4 WWE Stables that were greater than The Shield
The Shield, consisting of Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns, is one of the most dominant factions in WWE history. Having laid out numerous legends, including The Rock, The Undertaker, and John Cena just to name a few.
Dubbed "The Hounds of Justice," they sought to take out any and everyone in their path and did just that. They produced some of the greatest matches during their run, including their match against The Wyatt Family at Elimination Chamber 2014.
Their body of work places them in the discussion of the greatest faction of all time. However, some stables may have something to say about that. This brings us to 4 WWE Stables that were arguably greater than The Shield.
#4. The Bloodline's run has eclipsed The Shield
The Shield and The Bloodline have a common denominator in Roman Reigns. Both stables have been created and centered around the current WWE Undisputed Universal Champion. The Bloodline, however, has surpassed The Shield's achievements since its inception.
The 20-month run of the Hounds of Justice saw them remain undefeated for the first 5 months and become champions as well. At Extreme Rules 2013, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns captured the WWE Tag Team Championships. Later that same night, Dean Ambrose (now known as Jon Moxley) won the United States Championship.
At the same length of time, The Bloodline and The Shield's case isn't that strong. Roman Reigns is the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and hasn't been pinned or submitted since December 2019 at TLC. His cousins, The Usos, are the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions and the longest-reigning SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ days and counting for @WWEUsos' historic #SmackDown Tag Team Title reign https://t.co/9uryKJOREL
After factoring in all of that, The Bloodline seems to nudge Reigns's former faction as the greater stable between the pair. However, Roman Reigns and The Usos aren't your traditional faction. They haven't had as many televised six-man tag matches as The Shield, but as a faction, they have been just as, if not more dominant.
#3. The New Day
The New Day are the longest-reigning WWE Tag Team Champions of all time, holding the titles for a record 483 days. The group debuted in November 2014, 5 months after The Shield was disbanded. To this day, they are still going strong.
They are the 11-time WWE Tag Team Champions, 7-time SmackDown Tag Team Champions, and the 4-time RAW Tag Team Champions. This makes them far more accomplished than The Shield, albeit being a team for a longer period.
The Hounds of Justice cannot match the longevity or championship triumphs of the trio of Big E, Xavier Woods, and Kofi Kingston. That would certainly create a strong argument that The New Day is the greater stable, despite never beating the trio of Rollins, Reigns, and Ambrose.
#2. The Undisputed Era
The Undisputed Era arrived at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III on August 19, 2017. It started with just Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and Kyle O'Reilly. Almost two months after their debut, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish won the NXT Tag Team titles, bringing The U.E. their first taste of gold.
Things took a surprising turn for Adam Cole and co. at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. Roderick Strong betrayed his partner Pete Dunne (currently Butch) to join his longtime friends in The Undisputed Era. Strong joined the group following an ACL injury to Bobby Fish. However, when Fish returned, the group was even more dominant than before.
By September 18, 2019, The Undisputed Era was in possession of every men's title in NXT. This all happened during the height of NXT, which to many fans cements them as one of the all-time great factions. It should be noted that Cole, Fish, and O'Reilly are together again in AEW and a reunion with Strong is not out of the realm of possibility.
@KORcombat @youngbucks @AEW Undisputed Elite is alive and thriving! https://t.co/n57htxjyRe
#1. Evolution
On January 20, 2003 we witnessed the birth of Evolution on Monday Night Raw. The group featured Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista, who in essence were a direct representation of the evolution of the WWE. Ric Flair was the past, Triple H the present, while Randy Orton and Batista were the future of the company.
Evolution dominated RAW for 2 years, and at Armageddon 2003 all the titles available on RAW were in their possession. After disbanding in October 2005, Ric Flair went on a singles run that culminated in a great retirement match at WrestleMania 24 against Shawn Michaels.
Triple H, Orton, and Batista had far greater singles runs, winning multiple world titles in the process. The group reunited in 2014 to face The Shield, however did so without Flair. Reigns, Rollins, and Ambrose triumphed over Evolution in both matches during their feud. This resulted in Batista quitting and Seth Rollins turning on The Shield.
Pound-for-pound, Evolution trumps The Shield in terms of accolades, despite never defeating them. Evolution during 2014 was nowhere near what it was in 2003, and by 2014 Randy Orton was the only full-time competitor.
The Hounds of Justice certainly made an impressive mark in the business. However, there hasn't been a stable that has been able to replicate the impact that Evolution did in a relatively short period.