For the last few months, Seth Rollins has built his identity around being a fighting Intercontinental Champion, so last week’s surprise title loss to Dolph Ziggler hit The Kingslayer hard. Rollins technically got even by defeating Ziggler in the rematch, but thanks to a disqualification ruling, the title will remain around The Showoff’s waist.

It’s a bitter ending for The Architect, but given the progression of the match, it wasn’t unexpected. The Kingslayer was so aggressive in his opening salvo that the commentary team openly raised the possibility of both a disqualification and, later, a count-out after the action spilled to the outside. Ziggler’s efficient, scientific counter-attack seemed to foreshadow a straight-up defeat for The Architect ... at least until an interfering Drew McIntyre got himself ejected, giving Rollins his biggest break of the match.

The Kingslayer did not waste his moment, and it took The Showoff a long while to gain ground as The Architect began to surge. But McIntyre didn’t stay in the locker room for long, re-emerging to haul the ref out of the ring after Rollins executed the superplex-Falcon Arrow. A surefire post-match beating from Ziggler & McIntyre was cut short by the arrival of Roman Reigns, and The Big Dog’s assistance in driving them away allowed Rollins to end the night with a brother at his side and a battle well fought. Rollins remains a fighter, to be sure — but not a champion.