Tag Titles: From Team Hell No to The Shield.... to where?

[Johnny Scumm]

I was just thinking this morning of a report that I'd read on the Main Page yesterday, which said that the WWE have had the idea of The Shield winning the Tag Team Championships (Defended on the Freebird rule I assume). Now, I started to think about the WWE's Tag division and it led me to think...

Where the hell, should The Shield win them, do the belts go to?

Now, Hell No were a pretty big step up from most Tag Teams due to the two members being former World Champions, whereas beforehand, we were having R-Truth/Kingston/Bourne and so on & so forth. If The Shield were to beat Hell No for the Tag Titles, it would pretty much elevate those belts to a Main Event status, which makes me wonder what kind of team could carry the belts after them, unless they hold them forever & a day.

Brothers of Destruction, as great as a thought it would be, couldn't do it unless Undertaker makes a choice to stick around a little longer. I couldn't see Tons of Funk, Team Rhodes Scholars, Primetime Players, 3MB or anybody along those lines winning the Tag Titles from THE SHIELD. Could you? I doubt it. Which leads me to a question;

If The Shield win the Tag Titles, what team could eventually win the belts from them??

 

[Nate DaMac]

I suspect it would be a random pairing of main event guys. Cena and Sheamus, maybe? Something like that. They've been booking The Shield incredibly strong, I think they'd like to keep that going by having their first loss be to someone of relative importance.

I'm thinking The Shield holds onto the titles for an extended amount of time whenever they do get a hold of them.

 

[The Butcher]

If The Shield win the Tag Titles, what team could eventually win the belts from them??

Mason Ryan and Ezekial Jackson. The idea of them as a tag team has been bandied about in various IWC circles for long enough. I'm willing it into existence. Put those two mutants together, give them trunks that match, paint their faces, and give them a manager. What's James Mitchell up to these days, anyway? William Regal is right there, use him.

Let The Shield hold the titles for a good number of months. Keep them undefeated. Then have Mason and Zeke re-debut as straight up real life versions of Lump and Loaf from the Mad Dog Hoek episode of The Ren & Stimpy Show. Let them dismantle The Shield. Turn it into a feud, let Mason and Zeke win out, and end The Shield. Let Ambrose, Reigns, and Rollins become singles stars. Build up a babyface tag team to chase Mason and Zeke. Profit.

 

[The Perfect Max]

It has to be a strong, deserving tag team. The Shield have been built as a very strong combination, and with the Freebird Rule intact, the unpredicatability of who will be defending the titles pose threats. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins would be a strong team, whereas adding Dean Ambrose would provide a different approach to a match.

My first guess would be a main-event tag team of two guys being put together. I think a tag team of Randy Orton and Sheamus would be interesting and I could believe them defeating The Shield.

On the other hand, a team like Orton and Sheamus wouldn't benefit from defeating The Shield. Currently, the WWE have Brodus Clay and Tensai, Epico and Primo, The Prime Time Players and Team Rhodes Scholars. Team Hell No will have disbanded by the point The Shield will drop the titles. Realistically, these teams cannot and should not defeat The Shield. This is a period WWE need to start building tag teams again. If not, The Shield's reign will end horribly. I wouldn't mind somesort of monster tag team being the ones to defeat them.

Currently, the future of the tag team division looks grim. After The Shield, there isn't anyone you could believe could beat them, but there a tag teams there. Puzzling.

On a side not - as much as I would hate to see it, I wouldn't be surprised if a team like John Cena and The Rock beat them. I'm not saying this is what I would want, but something like this would hardly surprise me.

 

[A11oftheLights]

Tons of Funk could work. However a gimmick change would be required. I'd like to see them turn away from the dancey bullshit by having Tensai or whatever we're meant to call him now going down the look what we've become...they're laughing at us not with us blah blah blah and turn back into destructive monsters together

 

[Jack-Hammer]

It's difficult to say at this point, but putting the tag titles on The Shield would be a good sign that WWE is really going to kick things into gear when it comes to the tag team division. Not saying that they will, but it leads to a good possibility.

Why do I think that? Because WWE has constantly & consistently booked The Shield to look very strong since their debut. Even though their matches, thus far, have always been six man tags, they've still defeated some of the biggest names in the company. Teams comprised of Team Hell No & Ryback, John Cena, Sheamus & Ryback, Sheamus Ryback & Chris Jericho and Sheamus, Randy Orton & Big Show. Plus there are the various beat downs they've handed down to main eventers & mid-carders alike all without The Shield really getting their come-uppance. So in order for The Shield to ultimately drop the titles in a meaningful way, WWE would probably need to build up a couple of strong teams that could have the legitimacy & believability of being able to take the titles from them.

If The Shield take the titles next, which I think is all but guaranteed at this point, they could be given a long run while WWE builds the tag team division back up. New blood could possibly be added while existing teams could be given a firmer direction.

Off the top of my head, one potential team that comes to mind could be Orton & Sheamus. They've been teaming up frequently for about the past month or so and neither guy looks to be headed towards the WWE or World Heavyweight Championship picture. They've been two of the most frequent victims of The Shield and still have yet to really gain any sort of revenge for the various defeats & beatings they've suffered. If The Shield win the titles, then teaming up in the hopes of eventually taking the titles from them could be seen as an ideal means of revenge.

Orton & Sheamus both look like they're going to have singles feuds for a bit, maybe with Orton up against Big Show while Sheamus goes after Mark Henry. These feuds might last another few months, giving The Shield time to finish up their program with Team Hell No. During this same time, it's possible that WWE could also start building back up a few teams to look more formidable. After all, The Shield attacks just about anyone where it be heels or babyfaces, so their presence in the tag team scene could be a means of the other teams in WWE "rallying" themselves to get ready to take them on.

If Orton or Sheamus don't take the titles, it's a good opportunity to finally turn Randy Orton heel. They seem to be two contrasting personalities with Sheamus as the jovial Irish brawler and Orton being this generally untrustworthy...well...snake, for lack of a better term. It could eventually lead to a clash of egos & personalities that results in a team implosion during a crucial moment in which Orton stabs Sheamus in the back. The smarks might not like the idea of an Orton vs. Sheamus feud at first but since they like cheering for heels so much, they'll probably get behind Orton once he turns.

 

[OutsiderDX]

Booking The Shield is easy. It's happened 5000 times before.

Shield are facing "Team Whoever" for the tag-titles

Shield's current fued (example Orton / Shemus) interfere, cost them the titles

result = stronger fued, and tag titles on a new team.

.....5000 times.

 

[MWRedskins]

Well, if the Shield wins the rumored match and wins that Tag Team Titles (as rumored), then I don't know who takes them off, but that will likely be months down the road and it's not needed to know who will take them off just yet. WWE can find a team. what if they brought up some other NXT stars and have them team up as a face team?? if the Shield does win the Tag titles, it will be big for the division as this team has been booked strong. I am not looking at who will take the titles off them because it's likely still far away from happening

 

[MCMG]

Lets presume that Team Hell NO and the Shield feud for a month or two. That could lead us to a summer of utter dominance by the Shield where they hold the belts until October/November were they can drop the belts. That means there could be half a year for the tag division to evolve - a new team to form, some will disband , so it is difficult to predict.

I can see them dropping to a random team without little feuding. There is no way they put in HHH and the Undertaker into this feud without having bigger, long term plans. It maybe as simple as HHH interfering in a match between the Shield and a comedy team (Santino and Khali, 3MB) just to spite them and progress the feud. Unless its the Brothers of Destruction: I cannot see the Shield loosing the belts, if they win, clean.

 

[BigDaddyKewl]

I'm not sure if it would work having The Shield win the tag titles. They're gimmick is that they are the Shield of Injustice, why would they care about winning titles? I'm not a big fan of the "Freebird Rule". If they are going to win the titles have 2 of the 3 hold the titles. I'd have Rollins and Reigns hold the titles and keep Ambrose as the manager/mouth piece.

 

[Christian Faith]

One way they could lose the belts is in maybe a tag title battle royal like Cena/HBK a few years ago.

Knowing WWE though they will lose interest in the shield in a few weeks and if they have the belts they will just randomly drop them to on Raw.

 

[The Butcher]

I'm not sure if it would work having The Shield win the tag titles. They're gimmick is that they are the Shield of Injustice, why would they care about winning titles?

Following that line of thinking, why would they bother to have matches in the first place? No matter the gimmick, they're still wrestlers at the end of the day. They'd want titles because (kayfabe) that comes with more money, prestige, and, towards their gimmick, having a larger platform to from which to enforce their brand of justice.

I'm not a big fan of the "Freebird Rule". If they are going to win the titles have 2 of the 3 hold the titles. I'd have Rollins and Reigns hold the titles and keep Ambrose as the manager/mouth piece.

It's a matter of personal preference, so if that's how you feel that's cool. In my eyes, it's part of wrestling tradition. From the Freebirds, to Demolition*, to The Spirit Squad, and now The Shield, it's one of those neat, quirky, only in pro wrestling things that deserves to be dusted off every so often and introduced to new fans. Plus none of those three guys deserves the short shrift on the mic or in the ring. Again, though, it's a matter of taste and opinion. I just respectfully disagree.



*well aware that the 3-man Demolition never held the belts, but they're an example of a 3-man tag team all the same

 

[Dysturbed]

I'm not a big fan of the "Freebird Rule". If they are going to win the titles have 2 of the 3 hold the titles. I'd have Rollins and Reigns hold the titles and keep Ambrose as the manager/mouth piece.

If WWE it intent as having them be equals for now, instead of having them have even more individuality while part of a unit, then imo they may as well do the freebird thing. The way that the Shield operate (for now) seems to dictate that even if only two of the three members were official champs, the other would probably find a way to be be a nuisance anyway. If that is going to be the case, they may as well switch it up so that one match Reigns may be the out of the match threat, another time Ambrose, and another time Rollins.

 

[WeirdFatGuy]

I'm not sure if it would work having The Shield win the tag titles. They're gimmick is that they are the Shield of Injustice, why would they care about winning titles? I'm not a big fan of the "Freebird Rule". If they are going to win the titles have 2 of the 3 hold the titles. I'd have Rollins and Reigns hold the titles and keep Ambrose as the manager/mouth piece.

I remember them attacking team Hell No saying that they weren't a real team and don't deserve the titles.

 

[Radical]

The Shield should really have a LONG LONG tag team title reign.

They should be close to or break the record for the longest Tag Team title reign in history.

So that... in that time other tag teams can be built up and whoever wins will get a big boost.

I think The Usos would be a good choice. They are a REAL tag team and it would be huge validation for them to beat The Shield after a long reign.

 

[nyquiljordan]

It's crazy to me to suggest that Orton and Sheamus should take the titles off the Shield (should they win them.) Orton and Sheamus can't get the job done with Big Show or Ryback or John Cena, so why alone would they ever stand a shot alone or with anyone else at this point? That's absurd.

As to the homie asking why they'd want the title; The Shield believes that the WWE is suffering from injustice. Team Hell No having the titles is one of their injustices that they seek to right. The irrelevance of certain titles is certainly seen by many as an injustice, so that's reason enough for The Shield to want to win the titles.

 

[derkman7]

I recall Punk stating that he wanted to tag with Brock Lesnar. Given Heyman, Brock, and Punk's past relationship with The Shield, I could see "The Best and the Beast" being the ones to finally dethrone The Shield (assuming they win the titles in the first place). The only problem with this is that they are all heels, and we don't usually see two heel factions going at it.

 

[Mr. HD]

I'm gonna go with what everybody's been saying and say if The Shield is gonna lose their first match, it'll be against two extremely top tier stars that are actually relevant.

The Shield have been booked strong and have pretty much beaten every top star (Cena, Ryback, Sheamus, Orton, Jericho, Kane, Bryan, Show) and are pretty much about to become the next tag team champions.

I predict they win the belts off Team Hell No at Extreme Rules and steamroll through the entire tag team division using the Freebird Rule for each title defense until Summerslam and lose to.... perhaps The Bros. of Destruction? But I don't know if Taker is healthy enough to work a schedule where's defending the tag titles.

Or like Jack-Hammer said, WWE can build up a strong team with a legitimate shot at taking down The Shield. Losing to a young team that just got HOT at the right time can not only put that team in the immediate spotlight because they were the first ones to beat The Shield, but it can cause a rift and the untimely end of The Shield if WWE is planning on breaking them up.

 

[Henhouse]

I could see Tons of Funk beating The Shield if The Shield break-up during that match. Eg, they get into an argument, turn around and get hit with whatever Brodus Clay's finisher is.

The Punk and Lesnar thing is a good idea, but it's heel vs heel. There aren't enough face tag teams, so more would have to be made in order to challenge The Shield.

 

[MCMGfoLife]

Well, WWE doesn't have a tag tea, division. Plain and simple. Yes, they have tag team champions, but a division they do not. They put guys together and break them up after a few months. Great job building that tag division Paul.

 

[TheBadGuy92]

The Shield should really have a LONG LONG tag team title reign.

They should be close to or break the record for the longest Tag Team title reign in history.

So that... in that time other tag teams can be built up and whoever wins will get a big boost.

I think The Usos would be a good choice. They are a REAL tag team and it would be huge validation for them to beat The Shield after a long reign.

I was right there with you until you said the Usos -_- Hopefully if they do break the record the could "Unveil" a new tag title and get rid of the pennies and by the time its time to lose them a new tag team has some steam behind them ready for a push!

Sidenote: could you imagine a Shield Themed title...Pretty Badass.