For all fans of wrestling or the wider world of sport as a whole, many people were shocked when CEO of WWE Vince McMahon decided to retire from his position earlier this year.

The media mogul had been in the position for nearly four decades, overseeing the growth of the most successful wrestling company in the world, and being involved in some of the company's most beloved storylines as his on-screen character Mr McMahon.

So when, in July of this year, McMahon decided to announce his retirement, it left many fans and employees in a state of shock.

One such employee was wrestler Seth Rollins, who admitted that the sudden departure of his boss was emotional and was like losing a friend and losing a mentor.

How did Seth Rollins react to Vince McMahon's retirement?

"It was one of those things where you'll never forget [where you were]," Rollins said, as per WrestlingINC.

"When it happened, it was so abrupt. I was not prepared and … it got me emotional.

"I mean, I love Vince. He's been like a father figure to me over the past 10 years. He's someone [whose] approval means a lot to me.

WWE: Seth Rollins' emotional reaction to Vince McMahon's retirement detailed

WWE: Seth Rollins' emotional reaction to Vince McMahon's retirement detailed

"I kinda was just like 'Wow, is this the last time I'm ever gonna see Vince?' And when you have such a close relationship with someone, ups and downs, it just felt like I was losing a friend and losing a mentor."

Seth Rollins' WWE career

Rollins, whose real name is Colby Lopez, has had tremendous amounts of success in the WWE, rising through the ranks to becoming one of the largest names in the company.

Starting in FCW back in 2010, Rollins (then named Tyler Black) would hone his in-ring craft for many years, and when FCW was transitioned into NXT, he would be crowned the brand's first champion.

Being brought up to the main WWE roster as a member of The Shield, the newly named Seth Rollins would become a household name overnight, being involved in some of the largest and most popular storylines of the early 2010s.

Since the group's implosion in 2014, Rollins would establish himself as one of the company's top heel characters, and in 2015, he would win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31.

Rollins' time under McMahon's leadership was certainly fruitful, and it's obvious he was a favourite of the former CEO, who involved him in many top storylines over the past decade.

And despite being a behind the scenes figure for the later years of his career, McMahon himself was quite a popular and influential on-screen figure in the late 90s through to the late 2000s.

Vince McMahon's lasting legacy

His rivalries with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels all stand out as some of the most compelling television produced by the company and Vince has quite literally bled for the sport he loves.

WWE: Seth Rollins' emotional reaction to Vince McMahon's retirement detailed

WWE: Seth Rollins' emotional reaction to Vince McMahon's retirement detailed

The wrestling world (and the world of sport as a whole) owes Mr. McMahon a huge debt for providing countless hours of entertaining television for multiple decades, and creating many household names that fans could fall in love with.