Ranking every Shield member from worst to best
WWE has had numerous big and memorable stables over the years, from the likes of The Shield to the Bobby Heenan Family to The Hart Foundation to D-Generation X to Evolution. These groups have been able to carve out a part of wrestling history, and fans will never forget them. They dominated their respective eras.
The early 2010s had fewer memorable stables, but one that proved to stand the test of time was The Shield. The three-person group consisted of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose, the latter of whom is now known as Jon Moxley in AEW.
All three men had tremendous success in the group, but even more away from it. They have all been world champions and have headlined massive premium live events. Still, some might wonder or debate who was the best of the three despite each finding success. This article will look at and rank each member of The Shield faction in order from worst to best.
While not an official member, Kurt Angle did fill in as an honorary member for one night only. Naturally, he wouldn't fit in with the ranking, but his role at TLC 2017 was quite fun nonetheless and worth noting here. Now, onto the proper list.
Below is a ranking of all three Shield members from worst to best.
#3. Jon Moxley, aka Dean Ambrose in WWE, is the worst of the group
When The Shield first started, Dean Ambrose was seemingly the leader of the faction. At the very least, thanks to his charisma and mic skills, he was positioned as the talker, which in turn made WWE fans view him as the leader.
When the group split up, Dean went on to become the WWE Champion. In 2019, he left the company and went to All Elite Wrestling, where he has also held numerous world titles, including one right now.
While he's had a lot of success, Moxley is certainly the worst of the three. Roman and Seth have become great talkers, but Jon never became the in-ring worker that Seth is, nor is he the star that Reigns has become.
Jon Moxley is likely hindered by working for a smaller wrestling promotion that grants him far less exposure. He is essentially playing in bars while the bands he came up with are playing massive stadiums. Still, he was fantastic and continues to entertain fans to this very day, so there's no embarrassment about being third in this group.
#2. Seth Rollins is the best in-ring worker of the three
Seth Rollins was likely seen as the least important member of The Shield, while the stable initially dominated WWE. While fans later knew he was, in many ways, the architect of the group, he was seen as just the best in-ring performer of the three.
While that has changed in some ways, it remains the same in others. For example, The Visionary is still the best in-ring wrestler of all three members of The Shield. He has had numerous classics with a variety of WWE performers.
What has changed is the rest of his game. Seth developed a ton of charisma over the years and has become a pro on the microphone. He has also been presented strongly, having an incredible run with the World Heavyweight Championship from 2023 to 2024.
Seth is a bigger star than Jon Moxley, better in the ring, and as good on the microphone. However, when it comes to Roman Reigns, things are much tighter. Plus, Roman dominates in a few fields Seth couldn't touch.
#1. Roman Reigns is the biggest star of The Shield
Roman Reigns was the muscle of The Shield. While WWE fans saw him as a potential breakout star, it wasn't until the faction ended that Vince McMahon and company officials began pushing him to the moon as more than just a dominant enforcer.
While fans initially rejected Roman Reigns' main event push, WWE kept it up. He headlined numerous WrestleMania events and won world titles, but beginning in 2020, he truly clicked, and now Reigns is the biggest star in pro wrestling.
Simply put, Roman Reigns is the best member of The Shield. His matches aren't quite at the level of a Rollins, but he has had classics. His promos are more impactful than anybody else's, and, perhaps most importantly, he has an aura that is off the charts.
Nobody has a presence like Roman Reigns in pro wrestling today except for The Rock. He is the definition of a star, and everything he touches feels important. The Bloodline saga is arguably the best of all time, and he's the focus of it. All in all, between his push, talent, aura, and what he's given the industry, Roman has to win here.