For the first time since their historic split three years ago, all three members of The Shield are babyfaces on the same show. The minute that Dean Ambrose arrived on Monday Night Raw, the whispers started. Those whispers grew into roars when it turned out that Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins would also be staying on the red brand. Will 2017 see a reunion of one of the most popular factions in recent memory?
Revenge of the Shield
In the past, the WWE has cashed in on Shield nostalgia multiple times. In a Fatal Fourway for Rollins’ WWE World Heavyweight Championship in 2015, the trio briefly worked together to triple-powerbomb Randy Orton through an announce table. They did the same to A.J. Styles at Survivor Series last year, and for a brief stint, Rollins and Reigns were teaming up again. After a triple threat match at Battleground last year, it seems like the trio might be on good terms again. It’s not unreasonable to think the trio will team up again on Monday Night Raw, should the right opponents emerge.
Possible Opponents
Triple H’s Army
Rumors about a Triple H faction have been running wild for months. Triple H, Samoa Joe, and an unknown third man could wreak havoc on Monday Night Raw soon. Given the bad blood between Triple H and all three members of this faction, they’d be the obvious opponent. Rollins and Triple H still have unresolved business, and it looks like that’ll feed into a feud between Rollins and Joe. What if he was ambushed by the Game and a third man, possibly Pete Dunne, and his old buddies came to the rescue?
Balor Club
Finn Balor is a babyface right now, but certain parts of the WWE Universe are eagerly waiting for his heel turn for one huge reason. After the superstar shakeup, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are still on Monday Night Raw with him. Balor, Gallows, and Anderson were three of Bullet Club’s earliest members, and fans have been clamoring for a reunion ever since the tag team was signed.
They’ve been associated with Styles in the past, but with the Phenomenal One on SmackDown Live, and turning face anyway, they need a new leader. The Shield vs. Bullet Club would be quite the dream match, and WWE have the guns to pull it off.
Heel Turn
However, as great as a nostalgic six-man tag series would be, a Shield reunion also provides WWE with a golden opportunity. When Seth Rollins turned on Ambrose and Reigns back in 2014, he changed WWE history forever. This launched him directly into the main event, where he would spend the better part of the next two years. Should the WWE reunite the Shield, they have a chance to do it again.
It’s likely that it wouldn’t be Rollins that turned on his Shieldmates again, but the other two men are fantastic candidates for a turn. The WWE Universe has been trying to turn Reigns heel for years, and Ambrose’s babyface run has gotten a little stale. By having either man turn on the Shield, they’d get legitimate heel heat right away.
The biggest problem with a heel turn in WWE is that fans are excited by it. It’s something new and unpredictable, so they can usually get behind it. Fans would love to see the Shield again, so having one of the three men break that up would disappoint members of the WWE Universe.
The Last Word
It’s not a matter of if, but more a matter of when the WWE will book a reunion of the Shield. The main event picture is only so big, and without Brock Lesnar and the WWE Universal Championship around, there’s no way these three men won’t cross paths at some point. Be it Triple H, Finn Balor, or the New World Order, some force will bring the Hounds of Justice together for at least one last triple-powerbomb.
