The tectonic plates of professional wrestling are beginning to shift and an underdog force is going 'All-Elite' to push them along, with their sheer force of will and passion. All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing was an unprecedented success. The show, from start to bottom, delivered everything that was missing from Vince McMahon's billion dollar company.
All the matches were successful in blending quality narrative with impeccable in-ring action. While all the bouts felt faultless, Jon Moxley's blockbuster return to the squared circle has coerced the non-believers into believing, that this so-called "T-Shirt company" is ready for war. Jon Moxley, popularly known as The Shield's henchman, Dean Ambrose ruled the roost around WWE, with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins for almost a decade.
Whilst Moxley enjoyed his fair share of success under Vince McMahon's supervision, creative limitations for his heel character coerced The Lunatic Fringe to think otherwise and move towards a different path.
After how his return transpired, one can't deny that WWE could be in panic mode behind-the-scenes, and no matter how limited his heel work was under Vince's wing, these are some of the most notable things Vinnie Mac can never take away from the former WWE Champion.
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#1 The first member of The Shield to become a Grand Slam Champion
One of the most notable elements of The Shield's history in WWE was their dominance. The Hounds of Justice left no stone unturned in solidifying their positions in the company's widely recognized history.
Since Vinnie Mac set his eyes on Roman Reigns as the flag-bearer for the future, The Chairman of the Board did everything he could to catapult The Shield to the very top of the industry. Granted that all three deserved it, it was Jon Moxley aka Dean Ambrose who managed to become the first Hound of Justice to be a Grand Slam Champion.
Outshining the likes of Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, who were always destined to gravitate the spotlight, being recognized as the first member of The Shield to become a Grand Slam Champion is an achievement Vince can never take away from Ambrose.
#2 His United States Championship reign is the longest in WWE history
Another aspect of Jon Moxley's illustrious career under Vince's supervision was his initial run as a vindictive mercenary in The Shield. Despite the fact that the spotlight was bound to be on someone else, The Lunatic Fringe ascended his credibility as a top-tier Superstar and held the United States Championship for a record 351 days.
The former United States Champion went on to dominate the mid-card scene on the main roster whilst Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins were propelling the tag team division to unprecedented heights.
One cannot deny that The Shield was unstoppable in their initial run, but even if you analyze the way Ambrose made his mark on the main roster, his United States Championship reign is too difficult to be overtaken.
Judging by the way the company has presented the United States title, one can't help but admit that The Lunatic Fringe will remain the longest reigning United States Champion of the 21st century for a long, long time, if not forever.
#3 He defeated both Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns in the only Shield Triple Threat match in WWE
Ever since The Shield debuted on television, we all knew that Roman Reigns was always meant to be break out as a singles Superstar. Granted that both Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins were incredibly versatile in their own way, Vince wanted The Big Dog to take his company forward as the poster boy of WWE.
With The Shield becoming an unstoppable force on the main roster, everybody knew that one day we will see these three talented superstars collide against each other to sit at the very top of the industry. And, they did. Whilst professional wrestling fans who kept tabs on WWE's developmental system know that the three did slug it out down in FCW, but they weren't a part of The Shield back then.
Considering that the only time they clashed under Vince's wing was at Battleground 2016 for the WWE Championship, it was Dean Ambrose, who walked out of the Verizon Center as the WWE Champion.
Though the fans did expect another blockbuster collision between the three somewhere down the line, Ambrose's unfortunate departure from the WWE only suggests that we may never see something of that stature, again.
#4 He is the reason why The Shield will never be the same again
Regardless of all the creative frustrations that led to Jon Moxley's departure from WWE, the company became pretty public with the former WWE Champion's intention of moving towards a different direction in his life.
Even more, WWE even went the distance and marketed Moxley's final run as The Shield's Final Chapter, where the popular trio tussled it out against the likes of Drew Mcintyre, Bobby Lashley, and Baron Corbin.
Considering that I've always been a professional wrestling romantic, the story of The Lunatic Fringe parting ways with WWE could very well be the most legitimate reason why The Shield will never be the same.
Though his heel turn didn't work out the way we expected it to be, one can't deny that his absence will forever hinder The Hounds of Justice and even if Vince McMahon tries to bring alterations to the group in the future, it would be hard for the WWE Universe to ever consider a Shield without Jon Moxley.