The Shield will not ride again in WWE

Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns as The Shield

Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns are embroiled in a heated feud with The Wyatt Family. The Eater of Worlds is bringing Luke Harper and new member Braun Strowman on a mission to destroy the two former Shield members and he will not stop until he does exactly that.

Some fans are speculating as to who might step up to help Ambrose and Reigns in this war, as they have been painfully outnumbered thus far. But they need not look in the direction of Seth Rollins. A Shield reunion is not viable right now and the truth is, they may never ride together again.

This is likely not the news many wanted to hear. The connection made between fans and ‘The Hounds of Justice’ is a deep one and it’s still very much felt today. Like wild west outlaws, the adventures of Rollins, Ambrose and Reigns have been romanticized and admired from the very beginning. People cannot get enough of them and their run remains one of the most popular of any faction in WWE history.

It was certainly the most dominant.

No group in WWE ever accomplished what The Shield did. The only faction in history to top them was The Four Horsemen and like them, The Shield wanted to own the night every time they stepped into the ring. But a major difference between the two was that The Shield was not wrapped up in physical rewards like fast cars and faster women. They wanted to be the best and they focused their energies on doing just that.

They did more in a short amount of time than anyone else and while a locker room full of guys sat wondering when their break would come, The Shield was taking over the company.

The Shield’s infamous salute

It was a journey that fans took with them. Though they were a heel team and despite the fact they were similar in many ways to The Nexus before them, they still gained incredible popularity among the WWE faithful. Fans loved The Shield because the three guys became cool.

They said what they were going to do and then they did it. They didn’t like authority and nothing could come between them. They were the nWo without the ego and their run together will likely never be matched. But it’s over and it will probably stay that way.

The Shield was designed to create three new stars. Coming to the main roster as individuals meant three different gimmicks with three different directions and there was no guarantee Dean, Seth or Roman would succeed that way. However, if The Shield could get over, then they would as well. The faction did what it was supposed to do, the idea worked and three top guys were made.

The truth is there’s no plausible way to reform The Shield at this point. The only way to revisit the gimmick now is if Seth turned face once again and that is surely not happening anytime soon. He’s too good as a heel and has accomplished too much in his current role to change now.

A face turn would be illogical for him and from a storyline perspective, Dean and Roman would likely never be able to trust him again anyway. Ambrose and Reigns’ hatred of The Wyatt Family is not so great they would sell their soul to the man that betrayed them just to have some help.

Rollins, on the night he betrayed The Shield

Of course this is WWE, where anything can happen. The decision could be made to bring The Shield back together at some point, like Triple H and Shawn Michaels have in the past with Degeneration-X. But if that does indeed occur, then it will surely be when Rollins is turning face or Ambrose and Reigns are turning heel. Right now, it’s a step in the wrong direction for all three men.

The Shield was one of a kind and the legacy its members left behind will never be forgotten. Fans have great memories of Roman, Seth and Dean together; nothing will ever change that. But The Hounds of Justice are no longer on the hunt and fans need to accept it; whether we like it or not.