WWE superstar Seth “Freakin” Rollins caused a lot of chatter on a recent podcast interview.
Appearing on the Pat McAfee show, the two-time WWE World Champion was asked who would be on his all-time in-ring wrestling Mount Rushmore.
He surprised many by including a star from rival company All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Seth Rollins’ Mount Rushmore
The WWE superstar started off by quickly listing three of his Mount Rushmore heads. He decided to keep it in-house, selecting fighters from the WWE.
The first entrant was two-time WWE Hall-of-Famer Shawn Michaels. An icon of wrestling, Michaels was a two-time Royal Rumble Match winner and a WWE Champion on multiple occasions.
Next up was the late Eddie Guerrero. Guerrero was a four-time WWE Tag Team Champion, while also winning a WWE Championship himself in 2004.
Third on Rollins’ list was Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart. Another WWE Hall of Famer, Hart was a five-time WWE Champion and is renowned for his technical legacy.
All three wrestlers picked by Rollins are undoubtedly worthy of a place on Seth Rollins’ Mount Rushmore. However, his fourth choice raised eyebrows.
Rollins knew it would cause a stir: “Number four is a controversial pick because he’s still active, but it’s Bryan Danielson.”
Why Bryan Danielson is a surprise selection
Rollins had nothing but kind words for Danielson. “I think in-ring he’s one of the greatest of all time,” he said. “When it’s all said and done, he’ll be up there [Mount Rushmore] with the other guys.”
Danielson used to wrestle in the WWE, becoming WWE Champion on three occasions. He also once held the WWE World Heavyweight Champion belt.
However, medical issues forced him to retire in 2016. He suffered from a number of concussions but wasn’t fully transparent about them to the WWE.
Recently, Danielson made a comeback to wrestling with rival federation AEW. This was a shock move to a rival company of the WWE.
His resume from his time in WWE more than justifies his selection on Rollins’ personal Mount Rushmore. However, it is unexpected to say the least.
Given Rollins’ high profile in the WWE world, it is definitely surprising to see him select someone who wrestles for his employer’s competition.
It is clear that Rollins has a lot of respect for his fellow competitors, no matter where their careers take them.