5 Superstars who can take Seth Rollins' place on RAW after WrestleMania 36 

Will AJ Styles take the spot of the Monday Night Messiah?
Will AJ Styles take the spot of the Monday Night Messiah?

Former 2-time WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins is reportedly taking a break from the company. On the latest Dropkick DiSKussions podcast, Sportskeeda's Tom Colohue told Korey Gunz that WWE Creative will take The Kingslayer off TV for some time after WrestleMania.

Nobody knows the exact reason for this decision. However, Seth has been the workhorse of the Red Brand since 2016 and his most important storyline allies, Akam and Rezar, are going to be out for 7-8 months due to the former's injury. With those to pieces of the puzzle in place, it seems like this may be the best time to give him a break.

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The Architect was once the most over babyface on RAW and possibly the entirety of WWE. In later 2019, due to real-life fan angst that translated to his television character's performance, he transformed into one of the most hated heels in WWE. Rollins played both roles to perfection and has made sure that RAW continues to be seen as the flagship show for the company, despite all of the money, time, and energy recently being focused on SmackDown since the move to FOX last October.

Since he has been an indispensable part of Monday nights, WWE will have to look for a replacement who could take his place during his break. Here are 5 Superstars who could take Rollins' place on RAW after WrestleMania 36.


#5 Randy Orton

Randy Orton spent 3 years on SmackDown before switching to RAW in 2019.
Randy Orton spent 3 years on SmackDown before switching to RAW in 2019.

Randy Orton is arguably the best heel in all of sports entertainment right now. He has won just about every title WWE has to offer on multiple occasions, is a 2-time Royal Rumble winner and has won Money in the Bank, which he cashed in successfully at SummerSlam 2013. The Apex Predator has been the sole survivor in multiple Survivor Series matches, and he has been in the main event of WrestleMania on two separate occasions.

This establishes him as a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, no doubt. Orton, however, has shown that he's nowhere close to being done and still wants to be the best wrestler in any locker room that he's a part of. He was a top guy on SmackDown before he jumped to Mondays but WWE has used him in a mid-card, almost placeholder, role since he showed up.

It would be refreshing to see Orton return to the main event scene once again. Perhaps he could emerge as the first challenger for Drew McIntyre, who is expected to win the WWE Championship this weekend at WrestleMania 36. Randy has all the skills in his arsenal to become the face of RAW once again. He is open to putting new stars over while he can also work with in tandem with some under-card heels to give them some much-needed exposure. Thus, he would be a leading contender to take Rollins' place.

#4 AJ Styles

AJ Styles was known as
AJ Styles was known as "The Face That Runs The Place" on SmackDown Live.

One big reason why WWE's Blue Brand gained popularity at the start of the 2016 brand extension was the presence of The Phenomenal One on SmackDown Live. AJ Styles established himself as the face of Tuesday nights, participating in some incredible rivalries -- in his time on SmackDown Live, Styles stood across the ring for rivalries with Dean Ambrose, Samoa Joe, Shane McMahon, Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura, John Cena, and even Jinder Mahal.

He often referred SmackDown as 'The House That AJ Styles Built,' and no one questioned his claim. He joined RAW during the 2019 Draft and held the United States Championship for some time. As WrestleMania 36 approached, WWE inserted Styles in a rivalry with The Undertaker.

The fact that WWE booked him to take on The Deadman at the Showcase of Immortals reflects that a lot of people backstage love him and would likely trust him pushing him as the face of RAW while Seth Rollins takes his break. He may have fallen to The Undertaker on Saturday night, but with one hand still sticking out of that grave, it means AJ Styles may be down, but he certainly isn't out.

#3 Sami Zayn

The Liberator could take control of the things on Monday nights.
The Liberator could take control of the things on Monday nights.

The reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion, Sami Zayn, has evolved a lot on SmackDown in the last few months. He is no longer the underdog babyface who has the fans behind him. In fact, he is a type of Messiah in his own right, as he has not only rejuvenated his own career but also he has helped save the job of Cesaro, who wasn't even assigned to a brand in the Draft last year.

Just like Seth Rollins, Zayn has done a splendid job as a heel. Because of his improvement, WWE rewarded him with the Intercontinental Title last month. He can irritate the audience with his heel work, as he is absolutely outstanding on the mic.

Since he is an in-ring technician also, WWE can move him to RAW during the Superstar Shakeup or WWE Draft and have him take Seth Rollins' place. The Architect's absence offers a golden opportunity for the creative team to move the Canadian Superstar to RAW and have him take over the business.

Sami held onto his IC Title at WrestleMania 36, and as a champion with a chip on his shoulder, he can become the top heel on RAW, working along with his allies Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro.

#2 King Corbin

Will the former RAW Constable return to Monday nights?
Will the former RAW Constable return to Monday nights?

Another Superstar whose on-screen character has grown in a big way after the WWE Draft, King Corbin could easily take the spot of Seth Rollins on RAW when he goes on a hiatus. He has performed this role in the past, and Corbin could return to that position once again.

One big reason why WWE could move Corbin from SmackDown to RAW is that there are not many storylines for him on the Blue Brand. He had a lengthy rivalry with Roman Reigns that saw him defeat The Big Dog twice and had some issues with Shorty G, previously known as Chad Gable.

On the other side of that coin, there are many Superstars on RAW like Aleister Black, Drew McIntyre, Humberto Carrillo, Samoa Joe, Ricochet, and Kevin Owens with whom Corbin has never feuded with. He can lead a faction, and the crowd hates him.

Thus, Corbin deserves to return to RAW after the Showcase of Immortals to take his place of the top heel of the flagship show back. Since McIntyre and Corbin have some history between themselves, WWE could pull off a great rivalry in the post 'Mania season.

#1 Sheamus

The Celtic Warrior will not be a part of WrestleMania 36
The Celtic Warrior will not be a part of WrestleMania 36

The last-minute changes to WrestleMania 36 because of the Coronavirus pandemic seem to have had a very negative impact on Sheamus. Before Elimination Chamber, the rumor mills suggested that the Irishman would go after the Intercontinental Championship on the Road to WrestleMania.

Since he has had issues with Braun Strowman in the past and the Intercontinental Championship is the one title that has eluded him over the years, this could have been the perfect storyline for the former WWE, World Heavyweight, United States, and RAW/SmackDown Tag Team Champion. WWE Creative gave him a massive push as he squashed two upcoming babyface Superstars, Apollo Crews and Shorty G, in a handicap match quickly upon his return after a long absence.

After WrestleMania, Sami Zayn is still Intercontinental Champion and Braun Strowman is Universal Champion. While the issue with Braun could be rekindled, chances are that the end game for Sheamus was not that title. With Zayn, a heel, still holding the IC Title, that drops Sheamus from the equation. Thus, Sheamus could show up on the RAW episode after WrestleMania 36 and announce that he has quit SmackDown because of a lack of opportunities.

He had earlier announced himself for the Elimination Chamber match, and WWE decided to cancel the match as if they had never announced it in the first place. Hence, this frustration could lead him to Monday nights, where he could replace Seth Rollins as the top guy and reign supreme on the Red Brand.

Ex WWE writer blasts Liv Morgan HERE

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