How Seth Rollins Got Away With Stealing Triple H’s Pedigree Maneuver

Seth Rollins found himself in a tough spot during his WWE Championship run when his signature move was suddenly taken away — and it all traced back to Vince McMahon.

After rising to the top of WWE, Rollins was forced to stop using the Curb Stomp when McMahon reportedly saw kids imitating the move outside the ring and felt it was too dangerous to keep on television. That decision left Rollins without a clear way to finish matches at the height of his push.

Looking for a solution, Rollins eventually landed on one of the most protected moves in WWE history — Triple H’s Pedigree. But the way he went about getting approval wasn’t exactly straightforward.

While speaking on Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe, Rollins explained how he tested different options before realizing nothing was sticking, leading him to make a bold decision.

“It took me a couple of months before I decided to just steal Triple H’s pedigree. He was done at the time and not wrestling anymore. ‘Alright, I’ll take it.’ I was his protégé. I tried to use a couple of different things, and none of them really took.”

Instead of going directly to Triple H, Rollins admitted he took a different route — one he believed would guarantee the answer he wanted. That gamble paid off.

“I was like, ‘If I ask Triple H if I can use the pedigree, I feel like he’s going to say no.’ He was the only person who has ever used it. ‘Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll ask Vince about it and I know Vince will say yes just to spite Triple H and Triple H can’t say anything about it.’ It was a good idea. It was a good way to carry on the legacy of the move.”

“Vince okayed it. Whether he did it because he liked it or just to take a shot at his son-in-law, I don’t know, but it worked.”

Rollins went on to use the Pedigree as his primary finisher during that stretch, helping him maintain momentum as WWE Champion until he was eventually cleared to bring back the Stomp. Today, the Stomp is once again Rollins’ go-to move, though the Pedigree still pops up in major matches as a callback to that unique chapter in his career.

Moments like this give a rare look into how decisions behind the scenes can directly shape what fans see in the ring — and how quickly a top star has to adapt when those changes happen.

Do you think Seth Rollins should have kept the Pedigree longer, or is the Stomp the perfect finisher for his character today? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.