Rank the Hounds of Justice

[ShinChan]

So remember the Hounds of Justice?
Yeah i am talking about The Shield
So i will rank them on the basis of four paramters! and you are also allowed to use these parameters only...

A. Wrestling Skills

Seth Rollins is definitely the number 1. And i would give the second to Roman Reigns and therefore Dean Ambrose comes third! Ambrose's moveset is too wrong and Roman's moveset is much better but both are below Seth Rollins...

B. Mic Skills

Rollins is again at the top! but i would give second rank to Ambrose as he is better than Reigns but less than Rollins...

C. Gimmick

Here Ambrose is at the top atleast for me for his Lunatic gimmick... and Rollins comes at second rank as coward heel and Reigns comes at third...

D. Crowd Reaction

Here again Ambrose is at top..... Despite being a sidekick of Reigns and stale booking, he is too over with the crowd... Second comes Rollins obviously

So here is my final ranking

1. Ambrose 2. Rollins 3. Reigns

Thoughts about my verdict and your own ranking using these parameters only?

 

[AegonTargaryen]

Wooof. I thought there would be 3 choices and not 6. But Yes, you get 6 possibilities when trying to hierarchize a set of any 3 things.

I'm definitely going with 1)Rollins, 2)Reigns, 3)Ambrose.

And I'm in the minority here, as I can conceive most IWC members going with 1)Rollins, 2)Ambrose, 3)Reigns. Hell, if it were possible, they'd put Reigns on number 10 in a hierarchy of 3.

Seth Rollins is simply the best overall wrestler the WWE has had in a long, long time. He can only be likened to a Shawn Micahaels, even though he has been an active singles competitor in a WWE ring for just over a year. He has a lot to prove and a lot many classic matches to give yet.

Based on your criteria, it could be argued that Reigns is better than Ambrose when it comes to Gimmick and crowd reactions(yes, he gets booed, but he's also cheered plenty). In my subjective opinion, I also feel Reigns is just as good a wrestler as Ambrose, Either that, or that Ambrose is as BAD a wrestler as Reigns.

So yeah, Reigns is #2 for me.

 

[the_peoples_adam]

Well right now Roman is red hot and the crowd is so behind him after last Monday..
He has forged himself as the top babyface of WWE right now..

But once Rollins is healed up it will be the greatest return of all time..
After Seth returns the fued between Reigns and Rollins is gonna be Epic and one of the greatest of all time..

Ambrose doesnt have what it takes to be in the main event and he is going to be a life long midcarder..He has got a lot stale since the past year..

So i vote 1) Rollins 2) Roman 3) Ambrose..
Rollins>>>>>>Reigns>>Ambrose...

 

[J.J.]

1): Rollins clearly is the more talented in ring than Ambrose and Reigns. Lengthy title reign and MITB winner, above average microphone skills. Only thing I dislike is his moves being limited since turning heel and him using the Pedigree as his finisher.

2): I have to roll with the current champ Roman Reigns here. By the end of The Shield he was looking like the unofficial leader of the group - a role we had looked at Ambrose in. He is an average worker, but improving. I have to admit his PPV matchup against The Big Show was a pretty great match - better than how I thought it would be. He could use some more moves in his arsenal. Not saying a Dropkick or a springboard stunner but some moves that fits his character. Apart from that - wish they'd remove the clamps off him on the mic.

3): Ambrose at #3. Held the US title for nearly a year. Unfortunately it didn't elevate him as he rarely defended it and probably goes down as the least unimportant champion to hold that belt in quite some time. I don't hold that against him - out of his control. Current IC champ - hoping to see his Owens feud have some more buildup into it than their TLC match. Ambrose surprisingly comes off quite natural as either heel or face. Superb on the mic and a pretty solid worker in the ring. I definitely see him being the better of the 3 in time.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I'm definitely going with 1)Rollins, 2)Reigns, 3)Ambrose.

I agree.....if we rate them as we see them NOW. But might it be more realistic to grade them based on what they were while operating as the Shield?

If we do that, I would call it in reverse order. Back then, I figured WWE was setting up Ambrose as the leader....he did most of the talking, was the guy they installed as US Champion and had the largest presence of the three.

Reigns was the muscle, the strong, silent enforcer. He spoke far less than his buddies, and when he did deign to enlighten us on the mic, we agreed it was good he had little to say.

Perhaps the Shield-ite that would have the biggest change of fortunes was Seth Rollins. Back in the early days of the trio, he was featured less than the other two, don't you agree? He spoke well but was still subordinate to Ambrose in the vocal department.....and it took going on his own for us to see his superior ring skills on display. In Shield, he just didn't get to shine as much as the other two. Going solo was the best thing in the world for Seth.

So, there's my take on the subject. View them as they are now......or as they were back then.

There's a big difference.

 

[J.J.]

So remember the Hounds of Justice?
Yeah i am talking about The Shield
So i will rank them on the basis of four paramters! and you are also allowed to use these parameters only...

A. Wrestling Skills

Seth Rollins is definitely the number 1. And i would give the second to Roman Reigns and therefore Dean Ambrose comes third! Ambrose's moveset is too wrong and Roman's moveset is much better but both are below Seth Rollins...

B. Mic Skills

Rollins is again at the top! but i would give second rank to Ambrose as he is better than Reigns but less than Rollins...

C. Gimmick

Here Ambrose is at the top atleast for me for his Lunatic gimmick... and Rollins comes at second rank as coward heel and Reigns comes at third...

D. Crowd Reaction

Here again Ambrose is at top..... Despite being a sidekick of Reigns and stale booking, he is too over with the crowd... Second comes Rollins obviously

So here is my final ranking

1. Ambrose 2. Rollins 3. Reigns

Thoughts about my verdict and your own ranking using these parameters only?

You also have to look at who is more marketable. Reigns looks more marketable than his former stablemates in terms of the WWE prototype. They're known to push the pretty boys. They did it with Lex Luger in the mid 90s, The Rock before the turn of the century, were attempting to do it with Billy Gunn, Chris Masters and now Reigns. That's an advantage Reigns has over Rollins and Ambrose.

 

[Stan Hansen]

Rollins and Reigns are at a whole different level right now than Ambrose. Much of that has to do with how they are booked but it's how it is currently.

Rollins was doing fantastic work before his injury and he will be even more over upon his return.

Reigns is slowly gaining steam and if we see that continue he's going to be white hot. If they do turn him heel ever....him against a face Rollins has big money written all over it.

Ambrose is stuck in the mid card and I'm quite honestly bored with him.

 

[Lastoutlaw86]

1, Rollins 2, Reigns 3, Ambrose.

Such a tough call as they in my mind have been outstanding and have all done so well.

I think overall though Rollins edges it based on the overall package. Reigns is a close second but is a little let down by his mic skills. Then Ambrose who I feel is great on the mic and a great gimmick but not as polished in the ring as the others.

 

[The Samoan Heritage]

A) Wrestling- It is Seth Rollins way in front with Reigns and Ambrose struggling to even see him.

B) Mic-I would say it goes Rollins>Ambrose>Reigns. IMO neither of them are really good on the mic but Rollins has improved a lot since the Shield split.

C) Gimmick- What is Rollins and Reigns gimmick any ways? For gimmick, looks/attire, entrance, taunts, etc all go into making a good gimmick so I guess i'll use that.
Reigns >Rollins > Ambrose

D) Crowd reaction - Ambrose > Reigns > Rollins
this is were Rollins fails at, not because he isn't good but I feel like fans respect Rollins so they don't really boo him(like most heels now days), but they don't cheer him either because he plays the chicken**** heel so well. Rollins needs to go full heel doing things like what he did to Edge on a regular basis. And even though Ambrose has been playing second to Reigns he always gotten the higher reaction of the two(we will have to see if that will continues with Reigns new found popularity).

Overall I feel like Rollins is the obvious #1 out of them all. He's the complete package.

Reigns comes in second- due to having the better look, standing out from the rest of the roster, and having such an explosive move set that gets his fans pumped.

Ambrose last/3rd- He just doesn't have the main event look/feel that Rollins and Reigns have. Ambrose is entertaining but just isn't World championship material like the other two. (At least not with his current wrestling gear and annoying lunatic gimmick)

 

[stingray11214]

Rollins, Ambrose, Reigns.

1)Rollins is the best wrestler of the three. Ambrose is a solid brawler. Reigns has two moves of doom and little else.

2) Seth is gold on the mic. Can really get a crowd going. Ambrose is second. But, sometimes his silence is more effective. Reigns? Tater tots and suffering succahtash, anyone?

3) Ambrose is the lunatic fringe. Rollins is a coward. Reiggns is trying to be Cena 2.0 and failing hard.

4) Draw between Ambrose and Rollins. People love Ambrose as much as they hate Rollins. Reigns? He is getting SOME reaction. But, Philly was dead until VKM came out. Was dead when Reigns came out a few minutes later. Stamford are really kidding themselves with Reigns.

So, the final verdict is Rollins, Ambrose and then Reigns brings up the rear.

 

[ISkye]

A. Wrestling Skills

If you really put Roman over Seth or Dean you are in denial.
Seth
Dean
Not even going to list Roman.

B. Mic Skills

Seth and Ambrose entertain me pretty equally. I skip over Roman's mic parts when I watch RAW. I can't handle it. It's not even funny anymore.

C. Gimmick

I kind of hate what Ambrose and Reigns has going on here. Seth actually provides a bit of enjoyment for me with his.
I don't even understand what Roman is trying to do at this point.

D. Crowd Reaction

The one RAW I went to convinced me that Seth can get a big reaction. In fact I don't think much else of anyone got any attention. I never really noticed love for Dean. I saw plenty of signs and shirts, but I don't think he has done something to the point where I wanted to get overly excited. I've seen Roman come out to hardly any reaction way to much to say much else.

So....
1. Ambrose
2. Rollins
3. Reigns

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Wrestling Skills

1 - Rollins because of his fantastic record of matches
2/3 - Ambrose and Reigns because they're actually even

Mic Skills

1 - Rollins because he can cut a 15-minute promo
2 - Ambrose because at least he doesn't say "tater tots"
3 - Reigns because of "tater tots" and his other horrible promos

Gimmick

1 - Ambrose because of his unstable lunatic fringe persona
2 - Rollins is an entitled cowardly heel who can back up what he says when needed
3 - Reigns is a silent badass, but he's not portrayed as that most of the time

Crowd Reaction

1 - Ambrose because he gets one of the biggest pops of the night even when Creative has him doing nothing meaningful
2 - Rollins because he gets the most heat on the roster
3 - Reigns because he still has 50% boos (I doubt WWE can keep up his reactions from Monday night)

1 - Seth Rollins (10 points) - Even though he's tied with Ambrose, I'll give him the slight edge for being WWE Champion 8 months.
2 - Dean Ambrose (10 points)
3 - Roman Reigns (5 points)

I'm not trying to be critical of Reigns. In the last Raw LD, I said I was "100% behind him", and I still am. I'm just pointing out some of his weaknesses.

 

[The Samoan Heritage]

Rollins, Ambrose, Reigns.

1)Ambrose is a solid brawler. Reigns has two moves of doom and little else.

3) Reiggns is trying to be Cena 2.0 and failing hard.

4) But, Philly was dead until VKM came out.

Why do I feel like your hating on Reigns just to be hating?
1st you call Ambrose a solid brawler while bashing Reigns for his "two moves of doom". If you're going to bash Reigns(which he deserves due to the overuse of the superman punch) you can't ignore Ambrose and his overuse of the rebound clothesline. Reigns has the spear, 1 arm powerbomb, tilt-a-whirl, apron dropkick, Samoan drop. Ambrose has the suicide dive, TR dropkick, bulldog, diving elbow. IMO one is as bad/good as the other in the ring.

3) Your a lil behind if you think he's being booked like Cena 2.0. He's being booked like Stone Cold 2.0 now, after wwe stop booking him like Daniel Bryan 2.0

4) just rewatch Raw. The crowd was hot for Reigns the entire night. Every word Reigns said during his segment with Steph was met with a pop from the crowd. (Steph was even met with heavy boos for saying the crowd was saying "thank you Reigns" for losing at TLC) Now Vince did get a bigger pop than Reigns but its VINCE! Reigns still got a great pop when he came out for the title match.

 

[AegonTargaryen]

I agree.....if we rate them as we see them NOW. But might it be more realistic to grade them based on what they were while operating as the Shield?

If we do that, I would call it in reverse order. Back then, I figured WWE was setting up Ambrose as the leader....he did most of the talking, was the guy they installed as US Champion and had the largest presence of the three.

There's a big difference.

Ah well. IMO, It'd be really , really difficult to hierarchize them from when they were a unit, exactly because they functioned as a unit.

As you pointed out, Reigns was the muscle. Rollins was the star athlete/architect, and Ambrose was the spokesperson/weirdo of the group. But Rollins was as much an enforcer as was Reigns, and as much a talker as Ambrose. But even if we accept them as playing select roles, they functioned very much as a unit, hence their success.

I also think, actually Reigns had the largest presence of the three, in terms of looks, charisma, intimidation..and the other two looked more like subordinates. Even though(if I'm not mistaken) they never said Reigns was their leader, at least he seemed like one, with all the minute things we did. I think he really did come across as intimidating and the silence/reticence only added to his mystique. Too bad they didn't utilize his persona post-shield.

Imagine no tatertots or awkward smiles/glances. Imagine Reigns never turned face. Imagine Reigns beating dozens of opponents in singles matches(or handicap) all these months, from Kofi Kingston to The Usos, under 3-5 minutes. And THEN winning the rumble, as a heel.

PS:- It's strange how not many of us thought they'd go with Rollins, or that Rollins would turn out to be so awesome. Actually, I barely knew Rollins or Ambrose back then, since I mostly only watched a couple of their ppv matches versus 3 opponents. But when I did see Rollins as champion, I was awestruck.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Why do I feel like your hating on Reigns just to be hating?
1st you call Ambrose a solid brawler while bashing Reigns for his "two moves of doom". If you're going to bash Reigns(which he deserves due to the overuse of the superman punch) you can't ignore Ambrose and his overuse of the rebound clothesline. Reigns has the spear, 1 arm powerbomb, tilt-a-whirl, apron dropkick, Samoan drop. Ambrose has the suicide dive, TR dropkick, bulldog, diving elbow. IMO one is as bad/good as the other in the ring.

3) Your a lil behind if you think he's being booked like Cena 2.0. He's being booked like Stone Cold 2.0 now, after wwe stop booking him like Daniel Bryan 2.0

4) just rewatch Raw. The crowd was hot for Reigns the entire night. Every word Reigns said during his segment with Steph was met with a pop from the crowd. (Steph was even met with heavy boos for saying the crowd was saying "thank you Reigns" for losing at TLC) Now Vince did get a bigger pop than Reigns but its VINCE! Reigns still got a great pop when he came out for the title match.

It's one of the many double standards of the IWC. There are threads pointing specifically to how Ambrose does almost no moves in the ring, but it doesn't matter. He's a good brawler but Reigns is terrible.

Screw specific ratings for who's 1-3. Especially wrestling ability. It's last among importance of a good pro wrestler anyway. Rollins had bored the shit out of me for months before he left, so he's last in my book. If he comes back with a huge face turn I'll consider whether he's 1 or 2. Ambrose has a lot of potential, but the last program he's had that interested me was against Rollins. Since then he's floundered (If that program were against Cena we'd have "burial" threads). That leaves Reigns. I'm very interested to see where his current program goes. Hopefully they can build on his recent momentum and not revert back to their previous, bad booking.

 

[AegonTargaryen]

I can't believe 12 people voted for Reigns as #2 and Ambrose as #3, as did another 12 when they reversed Reigns/Ambrose for their #2 and#3 positions.

But I'm glad 24 of them think of Rollins as #1. Seth Rollins really is the man! The IWC's man.

 

[JoeFromTomsRiver]

Rollins, Reigns, Ambrose.

Rollins has no weaknesses. Watch for an epic double turn with him and Reigns when he comes back. We've only seen him operate as a heel and he is gold. I think he'll be as good as a face.

Reigns' mic skills are what holds him back from being #1. Put Rollins' personality and speaking ability in Reigns, and he'd be #1 here.

Ambrose is going to have a long career in the company. We haven't seen all he can be, but there are certain limitations here that make him a distant third. I'm not going to point out his negatives, because he's one of the few guys I actually enjoy watching and even with his "negatives", he's still better than 95% of the roster.

What this discussion has crystallized very clearly is what a home run The Shield was. Each one of them have progressed and have become vital parts of the WWE moving forward.

Also, from what I can remember, the early predictions for the individual members of The Shield was that Reigns was the guy who would become a mega-star, Ambrose would be an entertaining upper mid-card guy, and Rollins would be a solid workhorse who could do athletic spots, like what Ziggler is now.

Rollins was the consensus #3 at the time, and he's the consensus #1 now.

 

[World Class Mark]

\

So here is my final ranking

1. Ambrose 2. Rollins 3. Reigns

Thoughts about my verdict and your own ranking using these parameters only?

Oh, absolutely. This is definitely the ranking. The only other acceptable rankings would be either Rollins/Ambrose/Reigns, or to completely take Reigns off the list because he's not in the same league as the other two in terms of wrestling skills, mic skills, personality, or any other relevant category other than "Well, I mean Vince and Piece of Trash son-in-law like him, so Roman must be okay, right?"







.

 

[ShinChan]

I can't believe 12 people voted for Reigns as #2 and Ambrose as #3, as did another 12 when they reversed Reigns/Ambrose for their #2 and#3 positions.

But I'm glad 24 of them think of Rollins as #1. Seth Rollins really is the man! The IWC's man.

Same pinch buddy!
Moreover 13+4 kept Ambrose above Reigns.....
I thought only i believed Ambrose is better than Reigns but nopes my opinion is not unpopular by any sense!

 

[Checkmate]

A. Wrestling Skills

As most have said, Rollins takes this category, and it's not really close. He did most of the grunt work in the SHIELD, and went on to have great matches with just about everyone afterward. Reigns is second, as Ambrose is downright sloppy in the ring sometimes. A Reigns match is smooth enough, and he's nowhere near as green as he used to be. Oh, and that Superman Punch is a thing of beauty.

B. Mic Skills

Ambrose takes the cake here. His promos are captivating and his delivery is relatively unique. Rollins is pretty bland, but still above average. Roman is best when he lets his fists do the talking.

C. Gimmick

Ambrose. Definitely. The other two don't have much going on that hasn't been seen before multiple times.

D. Crowd Reaction

All three of them have been crazy over at different times for different reasons. Ambrose arguably had the biggest pops, but the other two have big moments as well (Reigns at Survivor Series 2013, Rollins at Wrestlemania 31). I believe Ambrose has been most consistent in his crowd reaction though.


For a final tally, that would put Ambrose in first with the other two tied for 2nd and 3rd. However, I wouldn't weigh all of these categories equally due to my personal preferences as a fan. Without the categories, I'd personally say Rollins > Reigns > Ambrose, with the gaps in between being quite small.

 

[saint_edward]

Tough call..

Reigns is a beast. They've let him loose (like he was in the Shield) and its worked, the guys in the arenas love him anyway and we've all been jonesing to see him destroy, if he keeps the momentum and dominance then he's well on track.

Rollins injury was a bad time, but he'd ditched the henchmen and he's legit. Personally I don't like him but I hated Edge's character. They're good heels, Rollins made the role his own and he's done very very well.

Ambrose is awesome, and I want to love him but he's not been given the ball to run with it line the others have. He's 3rd by default. Let's see how they do with the title round his waist.

Reigns
Rollins (injured)
Ambrose

 

[BestWrestlingOpinions]

I think that Ambrose hasn't been given enough to show what he can do. Rollins was given the green light pretty much since the Shield breaking up. MitB briefcase, "winning" the feud with Ambrose, big Royal Rumble match vs Cena and Lesnar, winning the title at WM etc. He was put on top for a year and a half now.

Reigns is pretty much the same thing. He won the Royal Rumble, he won every mini feud he had, he main evented WM, he main evented a lot of Raws with his storylines etc.

Ambrose was just left out there as Reigns' sidekick most of the time. He lost a feud with Wyatt, he won some random meaningless feuds and was there just to back up Reigns most of the time. He wasn't given a main event, or a title to show what he can do.


With all that said, I think it's fair to say that right now, it's Rollins - Reigns - Ambrose, but that's because of the storylines that have happened ever since the split up. If we are going with what these guys can do, they all have tremendous talent and potential, but the order would be Rollins - Ambrose - Reigns.


Rollins is just amazing in the ring. So smooth, innovative, great psychology. He has become good on the mic, he can hold his own and plays the heel pretty well.

Ambrose is very creative on the mic, very charismatic. Smooth in the ring, nothing over the top though. Great character and psychology.

Reigns is the guy who has the look. His mic skills are not something special, his ring work is improving a lot.


I think if you could make a wrestler combining these 3, I'd take Rollins' in-ring ability, Ambrose gimmick-charisma-mic skills and Reigns' look.

 

[kadroan]

I'd say Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose.

Rollins is the most complete star out of the 3, he got mic skills, put on great matches and he can be a face/heel at a high level.

Reigns - he got the look, size and when he's aggressive he got it going on. He leaves a little more to desire in the ring but he'll become a better wrestler over time as long as he continues to be humble.

Ambrose - He got the fans behind. Like Rollins, he's versatile, can play the face and heel role at a high level. However, he can be forgettable. Like I can't remember why he feuded with Bray etc.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I think that Ambrose hasn't been given enough to show what he can do.

I think he's been given tons to do....in the ring & on the mic. He's had his own feuds, worked with others, gets run-ins which are cheer-magnets for the fans and he's performed at every level, including a couple of world title shots against Seth Rollins.

You're right that he's had less exposure at main event level than Reigns or Rollins, but overall, he's been given ample opportunity to show what he can do.

Ambrose was just left out there as Reigns' sidekick most of the time.

True, but I think that has been of great benefit to Dean. In my opinion, had Ambrose not had Roman and Seth to play off, his stock would have dropped months ago. Being associated with these guys has been the greatest boon to Dean's career he could ever want.

I like the guy but don't feel he's a 'top of the card' performer. As it is, he's been given more to do as a featured midcarder than most guys in the middle could ever expect.

 

[Dagger Dias]

It's Rollins, Ambrose, Reigns for me. Rollins is the best in every single capacity. He puts on fantastic matches, is great on the mic, and has had the most (kayfabe) success. Reigns has had the 2nd best (kayfabe) success, but Ambrose beats him in match quality and promo quality. I'll rank them in the categories of in-ring skills, mic skills, kayfabe'd success, and gimmick.


In-Ring Ability
Rollins
Ambrose
Reigns

Rollins by far. Ambrose is a bit better than Reigns here.



Promo Ability
Rollins
Ambrose
Reigns

Rollins by far yet again. Reigns is still a bit cheesy sometimes in his promos, he's improving though.


Onscreen Accomplishments
Rollins
Reigns
Ambrose

Rollins barely wins here. World Heavyweight Champion, Money In The Bank 2015, US Champion, Tag Team Champion. Reigns is right behind him with 2 time World Heavyweight Champion and Tag Team Champion. Ambrose has some catching up to do, having only held the Intercontinental and US Championships.


Gimmick
Ambrose
Rollins
Reigns

Here's where Ambrose has been the best of the three. Rollins' gimmick is good too. Reigns has a little bit of catching up to do to the others.


Overall
Rollins - 11 of 12
Ambrose - 8 of 12
Reigns - 5 of 12

Seth Rollins won every single category other than Gimmick, where Ambrose is the best. Ambrose gets 2nd and Reigns is 3rd. Not that I don't like Ambrose or Reigns, I'm a huge fan of all three former members of The Shield.