At Saturday night’s WWE Extreme Rules 2022 pay-per-view event, Seth Rollins will be facing off against Matt Riddle in a Fight Pit match. UFC legend Daniel Cormier is set to be the special referee for the bout.
During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Rollins admitted that he doesn’t like Riddle but he does “respect him.” He admits Riddle has “all the tools” and he hopes the match between the two will make Riddle better.
Additionally, Rollins has not been in the WWE Undisputed Title hunt since facing Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble earlier this year. Despite being sidetracked due to his program with Riddle, Rollins feels only he and Reigns are operating at the top level right now.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On his drive to be the best: “What is this mortal life if not the pursuit of legacy? That’s a quote I recently read, and it really defines my mindset about this industry. I will always have a chip on my shoulder, no matter what. No matter how many titles I’ve won, no matter who I’m working with or how many times I’ve headlined WrestleMania, I’ll always have that chip on my shoulder. That is my addiction—that struggle. Some people hate the suffering, but I’m a sucker for it. It makes me always want to be a part of this wild business. I want to be the best. I want to have the greatest legacy of all time. I want to be in the same conversation as Flair, Hogan, Austin, Rock, Michaels and Hart, if not lead the conversation. That might be lofty, but I don’t know any other way.”
On a possible match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania: “I don’t know if there’s two guys operating on a level as high as ours right now. That’s not to take away from anyone else. You have so many incredible talents that are kicking it into gear. Drew McIntyre comes to mind. So do Kevin Owens and Bianca Belair. There’s a lot of people cooking and have the capability to reach the next level, but when it comes to reactions from the crowd and interaction with our audience, I don’t think there is anybody operating on the level Roman and I are now. But here’s the best part. As good as I believe I am, and as good as Roman thinks that he is, the industry is filled with people who think they’re the best. I think that’s awesome. That’s pushing everyone forward. Drew thinks he’s the best. Kenny Omega thinks he’s the best. Mox [Jon Moxley] thinks he’s the best. Will Ospreay thinks he’s the best. I love that confidence and that vibe. That pushes all of us to be our best.”
On his issues with Riddle: “Riddle isn’t someone I have any affinity for. He’s not someone I like; he’s not even someone I want to have a long conversation with. Over the past three months, there is a level of respect he’s earned from me. He’s obviously a legitimate fighter, as well, so there’s a level of respect he commands. Personal respect is a different story, but in the ring, he’s got all the tools. It’s just a matter of figuring out which order they need to be used. He does his thing really well. I’m not sure what he envisions for his future, but the tools are there. The greatest take the best and do it better. We’ll see if he can adapt and change into something even better.”
On Daniel Cormier’s involvement in the Fight Pit match: “It’s going to be great, and it puts some extra eyeballs on the pay-per-view and this match specifically. Our audience can see through bulls**t and tell when someone isn’t invested. Philly’s a tough crowd, so we’ll see how they feel about him, but I think our audience will respond in kind. He’s not coming over to make a buck or build his own brand, that’s not his objective. DC has legitimate respect for this industry.”
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