Roman Reigns was almost replaced by WWE star for The Shield: Know the story

Roman Reigns gained recognition for his work as one-third of The Shield. His unmatched strength and tenacity made him the right candidate to deliver justice to the WWE locker room. However, one superstar almost replaced the former Big Dog in the iconic group.

The superstar in question is Big E. The former WWE Champion spoke to Cincy360 for a new interview during which he delved into many subjects, including the one time he was considered to play The Shield’s muscle on WWE television.

"I think it worked out the best for all of us. I couldn't fathom now being a part of The Shield. I'm sure it would've been fun. I'm sure it would've been enjoyable. I think it was really best for Roman to be in that role as the big dude, the enforcer of that group. That dynamic wouldn't have felt the same with me being there. It's hard to fathom that almost a decade ago that for one brief moment I was considered as a possibility to be in that group," Big E said. (H/T Wrestling Inc)

Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose hijacked the main roster at Survivor Series 2012. The trio later revealed as The Shield interfered in the main event triple threat WWE Championship match between John Cena, Ryback, and CM Punk.

Their actions allowed Punk to walk away from the match as the WWE Champion, completing his full year with the title in process. The Second City Saint held onto the title until Royal Rumble 2013, where he dropped it to The Rock.

Was Roman Reigns supposed to be in The Shield from day one? It isn’t what fans may think

It’s hard to imagine The Shield without Roman Reigns. The real-life Leati Joseph Anoa’I was the group’s enforcer for as long it stayed.

Having said that, Reigns wasn’t the go-to as far as the third member was concerned when CM Punk pitched the initial idea for the group.

The former WWE Champion had discussed on Colt Caban's Art of Wrestling podcast years ago he wanted Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Kassius Ohno (better known as Chris Hero) in his version of The Shield, but Vince McMahon and Triple H insisted on Reigns instead of Hero.

“They wanted Roman Reigns,” Punk recalled. “They came to me, and they were like, ‘What about Leakee?’ I didn’t… it wasn’t my hill to die on. I said, ‘Sure,’ because it made sense to me. Oh, they want their guy in, he’s the pretty guy, but that’s good because this guy can learn from working under me.” [H/T Pro Wrestling Stories]

CM Punk might feud with Seth Rollins following a potential return. Read about that here.