. That was until he and Pete Dunne made it to the final of the Dusty Rhodes Classic against the Undisputed Era duo of Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole. The match between the teams was exciting and befitting the heritage of the tournament.

Just as it looked like Dunne was to secure the win for the team, Strong surprisingly betrayed his partner to defect to the Undisputed Era.

While Rollins can be considered an NXT icon because of his status as the inaugural champion and benchmark for future success stories, Roderick Strong has achieved so much more in WWE's third brand with his roles in Undisputed Era and Diamond Mine.

He is a current flag holder for NXT 2.0 as the Cruiserweight Champion and face of Diamond Mine, which is in the midst of collecting hot prospects like the Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile.

Both Seth Rollins and Roderick Strong share a history and a penchant for forging alliances around them as they reign and progress, and a match between them in WWE would be an instant classic.