5 WWE Superstars who could have joined The Shield 

The Shield made their WWE debut nine years ago today at Survivor Series 2012. Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns were all able to make quite the statement on their first night in WWE and later went on to dominate the company both as a team and as singles stars.

Over the years, there have been several honorary members of The Shield, including Kurt Angle and even Triple H, but there are many others who could have potentially joined the group.

Both Ambrose and Rollins have noted recently that The Shield was never recruiting more members. This was as part of a recent Instagram post, but that doesn't mean that there weren't potentially a number of superstars who could have enhanced The Shield's powerful and awesome presence.

The following list looks at five current and former WWE Superstars who could have fit in with The Shield when the team was in their prime.

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#5. Former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre could have joined The Shield

Let's be honest, when it comes to three-man teams Drew McIntyre knows his stuff. As part of 3MB, he was seen as a jobber in WWE, and at that time in his career, he had several run-ins with The Shield since his team was one of the only groups that could go head to head with Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose.

3MB wasn't seen as competition for The Shield at the time, but in the years that have followed two of the stars have gone on to become world champions.

McIntyre was released in 2014. Upon his return, he became a main eventer and is now seen as being on the same level as Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.

It is interesting to imagine just how different the Scottish superstar's career would have been had he stayed with WWE and been part of The Hounds of Justice.

Could McIntyre have grown and sharpened his talent with the team? He had the right attitude and build for a career in The Shield and whilst Ambrose has noted that they were never recruiting, McIntyre's inclusion could have made the group even more unstoppable.

#4. Current WWE Superstar Damian Priest could have been part of The Shield

Damian Priest may seem as though he's a wildcard for a fourth member of The Shield, but there is a valid argument.

Priest wasn't part of WWE at the time that The Shield was fighting against the injustice in the company, but he currently has the right look and would have been a fun addition to the team.

Priest may not have much injustice to fight against since he has been pushed hard throughout his career, but he is a star who started in NXT and has fought hard against the system to get where he is.

Like all three members of The Shield, he was forced to change his name when he debuted in NXT and has since become a stand-out star on the main roster. Priest is a sure-fire future world champion, the same as Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose in their early careers and someone that the company would have gambled on if The Shield was being put together today.

It's interesting to think how different the team would have been if it had come together any later than it did.

#3. Former WWE Champion Daniel Bryan had a lot of injustice to fight against with The Shield

Even though their mission statement became slightly blurred towards the end of their run, The Shield came together in order to fight WWE's biggest injustices.

The three stars noted that they had been on NXT and seen the problems that were occurring on the main roster. Back in 2014, Daniel Bryan was part of one of the biggest storylines in the company's history when he was denied the world championship for so long until he finally lifted the title at WrestleMania.

Bryan was then injured just after his win and forced to relinquish it before later being re-injured and forced to retire.

If anyone knows about injustice, it's Daniel Bryan. His career was cut short in the worst of ways and he was then forced to watch other superstars take spots in the company that he had worked hard for. If The Shield was still fighting these injustices when Bryan returned then it would have been the perfect group for the former world champion to join.

#2. Former Women's Champion Sasha Banks could have fit in well with The Shield

Sasha Banks was around for much of The Shield's career before Seth Rollins turned on his team in 2014.

The Boss has risen through the ranks in the company ever since and has become a household name. The Shield has never had a female member and there was never any need for the group to add a female during their time together.

That being said, when Seth Rollins was asked who he would have added to The Shield back in 2018, The Architect noted that it would have been Sasha Banks.

“The Shield has got a lot of attitude, we got a lot of intensity,” Rollins said. “My gut instinct is Sasha Banks, to be honest. I think she’s got the intangibles.”

It's hard to argue with Rollins' assessment. Banks seamlessly fits into every group that she has been a part of and is able to portray any role she is assigned. There is a reason why she is called The Boss and she would have made an interesting fourth member of the group.

#1. Former WWE Superstar CM Punk came up with the idea of The Shield

It is one of WWE's biggest mysteries regarding The Shield but still, nine years on it appears that the WWE Universe is none the wiser.

CM Punk has revealed in the past that it was his idea to create The Shield and he had pitched different stars to be part of the group. Initially, the trio were set to be his henchmen but Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose were able to push forward on their own.

The Shield debuted at Survivor Series in 2012 as part of CM Punk's match and helped him retain his title. It was obvious that he was working with the team, so why did he never join the group?

Punk left WWE just over a year after The Shield was formed and faced off with the trio several times throughout 2013. There could have been plans to add him to the group at one point but even if there was, this never became a reality.