Seth Rollins recently reflected on one of the most unforgettable moments of his career—cashing in his Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania 31, which saw him steal the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar in a thrilling, unforgettable ending. Rollins spoke about the atmosphere backstage before the monumental cash-in during an appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet.
“I remember Michael Hayes is in the producer seat and Hunter [Triple H] and Vince [McMahon] are on the far side. I want to say there was panic about the time because we were still on pay-per-view, so we have to be off at this time,” Rollins recalled. The looming pressure was that WWE had a strict deadline to finish the show, which was something that WrestleMania—given its significance—couldn’t afford to miss.
Rollins elaborated on how, unlike the more flexible streaming model, the pay-per-view format left no room for overruns, and the show had to conclude on time. “With streaming, they’re awesome because of that, you get a little window and you’re not strict, because the advertising model is a little different,” Rollins explained. “So, it’s like, by the time we had to be off, done. So I remember sitting there and thinking, ‘Oh, shoot, they’re not going to make it, we’re going to have to do this tomorrow.'”
Despite his initial concern, Rollins acknowledged that WWE handled the situation professionally, hitting all the necessary cues, ensuring that the show ended without any issues.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Insight with Chris Van Vliet” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.