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Seth Rollins is one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling and has been for nearly a decade. His time at the top of WWE has been incredibly entertaining and fruitful. He's undoubtedly one of the most beloved and respected performers in the industry.
Despite his success, Seth Rollins doesn't seem to be satisfied. During an episode of Ariel Meets hosted by Ariel Helwani, the former Universal Champion discussed his role in WWE and how he feels he's positioned second to Roman Reigns. He went on to mention other instances where he believes the same thing happened with other notable superstars.
You can check out Seth Rollins discussing himself and other superstars he believes played second fiddle to top stars in the embedded video below.
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Rollins isn't the first superstar to believe they've been in the shadow of a bigger star, and fans often feel similarly. Paul Heyman has said past wrestlers were "the right guy in the right place at the wrong time" and the quote can be applied to several of the most talented performers in wrestling history.
Below are 5 of the greatest WWE Superstars to always play second fiddle.
#5. Seth Rollins believes he's been second fiddle to Roman Reigns
As made clear in the embedded video above, Seth Rollins believes he's played second fiddle to Roman Reigns during their respective careers in WWE. While both superstars are extremely talented, it would be difficult to disagree with his points.
Rollins has been involved in the main event of WrestleMania. He's a four-time world champion and has won essentially everything a superstar could wish to win in the WWE ring. Unfortunately, Seth Rollins still isn't quite Roman Reigns.
Roman Reigns has been presented as the face of World Wrestling Entertainment. He was the breakout star of The Shield and has been in the main event of WrestleMania on numerous occasions. He's always featured first in promotion and marketing. While Seth Rollins has had an incredible career, he's never been the focal point to the same degree that Roman Reigns has.
#4. Edge was often number two to John Cena
Edge and John Cena had very different starts in WWE. The Rated-R Superstar joined the company and began to rise through the ranks during the Attitude Era. Meanwhile, The Doctor of Thuganomics debuted on the main roster in 2002 when kicking off the Ruthless Aggression era.
Despite the Canadian star having around a half-a-decade edge in experience, both were slotted in similar roles between 2002-2004. Both stars were in the middle of the card, not yet in a main event position. Then in 2005 and onward, both talents rose to prominence and became top names in the company.
While Edge has held numerous world championships, he's held less than John Cena. Despite being involved in many main events, he was typically slotted below the sixteen-time world champion. The Rated-R Superstar was an excellent rival to John, but he could never surpass his role as the face of the company.
#3. Randy Orton has also been second fiddle to John Cena
Speaking of top rivals to John Cena, Edge's former tag team partner in Rated-RKO had similar struggles. Unlike with The Rated-R Superstar, Randy Orton and Cena came up through the WWE system in a similar way. Both stars began at Ohio Valley Wrestling before being called up to the main roster in 2002.
Orton technically beat Cena to the punch in terms of becoming a top guy. He won the World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in 2004 while Cena did so in 2005. Still, Randy never quite became the face of the company.
While John Cena became the number one star who had the company's full focus, Orton switched between being a top heel and a top babyface. The Viper has had an incredible career, but he's typically been slotted as the star who works with the number-one positioned wrestler as opposed to being at the top of the mountain himself.
#2. Randy Savage always lived in Hulk Hogan's enormous shadow
Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan have a long, fabled history. Macho Man Randy Savage was pushed to the top of the World Wrestling Federation at WrestleMania IV where he won the world title, but he ultimately lost the belt to Hulk Hogan.
The two feuded and teamed up together both in WWE and WCW, but they had real-life animosity. Their issues went so far that Macho Man Randy Savage even put out a diss record on The Hulkster, which can be heard in the embedded Tweet above.
While Randy Savage was a top draw and world champion across both the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling, Hulk Hogan was always the focal point of both promotions. Randy, unfortunately, had to live in the shadow of Hulkamania.
#1. Bret Hart was passed over for Hulk Hogan, Diesel, and Shawn Michaels
Bret "The Hitman" Hart is one of the most iconic superstars of all time. While he's regarded as a top star, his run in the World Wrestling Federation had more start-stop moments than many fans may realize.
He first won the WWF Championship from Ric Flair but lost the title to Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX. After Hogan left the promotion months later, Bret was again pushed to the top only to ultimately be cast aside for the push of Diesel.
The Hitman once again ended up back in the top spot just long enough to put Shawn Michaels over at WrestleMania XII in their legendary Iron Man Match. While Bret had a great run, WWE's confidence was always put in someone else. Whether it was Hulk Hogan, Diesel, Shawn Michaels, and even Stone Cold Steve Austin.
While many of these superstars may have played second fiddle to other top names in the industry, they've all undoubtedly made a lasting legacy. Most of the stars featured on this list are already in the WWE Hall of Fame, and the likes of Randy Orton and Seth Rollins will inevitably be included once their careers come to an end.
Do you believe Seth Rollins has played second fiddle to Roman Reigns? Give your thoughts in the comments section below.
