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Whenever we talk about the most dominant factions in WWE history, the conversation cannot be concluded without mentioning The Shield. It was a power-packed group of three passionate individuals who came together to take over the pro wrestling industry.
The group first made its presence known to the world in November 2012 by rudely interrupting the main event of the WWE Survivor Series. Their impactful arrival made it clear that these three guys would be the next megastars of WWE. The trio dominated the roster for the next three years, picking up memorable victories over names like Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Kane, Mark Henry, Randy Orton and The Undertaker.
All the members of the group earned a lot of popularity on an individual level too. While Dean Ambrose (now known as Jon Moxley) and Seth Rollins got over their varied personalities, Roman Reigns was beloved due to his silent badass demeanor.
However, after a successful couple of years, things came to an end in June 2014. To justify his personal goals, Seth Rollins decided to turn his back on his Shield brothers. He obliterated his teammates with Steel Chairs and ended a long-coming brotherhood.
After this betrayal, the three superstars went their separate ways. While Seth Rollins became the new flag bearer of The Authority, Dean Ambrose donned a new "Lunatic Fringe" character. Roman Reigns, meanwhile, started turning into the next big babyface of the company.
Although their solo runs were going great, a triple threat match between the three superstars looked inevitable. For the next two years, the trio kept getting involved in singles rivalries with each other.
However, fans were always waiting for them to battle each other at the same time so that they could know who was the No.1 guy in The Shield. Luckily, they got their wish in mid-2016.
When did the Shield triple threat happen in WWE?
At Extreme Rules 2016, Seth Rollins made his highly-anticipated return from a knee injury and went straight after the championship that he never lost. He attacked the reigning WWE Champion, Roman Reigns, and made his title intentions very clear.
The duo decided to settle their scores at the following Money In the Bank pay-per-view, where Reigns put his title on the line against The Architect. Both Reigns and Rollins tore the house down with their outstanding performances that night.
People were really excited to see this marquee battle between two formerly close friends. In the end, Seth Rollins laid out Roman Reigns with a Pedigree and became the new WWE Champion.
However, he didn't get much time to celebrate as he heard a very familiar sound. Dean Ambrose, who had won the MITB briefcase earlier in the night, decided to ruin Rollins' title win. He cashed in his MITB contract moments after laying out Rollins from behind with his prized briefcase.
The Lunatic Fringe planted a war-torn champion with a Dirty Deeds and pinned him to seal his destiny. It was a historic moment as all three members of The Shield were WWE Champions that same night.
Things took an interesting turn following Ambrose's title victory. Both Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins demanded a one-on-one rematch against the new champion on the next episode of WWE RAW.
The two superstars then collided in a high-stakes main event to determine the new No.1 contender for the WWE Championship. Unfortunately, the bout ended in a double count-out. After the match, Dean Ambrose took out his frustrations on his former friends and laid them out with a bunch of Dirty Deeds.
He also announced that he would defend his title against both Rollins and Reigns at the upcoming WWE Battleground pay-per-view. Unfortunately, Roman Reigns got suspended due to a Wellness Policy Violation. This development left Ambrose and Rollins to build the entire story on their own.
Ultimately, the trio got the chance to battle one another at Battleground. The stakes for this match got raised by the WWE Draft that took place earlier in the week. Dean Ambrose was now a Smackdown superstar, while both his opponents had been drafted to WWE RAW. It meant that only one of either brand would have the honor to keep the prestigious WWE Championship on their show.
The match was exceptional, filled with high-speed offense and many memorable moments. The action picked up slowly and kept getting better as the time passed. The presence of top officials of both RAW and Smackdown provided this bout with a 'Big Fight' feel.
At one point in the contest, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins formed a temporary alliance against Roman Reigns. They assaulted the Big Dog at ringside and even hit him with a Shield Powerbomb on the announcers' table.
In the final moments of the match, Reigns laid out The Architect with a vicious spear. However, The Lunatic Fringe capitalized on Reigns and applied a lethal Dirty Deeds on him. He then pinned him for the three count and retained the WWE Championship.
It was truly a rollercoaster that led to such an exhilarating match.
