WWE: Where is the Shield headed to?

The Shield

“I like those young cats from The Shield. I have never met one single member of The Shield personally, but I like what I see on TV. There are three cats there that when they split those guys up, they could go on to individual success. All three of them. Star potential on all of them. But right now, they’re green as grass, they’re learning, they’re a great unit, it’s not time to split them up yet. I got my eyes on those guys.”

If Stone Cold has something like that to say about you, then you might as well be assured that you’ve done something right.

When the Shield made their way to the ring on that November night in front of a packed Survivor Series crowd, there was confusion in the air, but the people who have known them, and ardently waited for Ambrose’s and Rollins’s arrival on WWE television, were in for a long overdue exultation and excitement.

And as soon as they had their first interview with Michael Cole, expectations had risen to the level of comparisons with other great stables, and prophecies were listed out as to what their legacy would be like. And as they put great 3-man tag matches one after the other, ‘This is Awesome’ chants reached new decibels levels.

But alas, they have been subject to the perennial creative stagnancy. They’ve had several points in their 9 month journey where they have been given pointless matches to fight.

Their first match ever was a masterpiece in itself, and they have not had many bad matches, but the levels of intrigue and mystique that this group held, has been affected a lot with the fervent frequency of matches they have fought.

And there have been several backstage reports about some heat on the Shield courtesy some of the potential botches that took place in some of their matches, one being between Randy Orton and Roman Reigns.

Also, with the arrival of the Wyatt family and speculation being that they are a Triple H project, word was that the Shield might play second fiddle to that tag team.

Whereas Bray Wyatt and his family are a perfect fit for enduring creepiness, there’s something inherently cool about the Shield. Their entrance through the crowd, the natural deviousness of Dean Ambrose, the constant lookout for a Roman Reigns spear or listening to Seth Rollins trash talk during a match or take a flight – they are a complete package.

All superstars in WWE are dispensable. WWE has so many talents in the locker room, and it can make a star out of anyone. But if the Shield’s push is taken back, then WWE is really wasting its time in satiating its ego. These are three futures, three characters, three 20-somethings that can make the product entertaining for years to come.

Their role of security guards outside the ring during Triple H’s segment on RAW might be an indication that the company still has faith in these three, and as The Corporate angle seems to be one of WWE’s pivotal angles this year, The Shield might have a useful role to play as well. At least I hope so.