The Shield. What's left?

[AegonTargaryen]

The Shield debuted at Survivor Series 2012 as a trio of hungry, animalistic hounds of justice and claimed to eradictate "The john cena problem", which of course they didn't. The Shield carried on their impressive victories over a number of temporarily formed trios and now all there is left is Stagnation.

Rollins and Reigns are not fighting for the tag titles. Dean Ambrose is the US champion. But going into Wrestlemania XXX, the IC title of Big E has been the mid-card title that is coveted and chased which is proved by the fact of Big E being a solo guy and the number of no. 1 contender's matches for his title, including the recent fatal-4-way match. That's another thing that the IC title might not be defended on the big stage but at least it is prominent on TV shows.

What the shield has been doing from the past 2 months is show signs of the imminent break-up but IMO that break-up should've happened to serve purposes such as Roman Reigns' elevation(for which WM XXX was the right time), and the subsequent tag-team of Rollins and Ambrose, by way of having a triple threat match with some sort of a stipulation. The Kane-Shield story and the segment of Shield beating up and triple-bombing Kane from 17/03/14 received a mild response with muffled boos, and didn't really have a big Wrestlemania-rivalry feeling IMO. Even the subsequent trio of Kane(46), Billy Gunn(50) and Road Dogg(44) that are going to face the Shield don't seem to have enough substance to provide the proverbial rub to them. Besides, the Shield have already had their Wrestlemania moment last year against a much more formidable and credible trio and they needn't repeat that by standing victorious over a bunch of not-has-beens since 2000, and a washed-up has-been-a-lot-of-things Kane. If anything, the WWE might have planned to give Kane and Outlaws a victory and stamp the permanent mark of Roman Reigns going solo by him going berserk and spearing his teammates and everything beyond in sight. When I look at the Shield now, collectively, (and I do believe they were an awesome force for quite a while and a novelty), I see stagnation.

What do you think?

 

[Zycho32]

About all I can personally speculate is that WWE feels they can squeeze a few more dollars out of this angle by extending it (wouldn't be the first time they've taken an angle that should've ended at Wrestlemania and stretched it to one or two more PPVs) and by taking in the pop the Shield are getting from turning face and cultivating it.

But storyline wise is borders on the inexplicable, if only because the lone Heel team worthy of stretching out a war beyond several PPVs is currently warring with John Cena. After that it's a bunch of re-treads as you've said.

I personally thought HHH should've demanded a Triple Threat match (oversaturation be DAMNED!) between the Shield for that US Title as punishment for turning on Kane, which in turn could start the breakup far more organically than what you're about to see.

 

[wrestler36]

I actually think the complete opposite of stagnation. The tension has been teased for months now as the breakup seemed imminent. I don't think anyone would have predicted that, albeit temporarily, the Shield would return as a full face team, disregarding The Authority. I actually hope this face run lasts for a few more months.

 

[L@RISANO]

I actually think the complete opposite of stagnation. The tension has been teased for months now as the breakup seemed imminent. I don't think anyone would have predicted that, albeit temporarily, the Shield would return as a full face team, disregarding The Authority. I actually hope this face run lasts for a few more months.

Agreed.

This swerve from the rumoured break-up has been met with encouraging signs from the crowd. I assume that WWE saw the reactions they got in the feud vs the Wyatts and decided run with a full face turn.

As long as they get a few more months as a team and let the fans see them in a positive light(kayfabe wise), it will go a long way in helping all 3 when it is all said and done.

 

[Hem]

I think the Shield break up should officially happen at Battleground, the ppv right before Summerslam so that it gives them a big match at a big show.

At Wrestlemania they beat Kane and Outlaws. The following ppv which is extreme rules they have a rematch of sorts where its Kane Vs. Reigns one on one (upon Reigns' request) and Rollins & Ambrose Vs. Outlaws. Reigns wins his match but the Outlaws beat Ambrose and Rollins setting up further anger for Rollins and Ambrose.

Come Payback all three members of the Shield go face to face with Kane and his two new members, the Ascension where Reigns gets the win. Further adding tension between the Shield.

At MITB Rollins and Ambrose are against the Ascension and Kane and Reigns are added to the MITB ladder match where the Shield help Reigns win ( giving Ambrose and Rollins the whole "ya you wouldn't even have won without us" feeling)

Finally at Battleground its a last match between the Shield and Kane and the Ascension. The stipulation (made by Reigns) is that if the Shield win then Kane leaves the WWE forever. The match is going on with Rollins tagging out to Reigns who is being beatdown by the heels. When he finally makes a comback with a superman punch (which gets a big babyface pop) and goes for the hot tag Rollins and Ambrose walk out on him, when Reigns turns around he eats the Chokeslam from Kane for the 1 2 3.

At Summerslam you book the match as a handicap with Reigns Vs. Rollins and Ambrose but a surprise run in by a new third man of the Shield (which I don't really like due to the what we have seen in the past with a faction reforming with new members, ex Nexus, Corrre) but he beats on Reigns to get him a dq win.

Reigns teams up with a face team at the following PPV where he gets a clean win over the new leader of the Shield.

After that the next PPV the new leader of the Shield faces Reigns and Reigns wins and moves onto his next feud while the new Shield start dominating again against other people.

 

[lil steroid meat]

A face Shield can go either way.

It can just turn into them teaming with Cena every Raw and having corny one liners and poop jokes and bright t-shirts by the time Summerslam rolls around.

Or it can turn into them cementing themselves as legit badasses. Maybe even an Ambrose-Orton feud to see whose crazier. Get back to that 2009 Orton.

I'd rather them stay together as faces until maybe Survivor Series. at least until they figure out what Rollins and Ambrose can do after the break up.

 

[BillAlfonsos_Whistle]

WM30 would have been WAY too early to push Reigns.
His slow build has been excellent so far.