Best WWE and NXT matches of each year of the decade - Part I

#5 2014 - The Shield vs The Wyatt Family - Elimination Chamber

The Shield vs The Wyatt Family - Elimination Chamber

The word ‘Dream match’ is often an over-used phrase in WWE. However, when it came to stables in the year 2014, it was a fitting way to describe the eventual clash between The Shield and The Wyatt Family.

Having debuted on the main roster the previous summer, Bray Wyatt and his followers, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, were beginning to hit their stride. After Wyatt scored an impressive victory of Daniel Bryan at the Royal Rumble, the cult group’s next target was one John Cena.

Their targeting of Cena led to them costing The Shield a six-man tag match on an episode of RAW, which meant they missed out on a place in the Elimination Chamber WWE Championship match.

Not ones to take injustice lying down, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose would demand a chance at revenge at The Wyatt Family, putting in motion a highly-charged and much anticipated contest at Elimination Chamber.

You can tell the investment of a crowd towards a match when the ‘This is Awesome’ chants start even before they lay a hand on each other, which is what we saw here as the six men stood face-to-face with one another.

Whilst it may not compare in many’s eyes to the WrestleMania 30 Triple Threat main event, but to me, everything clicked between these two teams in terms of chemistry. Such was my enjoyment of this match that it is one I regularly seek out to watch on days where I’m a bit low.

The result of it perfectly set up was to come in the months that followed. It seeded the idea of dissention in The Shield with Ambrose’s unhinged offence hindering the trio. Reigns would portray the valiant hero in peril as he came close to overcoming 3-on-1 odds, but ultimately The Wyatt Family would win to set them on the path to WrestleMania and John Cena.