COLOHUE: The Shield in 2020 would eclipse 2012 given the lay of the land in WWE today

At WWE Survivor Series 2020, Roman Reigns will compete against Randy Orton after debuting alongside two other men at Survivor Series 2012.

While Randy Orton has been an integral part of The Shield storyline, The Shield itself was always about three men: Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns. Each man filled a different role. Dean Ambrose was the anarchist and the leader; a man who knew no limit and who would never stop the fight. Seth Rollins was the architect. He was the plotter and the schemer. He planned the attacks. Roman Reigns was the muscle, the heavy, and the tank.

It was a perfect combination. It reinvigorated a WWE that had gone through rough times and seen very few people stay in the company for long. Alongside a new brand of interesting characters such as C.M. Punk and Bray Wyatt, The Shield breathed new life into the company and still lives long in the memory as one of the WWE’s greatest storytelling successes.

However, if 2020 has told me one thing, it’s that all three men weren’t utilized quite as well as they could have been.

The first incarnation of The Shield was a success but lacked logical opposition. Trios were rare in the WWE at the time, hence the formation of a number of short term groups such as Ryback and Team Hell No or Randy Orton, Sheamus, and The Big Show. The Shield were a three-man power stable with nobody to fight. The Wyatt Family would be called up. Evolution would reform. Everything possible would be done to keep up The Shield’s momentum, but as they ran through the same groups again and again, a break up became inevitable.

From there time would pass. All three men would gain great singles success and all three men would spend time as the WWE champion. Rollins vs. Ambrose would be one of the hottest feuds of the year and then years later would be one of the coldest. Roman Reigns would get the “Rocky Sucks” treatment for about five years in the process. All three would struggle to get a result against Brock Lesnar.

Before long, WWE needed to go back to the well. On their five year anniversary, The Shield faced off with The New Day at WWE Survivor Series 2017 in a raucous, joyful affair. Two proper, well-built, and established trios going at it for a long time at a madcap tempo. This was what they were supposed to be, but even then, could it have been better?

The WWE would try again, this time with The Shield lined up against Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre, and Bobby Lashley. You know, that infamously awesome trio we’ve all grown to love over the past ten years.

Roman, Seth, and Dean are completely different people now. This includes Dean Ambrose no longer existing. His actor is now playing the part of Jon Moxley on another TV show. I’d also suggest that all three men are even better incarnations than they had been. Not only that, but they’re better than they had been while still playing quite similar roles to their original intention.

Roman Reigns went through years upon years as a positive, upbeat supposed underdog who would regular beat eight, nine, eighty-nine guys in one night. What an underdog, am I right? He was pushed to the moon but never back, winning championship after championship after championship. Except the 24/7 Championship. He didn’t want that. Now? He’s the ultimate bruiser. Wreck everything and leave. He’s the muscle, the heavy, and the tank. He just has more of an attitude. He’s more of a mercenary. He picks his fights better.

Seth Rollins, meanwhile, went through quite the experience as the pawn rather than the player. His time under Triple H and, indeed, his time back in The Shield was clearly quite the revelation. The biggest moment for Seth Rollins, however, was watching the fans turn their backs on him. As Intercontinental Champion, Seth Rollins had a monster run, filled with great matches. As Universal Champion, the same but it was not as well received. There were boos against Brock Lesnar at Summerslam. There were boos against Braun Strowman. Finally, against Bray Wyatt there was a turn.

Seth has led a flock. He is the Messiah. He makes the plans again, but this time instead of deciding who to beat up, he decides whose eye to take out. He has become more cunning, more ruthless, and less interested in making the fans happy. He does what he wants to satisfy himself now.

Meanwhile, the Dean Ambrose skin was shed and Jon Moxley emerged in New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling. Unconstrained by wacky lines and gas masks, we were presented with a powerful, endlessly destructive force. This is what we were promised. This was the potential that was locked away unleashed, boldly striding forward to become the pinnacle of the industry. IWGP United States Champion. G1 competitor. AEW Champion. All Elite. The top of the tree.

Put together these three men and you have The Shield, but not as we knew it. Something far stronger. A blood-soaked anarchist who will never cease, will never slow down, and will never give up the right. A shrewd, callous schemer with vengeance on his mind and a literal eye for an eye attitude. A brutal, unforgiving, unrelenting mercenary who always gets the job done. Imagine that triple threat. Imagine that trio.

Factions are back now. We have Retribution and The Hurt Business. The New Day continues to dominate the field even if they have technically been split up. We have a house party, an Inner Circle, and a Los Ingobernables De Japon. Show me a world in which Jon Moxley, overwhelmed by the odds around him, calls in the troops and dominates the industry.

It’s wishful thinking, I know, but can’t we all have a little wishful thinking right now? 2020 is a dumpster fire, let’s dream a little?

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