The Shield‘s work ethic rubbed off on other WWE stars.
At WWE Survivor Series 2012, Jon Moxley (then known as Dean Ambrose), Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns debuted as the trio known as The Shield. Together, they went on to become one of the most decorated stables on WWE history, as they won singles and tag team titles. All three men won world championships together after the group first broke up in 2014, and they continued to thrive together in multiple reunions over the years.
In an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated , all three men looked back on the group’s legacy. In one highlight, Reigns recalled how the trio worked hard to “pull the wagon”, as they learned that they would be put in a prominent spot for the foreseeable future. He noted that if they didn’t step up, someone else likely would have taken their place.
“Early on, we found out we were going to be the guys for the company that could pull the wagon as far as we wanted if we worked hard enough,” Reigns said. “If we didn’t step up, someone else would, so we’ve always done everything in our power to put ourselves in the right position.”
Likewise, Moxley highlighted the group’s work ethic. Though some of their peers might not have been a fan of the way they were quickly pushed, the three young stars showed everyone what they were capable of, and their remarkable matches made others want to work with them. Moxley called their approach the “Shield work ethic” and noted that people the trio was around also had it; he highlighted Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli as two examples/
“Looking back, it was like we were kids,” Moxley said. “The first few months of The Shield were f—ing intense. It was a different time back then. We weren’t necessarily welcomed with open arms by everybody, but we didn’t give a f—. We were going to push the pace and have good f—ing matches. Before long, everybody wanted to start working with us.”
“We created that ‘Shield work ethic. The people we were around have that, too. Claudio [Castagnoli] is an old riding partner of The Shield. Hell, Bryan [Danielson] was our opponent in our first match. I still have that. We all do. It makes us who we are.”
Ten years after The Shield’s debut, all three members are top stars in the wrestling world. Moxley is a three-time AEW World Champion. Reigns has been a reigning world champion for over 800 days, as he is now the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, and Seth Rollins is the reigning WWE United States Champion.
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