Fans had been waiting for months for a particular moment on this past Monday’s Raw: The Shield reunion. All three members of the Shield in the ring at the same time, for the first time since Seth Rollin‘s ended it all with a swift steel chair to the back of Roman Reigns. Since then, the three men have gone their separate ways.
Dean Ambrose has been the definitive face of the upper-midcard, flirting with the main event but never quite reaching top bill status. Rollins manufactured arguably the most memorable Money in the Bank cash in in history when he stole the title from his former stable mate Reigns at Wrestlemania 31. However, a devastating injury put the self-proclaimed “architect” out for a year, which cleared a path for WWE‘s newly crowned golden boy, Roman Reigns. He’s already a two time world champ, most recently beating Triple H at the biggest Wrestlemania of all time. Those were the paths that led these three men to the ring together Monday night and thankfully the meeting lived up to expectation.
The Shield Reunion Delivers
The Shield reunion, of course, took place on The Ambrose Asylum, hosted by the aforementioned Ambrose. The opening couple of exchanges were anything but promising, with Ambrose asking his former partners if they had a good time on Bourbon Street in New Orleans the night prior. Fears creeped in that WWE would turn this monumental moment into a joke. Rollins put that uneasiness to rest by listing off all the good times the Shield had as a group. He then asserted that destroying the group that he created was his favorite moment. He proceeded to hammer home the point that he is the rightful champion because he never lost the title. Roman Reigns has never beat him and will never beat him. These lines were effective because they were simple and straightforward. Seth put over his legitimate claim to the title, while showing a basic confidence in himself.
Possibly the best line of the entire Shield reunion came when Seth claimed that the only reason Reigns has the title is because “Seth’s knee gave out from carrying the WWE on his back for over a year.” Once again a line so simple, that elicited one of the biggest reactions of the entire night. The line itself is one of the biggest blows the Reigns character has ever taken. Rollins essentially said that Reigns wouldn’t be “the guy” if he did not go down with an injury. The only reason Reigns has become the face of the company, is because Rollins had conceded that position in injury. Reigns must prove that Rollins’ claim is not the case by winning at Money in the Bank. Rollins is out to prove that he is still the undisputed future of WWE. Such an uncomplicated premise, yet so so effective.
Reigns Furthers the Narrative
Roman, to his credit, furthered that exact narrative with his response. He confirmed that he needs to beat the man that he once called his brother to truly be “The Guy.” This was a perfect response as it showed respect for Seth and put over the importance of this Wrestlemania caliber match. He did not run down or make fun of Seth as someone like John Cena is prone to do. Reigns gave Rollins the ultimate lift. He said that he could not be the guy, if he could not beat Seth Rollins, the man who never lost his title.
By the time we reached this point, the huge match for Money in the Bank had been put over. To further the action even more, Ambrose, one of the six participants in the Money in the Bank ladder match, teased the possibility that he may just cash in on one of his former stablemates if he wins the match. The contract tease is always effective, even if it has been done before. It adds an extra wrinkle to a match that already has so much interest. Who will walk out of Money in the Bank as Champion?
The Architect…The Lunatic…or…The Guy
(Main Photo: WWE.com)
