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It's safe to say that the Shield was one of the best factions in WWE history. Since the original lineup didn't have much interaction while in NXT, it made things more shocking when they made their debut to assist CM Punk back at Survivor Series in 2012. For that reason, not only should any new options come from NXT but they would also need to be as diverse as the original group.
Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins were well-known names on the independent scene prior to signing with WWE. Ambrose was known for his hardcore act and great promos whereas Rollins was one of the best pure wrestlers in the non-WWE world. He won the Ring of Honor World Title before moving on to WWE and NXT.
Roman Reigns was the lone member of the group with no experience in pro wrestling other than the fact that his father was a former wrestler. That fact, however, combined with his body type and look was something that made management handpick Reigns to be a future star on the main roster.
The idea was that since he was the greenest of the group, he could quietly learn from Rollins and Ambrose while coming into his own. He was known as the powerhouse of the group and is the lone member who has retained aspects of the group's presentation. He still comes out to a variation of their theme song and he still wears the all black outfit complete with flak jacket.
For this piece, I'll suggest five current NXT stars that would fit into a possible recreation of the group for various reasons. I'm not saying that the group should have five members but am just suggesting different wrestlers for different reasons. The three best options will be brought together on the final slide where I'll also list a few more options that were also considered.
#5 Shane Thorne
The last two to three years have been strange for Shane Thorne. Primarily known to NXT crowds as a tag team specialist, an injury not only put him on the sidelines but also forced the team to go through a soft reboot.
TM-61 returned to action as cocky heels but it was short-lived as Nick Miller left the company to be closer to his home in Australia. Thorne was left to rebrand himself again but he kept the arrogant attitude. He was certainly the Shawn Michaels of TM-61.
He recently returned to insult all of the participants in the Breakout Tournament as if we had forgotten about him. Seth Rollins was the daredevil and high flyer of the group and Thorne has proven to be a daredevil in his own right. For someone who has been in NXT as long as he has, he may need a drastic or big change to truly kick off his own run.
#4 Daniel Vidot
If WWE was looking for someone similar to Roman Reigns, then they could definitely look the way of Daniel Vidot. The former National Rugby League player signed a developmental deal with WWE in 2018 but hasn't appeared regularly on TV. He's participated at live events and from the picture above, you can see how he could easily fit into a new incarnation of the popular group.
He had been going by the nickname the Samoan Ghost and how cool would that be to see in NXT and the WWE? He's athletic, hard-hitting and is a good looking chap just like another famous Samoan who was in the Shield.
Vidot could easily play the Reigns role in the manner that he's a relatively unknown commodity to casual audiences in the US. It could take time for the crowd to acclimate to him but he'd certainly have the visual appeal that Reigns did, except for the wet, long hair that the Big Dog sports. The group would need a blend of known commodities and unknowns and Vidot would fit the latter.
#3 Kassius Ohno
The main reason why Ohno is included here is because he was originally supposed to be a member of the group alongside Rollins and Ambrose. CM Punk picked the three members from NXT but he was overruled when it came to the third member. He wanted Ohno and management wanted Reigns. We all know who won that one.
While Ohno did leave and come back, he was remarkably heavier. If he wore different gear, I think he'd come across a lot better. But despite the gear, he's still very talented and hard-hitting. His move to NXT UK helped switch things up for him because it was apparent that he wasn't going to be winning a title in NXT.
His time might have passed to be included in a group like a new Shield. His inclusion on this list was necessary due to the fact that his history in the company could have been completely different had he been involved in the original lineup.
#2 Bronson Reed
Reed would work in a hard-hitting faction for several reasons. The first one is that he's a big guy and went by the moniker "the King of the Monsters" while on the independent scene. He's an agile big guy and moves a lot better than someone his size should be able to move.
Another reason that he could work in a faction is that there is an influx of talent from Australia currently in NXT and at the WWE Performance Center. From the likes of Thorne, Vidot and Brendan Vink, Reed has experience with all of them. He was a member of the Mighty Don't Kneel group that later became the tag team TM-61.
Adding Reed to a group would give them the "big hoss" aspect that most groups need. Every faction needs a heavy hitter as Reigns was that for the first group. He was a part of the Breakout Tournament so he must have shown something at the PC in order to be included in that tourney.
Like Ohno I'd recommend some different gear. Bigger guys or heavier guys should at least wear pants or shorts instead of singlets and speedos. It's like when wrestlers don't wear knee-pads, they look like they are merely wearing underwear and not wrestling gear. That might seem like a knitpick but the right gear can really help or hurt Superstars.
#1 Isaiah "Swerve" Scott
Every group needs a high-flyer that can pull off some jaw-dropping moves. Like Thorne, Scott is a daredevil and isn't afraid to throw his body all over the place. If you saw his work in Major League Wrestling, Evolve or Lucha Underground, then you saw what he's willing to do in order to put on a great match for the audience.
While he didn't get to showcase a ton in the Breakout Tournament, he is a versatile Superstar like Seth Rollins. He's fast, quick, tough and can speak. He's not Kevin Owens or Paul Heyman on the mic, but he's good enough that he could be the voice of a new incarnation of the Shield.
The dynamic that made the first group work was that Ambrose was the unhinged wildcard, Reigns was the silent assassin and Rollins was the work-rate dynamo and "Architect". Swerve would be perfect for the Rollins role as he is also someone who has a lot of street credibility from his time on the independent scene.
If I was in charge of picking stars to reform the group, I'd start with Swerve. The only thing working against him is that he's already appeared on 205 Live. While the majority of the WWE Universe might not follow that show, a good portion of it does. It would be best to use stars who've had very little exposure to the main roster.
Others that were considered
In addition to the five stars who had there own slides, there were some other wrestlers who might have fit in for one reason or another. Someone like Damian Priest has time on the independent scene that could be utilized in the group. He's also like a more slender Roman Reigns but with a darker edge. I'm not sure how far the "Live Forever" and archer gimmick will go, but the man playing the role is talented enough to pull anything off. He's high-flying, intense and could be a big star in the future.
Other big guys like Babatunde or Dominik Dijakovic would have worked due to their sheer size. Wrestlers like that give any conquering faction credibility and if they were a part of a group, then they wouldn't need to speak. Dijakovic is okay on the mic, but his in-ring work is clearly his strength.
If I was to pick three new members to form a new Shield, I would pick Shane Thorne, Isaiah Scott and Daniel Vidot. Thorne and Scott are known enough due to work in NXT and on the independent scene. Thorne needs something to put him over the top while Vidot could be the wildcard of the group.
WWE could go with a strictly Aussie lineup by switching out Scott with Reed. Whatever the case would be, it wouldn't surprise me if they tried to form a new group of current NXT stars that somewhat resembled the Shield. While it might not be as good as the original, it doesn't mean that the WWE won't try something from the past to help get an uptick in the ratings.
