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Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns seem unstoppable, but is it too much of a good thing?
From the upper decks of the arena they came, with a crackling of Sierra Hotel India Echo Lima Delta from the loudspeaker. Their methodical, ominous march toward the ring instilled dread in the WWE Universe and their hapless opponents in the ring. Once they reached its confines they would demolish their victims, the most unlucky of which would suffer their dreaded triple powerbomb.
Originally conceived as the minions of CM Punk, the Shield grew to be so popular that they became their own men, the Hounds of Justice who would wreak havoc and destruction in their wake.
All good things must come to an end, however, and for years the Shield was a memory. Recently they reformed, and seem more dominant than ever.
But is the Shield reunion really what's best for business? Here are three reasons the Shield should split up again, and three they should not.
Should Split up again: You can't have two Big Dogs in one stable
Roman Reigns is main-event talent, a once and future world champion. But then again, so is Seth Rollins. And for that matter, so is Dean Ambrose.
So, who's the top dog in the Shield? In the Four Horsemen it was Ric Flair, in the NWO it was Hollywood Hogan, and in Evolution it was Triple H. Roman Reigns seems positioned as the de facto main event star by virtue of the title he carries, but both Seth and Dean have a rightful claim on a title shot if they choose to pursue it.
The Shield is going to, by its very nature, hold back two of the three men from the main event, which is a disservice to any of them.
Should not split up: All three men have struggled to get over on their own
Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose have slowly but surely slid from the main event to the mid-card. Roman Reigns has remained as the top guy on Raw but has struggled to get fans behind him.
The three men together have a particular magic which works, and if it ain't broke don't fix it as the old adage goes.
Should Split Up: The Shield's act doesn't work as babyfaces
In order to illustrate why the Shield is bad as a babyface group, let's look to another famous wrestling stable, the Four Horsemen. In their most famous incarnation, you had four heel champion wrestlers.
Then the group turned babyface, and you had four good guy wrestlers...none of whom had any championship gold whatsoever.
The Shield has already been played out as a heel faction, and the babyface incarnation just seems missing something. Like the once and future Four Horsemen.
The prosecution rests its case.
Should not split up: Merchandising, Merchandising!
Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose move a lot of merchandise, especially the former who surpassed John Cena as the top seller in the promotion. But when they are with the Shield they sell even more.
Shield action figures. Shield breakfast cereal. Shield T-shirts, video games, The Shield brand flamethrower....okay, the last one is a bit unlikely but given the amount of merchandise, the New Day has managed to peddle it's a safe bet that the Shield will be providing great returns for some time to come.
Should split up: The days of stable warfare are over
The Four Horsemen effectively killed the stable warfare concept in pro wrestling, and the NWO eulogized it.
There's not much more to be done with dominant stable factions. Stables work much better with mid-card talent who need the boost in popularity. Given that Reigns, Ambrose, and Rollins are all former world champions, they don't need the Shield stable to get over anymore.
Should not split up: This is the most popular Reigns has been in years
For whatever reason, the Shield just works. The interplay of the three men involved, their shared intensity and dedication to destruction has that je ne sais quoi factor that is so intangible yet so essential for a wrestler.
Fans might like the three men individually, but they love them as a group. That's why the Shield should stay together for a long time.
Three reasons why the Shield should split, and three reasons why they should not. What is your opinion on the Shield, dear reader? Please comment and let us know, and thanks for reading!
