Seth Rollins World Heavyweight Championship reign officially ended on the October 20, 2025 episode of WWE RAWbut what fans saw on-screen wasnt the original plan.
The show opened live from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, with General Manager Adam Pearce standing in the ring, ready to make a major announcement. But before he could speak, Bron Breakker appeared backstage holding the World Heavyweight Title, flanked by Bronson Reed and Paul Heyman. The trio made their way to the ring as Pearce finally confirmed what many had feared: Seth Rollins was injured and required surgery, forcing him to vacate the title.
Now, were learning that the segment didnt unfold exactly how WWE had originally intended. According to WrestleVotes, there were significant last-minute changes made to the opening of RAW.
While its still unclear what the original version looked like, what aired showed Pearce reclaiming the title from Breakkerwho had been flaunting it since he and Reed turned on Rollins one week prior. Paul Heyman tried to do damage control in the ring, cutting a promo to keep his clients looking strong as the new direction unfolded.
The unexpected shift is part of WWEs fast pivot following Rollins injury. Hes expected to be out for an extended periodpossibly through WrestleManiawhich left the company scrambling to reset its main event scene.
Was the late change a smart move by WWE or just more chaos behind the curtain? Should they have handled Rollins title loss differently? Drop your take in the comments and let us know what you think.
