I believe The Shield will do big things in WWE. They’ve been great so far, and I don’t see any reason to think they would falter anytime soon (Besides WWE writing screwing it up like they did with Nexus.) I like the trio because they are all booked as equals in purpose, but they each have their own qualities to give to the group. Dean Ambrose gets a lot of praise and can talk and wrestle, Roman Reigns is brutal and physical while being somewhat silent, and Rollins can wrestle but he’s still somewhat of a wild card. It’s not to say anyone of them are weaker than the other or don’t work, but it’s pointing out their obvious strengths and what they add to the group.
I have heard plenty of reason for why everyone has a favorite member, and that’s fine, but I hope they stay together for a while. Ambrose gets a lot of praise, Rollins next, and Reigns last, but I think it could go any way depending on what your criteria is. Some say Ambrose has the most star power as far as a complete package, but Reigns is the “big man” type of guy that management (aka Vince) likes to push. What about Rollins? The jury is kind of out on him; I know him a bit from the end of his ROH run, but he doesn’t get a lot of mention as far as being the ‘man.’ Anyone of these guys could be a leader, and you could wait to see which one is more effective, but the best part of The Shield is that there is no leader. This is where Nexus failed; Wade Barrett was a great leader, but everyone else was just kind of in the background. There is no background with The Shield, and it works.
Where do they go from here? The obvious answer is they get a program with the Tag Team and United States Championships, as evidenced by recent television actions. The Shield makes sense as a tag team, but I really want to see a Freebird Rules reign since it adds to the mystery behind the team. WWE Superstars haven’t been able to best the trio yet, so how much more of an advantage is it if they keep everyone off guard like this? The Shield is the perfect team to have a reign like this, one which hasn’t been seen on a wrestling show since the Spirit Squad. With that being said, if one of them gets a singles title reign, it should stay on that guy and not rotate. While I do see room for the tag titles being rotated among a team, a singles title is an individual achievement and should stay that way.
I added this in my last Spotlight in regards to where else the group could go from here:
The Shield’s program with Taker may be shortlived, or it may be the expected bridge to a feud with Team Hell No, which is fine. I want a tag team feud over the belts, but it’s always better when something else is the catalyst, and Kane ‘saving’ his brother is it. This feud wouldn’t be just about the titles or who is better, and I hope they eventually go through with it. I would love to see a ‘Freebird Rules’ style reign from The Shield, which hasn’t been seen since the Spirit Squad was around. The Shield works in this scenario more than say Nexus or 3MB because it fits their profile and doesn’t let the opponent prepare for a specific combination. The Shield has been about justice and well-executed attacks, and a Freebird Rules championship team would just reenforce their gang style mentality and actions.
I touched on the already mentioned tag title run, but getting The Undertaker back into the mix is huge. Dean Ambrose had a great match with The Phenom a few weeks ago, and the way they wrote Taker out leaves the door open. However it goes, The Shield will benefit from working with top talent, and looking strong the whole time. (Even the segments with 3MB are effective, because both trios use their strengths and it’s fun TV.) The Shield works because they have talented guys, but they keep winning and it makes sense. They work together, but they also take advantage of the mistakes of their opponents. It’s been fun to see how they develop, and they should stay on the path they have been given because it benefits them and WWE in the long run.
