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Roman Reigns' recent illness threw a monkey wrench into WWE's plans, but a mere case of the Mumps (or whatever ailment he's been stricken by) isn't strong enough to stop The Shield. As Survivor Series approaches, the trio's recent roadblock could actually make for a more interesting story. Will they have another crack at their enemies, or will they be forced into an uneasy alliance to take on the best that SmackDown has to offer?
At any rate, the question most people are asking is: "How long?" Most of the reports postulated that The Shield reunion would be short-lived, ending by the end of the year or early next year. As of now, The Shield is still being advertised for events at the end of December, but for how much longer than that is currently unknown.
It would be a mistake to make the reunion so short-lived. Instead, it should last for the foreseeable future. Here's why.
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#1 Roman Reigns won't get over without the Shield
It makes no sense to beat around the bush. Everyone knows that the primary purpose for reuniting The Shield is to get Roman Reigns over with the crowd before his big WrestleMania showdown with Brock Lesnar. The problem is that this is a transparently cynical ploy and today's audience can smell it from a mile away.
While The Shield did indeed get Roman cheered, during his cage match with Braun Strowman on the TLC go-home show, he was still getting his share of boos. Is there any reason to believe that the serenade won't return once the big reunion ends? Roman Reigns struggled outside of The Shield and there's no reason to believe that will change.
When Roman Reigns beats Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania and still gets booed as usual, what then? It's an ominous question that can be avoided by keeping The Shield together.
#2 All three are better in the Shield than apart
While Roman Reigns is the most obvious example, both Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins are also better when they're part of The Shield. Seth Rollins' lengthy 2015 title run left some to be desired and he's meandered somewhat since.
Dean Ambrose also won the WWE and Intercontinental championships, but his post-Shield run has been defined by his destruction at the hands of Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 32 and having a face career that's grown a bit tiresome.
Is it a surprise that the slow-burn reunion between Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins that led to their winning the Raw Tag Team Championship was the best story either of them had seen in a while? It reinvigorated them and the stale tag team division.
The Shield as a unit adds up to more than the sum of its parts. All three men cooled significantly after the unit's 2014 breakup. Reunited, The Shield is hot as ever, at a time when WWE needs a hot act desperately.
Perhaps it's time for Vince McMahon to reevaluate his age-old "the guy" formula and start thinking about "the guys."
#3 It would make 2018 significantly more interesting
For the longest time, 2018 was set in stone, at least as far as the major storyline on Raw was concerned. More or less, it went like this:
"Roman Reigns is going to get a title shot against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, either by winning the Royal Rumble or an Elimination Chamber match. He will then slay the Beast and have a Universal Championship run that could easily last to the end of the year or longer, defeating all challengers."
I don't think I'm alone in saying that doesn't strike me as being particularly exciting.
It's inescapable that Roman Reigns is going to WrestleMania, but the presence of The Shield would be a spice rack just waiting to make that bland meal tastier. How do Dean and Seth factor into the buildup? Do they try to help Roman?
Does Roman want their help? Does Brock Lesnar try to mess with Roman's head by laying out his teammates? Or maybe Paul Heyman gets into Roman's head by challenging his manhood, chastising him for relying on his buddies and challenging him not to? Is there any jealousy present that threatens the unit's cohesion?
And after WrestleMania, with The Shield holding the Tag Team and Universal titles, who rises to challenge their dominance?
#4 Great rivalries await
Imagine Drew McIntyre and the Authors of Pain against The Shield at Extreme Rules with all titles on the line. How about The Shield vs. SAnity? Perhaps even The Shield vs. the Undisputed Era? And those are just the possible NXT call-ups in the next year. The Shield vs. The New Day looms large on the main roster as a dream match waiting to happen right now.
All of these are salivating possibilities that would make 2018 a far more exciting year than any series of Reigns, Ambrose, or Rollins individual feuds could. The Shield as a unit, holding the gold and challenging all comers, would go a long way to making it "Raw is War" instead of the usual chore it is to sit through Raw from 8 to 11 every week.
Who would dethrone The Shield and take what's theirs? We'd get to witness a whole bunch of wars to find out and it would be glorious.
#5 How does it end this time?
We're back to square one, in a sense. How would the reunion break up in the end? While it wouldn't need to happen anytime soon, nothing lasts forever in WWE. Would the breakup come as a result of jealousy, with Dean Ambrose or Seth Rollins (or both) wanting a shot at Roman Reigns' Universal Championship?
Would an unlikely alliance form in the locker room to combat the common enemy in The Shield, who have had their way for so long? Or would there be some kind of challenge from the higher-ups (though I would never wish for a return of the Authority)?
Again, the possibilities are broad and intriguing. The question of how long The Shield lasts and how long the three men can cooperate with one another would loom over Raw for a long time. There would be an incentive to keep tuning in to find the answer.
The current idea seems to be Dean Ambrose betraying his teammates this time to herald a pined-for heel turn. That could work too, but there's no need for it to happen so soon.
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