'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
What's the story?
The TLC pay-per-view will witness the debut of Asuka but is rumoured to have an even bigger move in store.
According to James McKenna of Pro Wrestling Sheet, the WWE may be planning to reunite The Shield at the TLC pay-per-view.
In Case You Didn’t Know
The Shield debuted at Survivor Series 2012 and cost Ryback the WWE Championship in his match against John Cena and CM Punk. Since their debut, the stable was highly praised for making tag team wrestling a lot more interesting than it had been.
The stable disbanded in 2014 and there have been glimpses and moments where all three men showed unity like they did in the olden days but nothing more happened.
The Heart of the Matter
If these rumours are to be believed, WWE is continuing their trend of making their non-Big Four pay-per-views into bigger events by giving away big moments and matches that many fans feel are worthy of stages like Survivor Series or WrestleMania.
Another important factor is that TLC is currently billed as a Raw-exclusive pay-per-view, so the options for teams opposing the reunited Shield would be limited if they would be having a match.
With no plausible teams in sight for The Shield to face, there is a chance that they could fight a SmackDown team at Survivor Series and that the TLC pay-per-view will merely be a catalyst for their reunion.
What’s Next?
The Shield reuniting would make for a big moment, but the rumoured WrestleMania match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar makes it less likely for this reunion to last through Survivor Series.
If The Shield does return, it probably won’t be a for a long-term segment.
Author’s Take
While the prospect of a Shield reunion and matches against The Balor Club or The New Day sound interesting, the fact remains that currently there is no storyline that can lead to this return.
The Shield is one of the best factions in recent memory and a reunion between the three needs to be done the right way.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
