Seth Rollins Says Some WWE Stars Are Just In It for the Paycheck

Seth Rollins didn’t sugarcoat it—some WWE stars simply aren’t passionate about the business.

While speaking on Something’s Burning with Bert Kreischer, Rollins called out what he sees as a growing reality in WWE: a number of main roster talents are only in wrestling for the money, not the love of the sport. As WWE continues to recruit athletes from outside the wrestling world, Rollins made it clear that passion for the business isn’t as common as it used to be.

“It’s a paycheck, right? It’s a job. So there’s plenty of people that will do the job if they’re getting paid to do it.”

Rollins did acknowledge that some people eventually grow to love wrestling after entering the industry—but if that love doesn’t develop, they don’t last long.

“Look, some people turn to it and they learn to love it after it becomes a love. I don’t think anybody stays in it for a career if they don’t love it, because it will wipe you out.”

He described wrestling as both physically and mentally draining, something only the truly passionate can survive long-term. Even with a lighter schedule today compared to the brutal grind of the past, Rollins believes the business still weeds out those who aren’t committed.

“It is a painful – as you see – physically and a mentally draining experience. Now the schedule’s way lighter than it used to be. We still travel every week, but we’re not doing nearly as many shows.”

He reflected on how things were during his earlier years with Becky Lynch, when they were working over 200 matches a year. Back then, Rollins said, the pace would burn out anyone who wasn’t fully committed.

“Back in the day when you and me, were doing 200 matches a year, that would weed people out very quickly if they didn’t love it. They would just get exhausted, burn out so fast they’d quit.”

And he didn’t hold back when assessing today’s roster.

“But yeah, there’s plenty of people I would say now on the main roster that don’t really have a love for it necessarily.”

Rollins’ comments tap into a bigger conversation about whether WWE’s current talent pipeline is prioritizing athleticism over passion. As the company shifts toward recruiting athletes from other disciplines, Rollins is drawing a clear line: if you don’t love wrestling, it’ll chew you up and spit you out.

Do you think passion should matter more than athletic potential in WWE’s future stars? Or is it okay for some talent to treat it as just a job? Share your thoughts below—we want to hear what you think.