Seth Rollins disclosed the unexpected ban on his signature finishing move, the Curb Stomp, just days after capturing his first WWE Championship at WrestleMania 31. The event took place when Rollins famously cashed in his Money in the Bank contract during the main event, which featured Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, turning their one-on-one match into a triple threat and securing the WWE title for himself.
This moment remains one of the most unforgettable cash-ins in WWE history, but Rollins’ triumph was quickly overshadowed by the removal of his finishing maneuver from his arsenal.
Vince McMahon’s Decision to Ban the Curb Stomp
During an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast with NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, Rollins recounted how Vince McMahon, the former WWE Chairman, prohibited the Curb Stomp the very day after Rollins became world champion.
He banned it. Literally the day after I won my first world title at WrestleMania,
Rollins shared.
According to Rollins, McMahon indicated that WWE would be “moving in a different direction” and promised to find something
“equally as good and equally as devastating”
to replace the banned move, although no further explanation was provided at that moment.
Possible Reasons Behind the Ban on Seth Rollins’ Finisher
Rollins speculated that the ban might have been influenced by how the Curb Stomp was portrayed in mainstream media coverage. He believes McMahon’s concerns stemmed from the move’s appearance and its name, which may have raised alarm within McMahon’s inner circle.
I’d been doing it for years. This is what I think happened, and I don’t have confirmation. He watched The Today Show piece, he sees the Stomp, he sees people referring to the Curb Stomp, somebody in his inner circle said, ‘Hmm, Vince I don’t know about that move, I think it might be a little too dangerous, there might be a connotation to it,’
Rollins explained.
I’m like, ‘Brother, we’ve been doing it for years. It’s pro-wrestling. You can call it something else if you want. I didn’t come up with the name; you came up with the name. Call it the Stomp, call it whatever,
he added.
Adopting a New Finisher and Carrying on a Legacy
Without the Curb Stomp, Seth Rollins had to find a new finishing move as the newly crowned world champion. After several weeks of experimentation, he settled on the Pedigree, the iconic finisher famously used by Triple H, who was also his on-screen mentor and part of the storyline at the time.
Initially, Rollins hesitated to ask Triple H for permission directly, opting instead to speak with Vince McMahon first.
So I was like, ‘Here’s what I’ll do – I’ll ask Vince about it, and then I know Vince will say yes, just to spite Triple H, and Triple H can’t say nothing about it.’ It was a good idea anyway. I was a bad guy, Hunter was my mentor, I was his protege, he wasn’t wrestling, it was a good way to carry on a legacy of the move,
Rollins recounted.
So yeah Vince okay’d 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,
he concluded.
Significance of the Pedigree and Return of the Curb Stomp
The adoption of the Pedigree perfectly aligned with Rollins’ portrayal as Triple H’s protégé during his championship reign, adding depth to his heel persona. Over time, the original Curb Stomp was reinstated and has since remained an integral part of WWE’s programming, highlighting its lasting impact on Seth Rollins’ in-ring identity and storytelling.
