The Shield - WWE's Best Faction Of The 2010s

Pro wrestling factions often grow during their lifespans, but that isn’t always the case and sometimes the original members are sufficient enough to be an unstoppable force all of their own. Such was the case with one particular trio in The Shield. 

At a time when WWE developmental was churning out more misses than hits, the Florida farm system dispatched three certified blue chips to the main card, and they hit the ground running. 

Their immediate success was due to a combination of looking the part, astutely acting the part, and avoiding all the creative pitfalls that had been known to fell lesser men. Their reward has been sustained success for each of them as a unit and as solo stars - even years beyond their shared arrival.

Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns Sign With WWE

To say that Florida Championship Wrestling-turned-NXT wasn't producing obvious winners in 2012 would be a gross understatement. For every Wade Barrett and Sheamus that found traction on the big stage, there were scores of body guys, nepo-babies, and one-trick ponies that either failed miserably, or never had much of a chance to make good on any potential they had.

It probably didn't help that most of the call-ups were humbled on the needlessly-tacky NXT game show of the early 2010s. Too many prospects also debuted with nothing more than an uninteresting name, generic short trunks, and no discernible character quirks. When the WWE main roster often featured fully-formed stars, the likes of Derrick Bateman, Johnny Curtis, or Percy Watson didn’t really stand a chance. 

That's what made the arrival of three particular men so interesting: no developmental call-ups had stormed the gates of the WWE main roster in the manner that they had in a very long time.

One of the three men was Dean Ambrose, signed to WWE developmental in the spring of 2011. As Jon Moxley, Ambrose carved out a special niche on the independent scene over the preceding years. Moxley left chunks of his anatomy on the canvases of CZW and Dragon Gate USA and spellbound viewers with highly-intense promos, blending a bit of Brian Pillman with a dash of Heath Ledger's Joker.

Moxley was no slouch inside the ring, but oratory skills were his front page. Even in softer tones, Moxley's charisma wafted through the screen. You just couldn't take your eyes off of him.

Joining him was Seth Rollins, previously Tyler Black. At the time of his August 2010 signing, Black still reigned as ROH World Champion, earning rave reviews for matches against the likes of Roderick Strong, Davey Richards, and Austin Aries. More impressive, though, was Black was only 23 when he was given that championship by ROH booker Jim Cornette.

Capable of delivering big match performances at such a precocious age, Black was so highly thought of by Cornette that the promoter did all he could to get Black to turn down a contract offer from TNA, fearing they would waste his copious talents. Shortly after, WWE came calling with their offer, which Black took with Cornette's blessing.

While Moxley and Black had proven themselves as hot properties at the top of the indie circuit, the third wheel didn't have his first professional match until 11 days after Black signed his developmental contract.

Joe Anoa'i walked an athletic path many wrestlers before him had trod down. Once a starting defensive tackle at Georgia Tech, he failed to catch on with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars, four years before the Khan family bought the team. After a year spent playing American football in Canada, Anoa'i eventually decided to transition from the gridiron to the squared circle.

Joe, of course, was part of the famous Anoa’i family. His father was legendary Wild Samoan Sika, while his brother Matthew played Rosey of Three Minute Warning, and that was just Joe's immediate family, with the Anoa’i flock also including the likes of Rikishi, The Usos, and The Rock.

The Shield Is Formed 

Joe Anoa’i was initially dubbed Roman Leakee and he was booked strongly in Florida Championship Wrestling, winning the FCW Tag Team Titles with the future Tyler Breeze. 

On January 12, 2012 to determine a number one contender for the territory's top belt, Leakee won an inconspicuous triple threat match over Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. The match was understandably more widely disseminated years later, given its retroactive significance.

While Leakee was earning tag team gold, Ambrose was tormenting an aging William Regal during a particularly personal feud. Meanwhile, following the official transition from FCW to NXT, Rollins became the new brand's first champion, winning a tournament final over Jinder Mahal on July 26.

Little did anybody know how much the three men's professional lives would change in just a few short months time.

In fact, up until the grand debut, the trio had given little information. According to Moxley, they were brought into October's Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on the possibility that they might debut that night. Not only did the debut not occur, but none of them had been clued in about what a potential debut would entail.

Over the weeks ahead, they picked up little tidbits from the company for how this would all go down. First, they were told they'd be aligning with heel-turned WWE champion CM Punk in some form or fashion.

In fact, as Punk told it years later, his idea was to have three enforcers, personally hand-selecting Ambrose, Rollins, and Chris Hero. Allegedly, it was Triple H who rejected the then-Kassius Ohno for the spot, and the company-backed Anoa'i - who had recently been redubbed Roman Reigns - was slotted in instead.

Moxley has claimed it was a mere 24 hours before the 2012 Survivor Series that they learned their group name. Somebody in the office told Rollins they would be known as The Shield, and he imparted his discovery on Ambrose and Reigns, who all agreed that it sounded good.

Then, during Survivor Series' main event in which Punk defended his title against both John Cena and Ryback, The Shield of Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns trespassed into main WWE canon. Bedecked in cropped black turtlenecks and matching tactical pants, the three men laid waste to the challengers, allowing Punk to eke out the win.

Originally, The Shield were supposed to wield bulky riot shields as part of their entrance, but as they would be entering through the crowd, it was decided such equipment would be more trouble than it was worth. 

The Shield’s Early Run On The Main Roster 

Right from the jump, Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns felt more important than every other call-up in recent memory. Even their initial promo was above the usual rookie speeches.

Queried in a sit-down interview about their motives and associations, The Shield (Ambrose especially) nailed their introductory verbiage. Understated muscle Reigns said little, while Ambrose and Rollins talked of their disdain for injustice. Rollins was sincerely to-the-point, whereas Ambrose spoke with measured diction that barely hid his chaotic urges. They denied affiliation with Punk, while vowing to instil justice in the WWE ranks.

After a few weeks of further disruptions, The Shield had their first match, and it was one of the best matches of the year as the triumvirate, now donning flak jackets, defeated Team Hell No and Ryback in a TLC match at the namesake pay-per-veiw on December 16. Rollins took some insane bumps for 2012 WWE, while The Shield told a masterful story with their divide-and-conquer strategy.

That would be The Shield's only televised match during their first three months with WWE, and that was to their advantage. So alluring, so intriguing was the group that dispatching them in doses would make their matches special.

In the meantime, The Shield staged attacks on various protagonists and legends, which began with an iconic entrance theme that kicked off with the three members alternating words from the NATO phonetic alphabet, reciting Sierra Hotel India Echo Lima Delta to spell “SHIELD.”

In only a short amount of time, fans associated that vocal drop with imminent danger. It needed to only get as far as "Hotel" before the "oohs" of anticipation swept through arenas, for they knew something significant was about to happen.

The Shield’s 2013

The Shield found themselves involved in a lot of significant moments across 2013. After trying to covertly aid Punk at the Royal Rumble, the trio broke off as their own force of nature for the months ahead.

At ensuing pay-per-views, they won trios bouts over heavily-pushed stars, with a win over John Cena, Ryback, and Sheamus at Elimination Chamber before they vanquished Sheamus, Randy Orton, and The Big Show at WrestleMania 29.

Throughout this early push, it was often noted how The Shield's strength was in their unity. They were able to defeat all-star groupings because they were more in tune with working together. Three stars, no matter how individually strong, couldn't defeat a well-oiled machine programmed to work as one.

The victories piled up alongside increased fan adulation, which was only aided by the popularity of the group’s menacing backstage promos as they spoke into a camera that Ambrose brandished himself.

In a short time, the three men had carved out distinct personalities. Ambrose showed himself to be a calm and collected sociopath who spoke with measured aim about impending mayhem. Rollins wasn't as astute on the mic, but his virtuoso athletics immediately ranked him among WWE's finest in-ring workers of the day. Reigns, meanwhile, was well protected as the group's equaliser, cleaning house whenever a heavyweight on the other side managed to put Ambrose and/or Rollins at bay.

Part of The Shield's fun was the fact that there was no clear leader. Was it Ambrose, the verbose "Lunatic Fringe"? Was it Rollins, the strategist dubbed "The Architect"? Or was it Reigns, the looming "Big Dog"? There seemed to be parity in the Shield's social order, where no man was more important than the other. Fans were seemingly invited to interpret The Shield's ranks however they chose.

It didn’t take long for gold to follow in The Shield as they dominated Extreme Rules 2013, with Ambrose winning the United States Title from Kofi Kingston before Reigns and Rollins captured the WWE Tag Team Titles from Team Hell No later that night. 

In the late summer of 2013, The Shield became paid mercenaries for Triple H and The Authority. During a hot and cold 2013 for WWE, one of the better angles saw The Authority flex their powers on The Rhodes Family, including patriarch Dusty. 

At the notoriously-wretched Battleground pay-per-view in October, the lone worthwhile match saw the previously-fired Cody and Goldust win their jobs back, and save Dusty's position in NXT, with an emotionally-charged non-title win over Rollins and Reigns. Three weeks later, the Rhodes brothers won the tag belts from the flak-jacketed champions. This led to The Shield demonstrating some friction, and it seemed a split may have been imminent, especially after they lost a three-on-one handicap match to CM Punk at December's TLC due to miscommunication. 

Friction Continues 

At the 2014 Royal Rumble, Reigns, amid his new-record 12 eliminations, dumped both Ambrose and Rollins out while the pair had Cesaro teetering. Reigns ended up finishing in second place, being thrown out of the match himself by company choice Batista. 

The trio then entered into a well-received side feud with WWE's other pre-eminent three-man faction, The Wyatt Family. Though everybody was nominally a heel, the six men were almost inarguably WWE's most popular call-ups in recent years, as evidenced by audience response to both groups, especially when they came face to face. The faith of the fans was rewarded through an excellent six-man tag at the 2014 Elimination Chamber, won by the Wyatts.

Dissension was now more evident among The Shield, though they managed to re-coalesce during a long-overdue face turn. Spurning The Authority, they won a very short WrestleMania 30 bout over right hand man Kane and Authority lackeys The New Age Outlaws. One night later on Raw, the group reaffirmed their new alignment, backing up new WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan when The Authority went to attack.

The Shield quickly became WWE's top babyface act, earning wild cheers in victories over a reformed Evolution at Extreme Rules and Payback, respectively. Though all three men had obvious singles prospects, their potential as main event players was never more evident than when they were taking down Triple H, Batista, and Randy Orton.

The Shield Splits 

WWE agreed and that’s why the company executed one of the most shocking heel turns in company history one night after Payback.

With Batista headed back to Hollywood, The Authority needed to fill a major void. On the June 2, 2014 Raw, Helmsley and Orton went to confront The Shield for a show-ending fracas. Triple H emphasised the existence of a "Plan B", and that's when Rollins shockingly decked Reigns with a steel chair to the back. Fans then watched in horror as Rollins joined Orton and Triple H in laying out Reigns and Ambrose. At seemingly peak popularity, The Shield, WWE's resident "Hounds of Justice", had been abruptly disbanded.

The pushes for the three men persisted following the split. Rollins became The Authority's new golden boy, a proud sellout with designs on singles greatness, something he got a fast track to by winning the Money in the Bank briefcase. Ambrose, meanwhile, fell back on unkempt derangement, becoming something of a working-class do-gooder in his mission to make Rollins' life a living hell.

As for Reigns, he sort of did his own thing, retaining the general Shield costume and a modified version of the faction's theme music. Coupled with some truly regrettable promos, Reigns experienced a major dip in audience reception, as it felt like WWE was simply pushing him way too hard.

Over the three years that followed, all three men held the WWE Championship, including in one night at Money in the Bank 2016 as Rollins won the title for the second time by ending Roman's third reign with the gold, only for Ambrose, who had won the Money in the Bank briefcase earlier in the night, to cash in and spike Rollins with Dirty Deeds to win the belt for his first and only time.

Multiple Shield Reunions Before The End

By 2017, a reunion was on the cards. Rollins was turned back babyface, but remained estranged from his old brothers for the time being. That summer, each at odds with tag champs Cesaro and Sheamus, Rollins tried reuniting with a distrustful Ambrose, who couldn't let go of the betrayal. Finally, after weeks of teases, Ambrose reunited with Rollins in a memorable scene, and the two won the tag titles from The Bar at SummerSlam.

By early autumn, the two were back with Reigns in a full-blown Shield reunion. The trio were meant to team together at TLC, but an illness briefly sidelined Roman. It gave fans the wonderful experience of Kurt Angle as a one-night Shieldsman in his first WWE match for a decade. 

The Shield did reconvene in time for Survivor Series, defeating another transcendent trio in The New Day. Unfortunately, a subsequent triceps injury for Ambrose scuppered the three-man version of The Shield for the many months ahead.

Shortly after Ambrose's return the ensuing August, the group reformed, but again only for the short term. This time, now-Universal champion Reigns was due to be sidelined after stunning the world with news that he had been diagnosed with leukaemia.

That same night, WWE carried out one of its most confounding, tone-deaf heel turns, when Ambrose double-crossed Rollins during the main event. With Reigns gone, Ambrose underwent a mystifying heel run. Concerned with the apparent repellent odours of the world, he received inoculations and wore a gas mask to prevent himself from being befouled by WWE fans.

Then, having had enough of recent WWE creative, Ambrose gave his notice to WWE after the 2019 Royal Rumble, meaning he would be a free agent at the end of April.

Before then, Reigns resurfaced in February to announce his leukaemia had gone into remission. His return came just in time for one last Shield run, essentially retconning Ambrose's heel turn, which was for the best. 

The stable defeated Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, and Baron Corbin at March's Fastlane pay-per-view. On Sunday, April 21, WWE fashioned a Network special around the group's final match together. A live look-in at a weekend house show in Moline, Illinois was juxtaposed with a group sitdown interview in which Ambrose made it clear he was happily leaving on his own terms. The group went on to defeat Lashley, McIntyre, and Corbin once more, before hanging up the flak jackets.

Jon Moxley, Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins Post-Shield 

After the end of The Shield, Roman Reigns finally came into his own as a singles talent following a heel turn in the summer of 2020, and he became the company’s undisputed top star as The Tribal Chief. He has worked a part-time schedule since 2022, but he continues to be prominently featured.

Seth Rollins, meanwhile, has had several character shifts but he has retained his spot as one of WWE’s top stars. He has also regularly battled Roman Reigns, including at Royal Rumble 2022 where they mentioned their shared past with Jon Moxley during the build to the contest, while the steel chair shot heel turn was replicated in the main event of WrestleMania 40 as Roman Reigns chose revenge on Rollins over attacking Cody Rhodes to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Title, ending Reigns four-year reign at the top at the hands of The American Nightmare in the process.

Dean Ambrose quickly became Jon Moxley following his WWE exit and he stormed into All Elite Wrestling with a bang following the main event of the promotion’s first-ever event in Double or Nothing 2019. He has been the promotion’s top star across multiple world title reigns and pay-per-view main events. He has also been a part of multiple factions, from Blackpool Combat Club to the Death Riders. 

Separate from each other, the three Shield members remain among the industry's top stars. As a tribute to their individual successes, each man was, at different times, ranked number one in the annual men's PWI 500.

The Legacy Of The Shield

Some still miss The Shield, however. From their first day on WWE TV, fans and critics alike were predicting greatness for each of the three. That all three hit the bullseye only makes their WWE debut all the more legendary. 

When fans look back at The Shield, they remember the stoic mayhem, the no-nonsense presentation. They remember three men so well protected in a sea of poor comedy and counterproductive booking. They believed in The Shield because they were given plenty of reasons to.