Comparing Seth Rollins' 2014 and 2019 heel turns: Shield breakup vs AOP leader reveal

On the latest edition of WWE RAW, Seth Rollins finally turned heel and joined forces with Authors of Pain, decimating Kevin Owens in the process. The Beastslayer's turn to the dark side was being teased for a while.

At Survivor Series 2019, Rollins' Team RAW lost the 5-on-5-on-5 RAW vs SmackDown Live vs NXT Elimination Match, with NXT's rising star Keith Lee scoring a pinfall over The Beastslayer. On the following RAW, Rollins addressed the roster and ended up berating the likes of Randy Orton, Charlotte Flair, and Rey Mysterio for their performances at Survivor Series.

This was the first sign that hinted towards a possible heel turn for Rollins, but nothing was set in stone. It all changed this week when it was revealed that Rollins was in cahoots with AOP all this time.

Let's go back to the June 2, 2014, episode of Monday Night RAW, which saw Rollins shockingly turning on his brothers and join hands with The Authority. The turn was one of the biggest moments of the year, and something that no one saw coming. If we draw comparisons between Rollins' betrayal of The Shield and his recent heel turn, one big difference that pops up immediately is how it all played out.

Prior to the Shield's implosion, we had witnessed several instances where Dean Ambrose teased turning on his Shield brethren, and many believed that he would be the one to turn eventually. This is why the WWE Universe reacted to Shield's breakup with absolute shock and surprise.

Now, coming back to Rollins' recent turn, this was something that had been teased for a while now. Rollins' social media war with NJPW's Will Ospreay a few months ago was a major reason why many fans turned on him.

As we moved ahead, Rollins began getting booed on weekly shows. His feud with The Fiend was a major wake-up call for WWE, as the crowd was clearly behind Wyatt's alter-ego despite him being a heel.

The seeds for the heel turn were planted on the post-Survivor Series edition of RAW, and it was now a matter of 'when', in regards to a heel turn for Rollins. Although Rollins' heel turn got a reaction from the live crowd, the fans had seen this one coming a mile away.

What remains to be seen now is how WWE handles Rollins' heel turn and his association with AOP going forward. Rollins' 2014 turn made him a star and he ended up winning the WWE World title at WrestleMania 31 the following year.

The recent heel turn has tons of potential. A backstage altercation between Rollins and Becky Lynch would be interesting to see, now that both are on the opposite ends of the stick. Also, we already have a dominant heel trio in The OC on RAW.

How long will WWE manage to keep these two factions apart, and will The OC turn babyface if the two stables get into a feud in the near future? The possibilities are endless, and Rollins' heel turn has added a much-needed hint of excitement to the Road to WrestleMania 36.