Roman Reigns’ list of accolades is astonishing and explains why many feel he’s the top dog in the company and the poster boy of WWE’s new era. His Tribal Chief transformation was one of the most important moments for him and the promotion.
The 39-year-old shook off the shackles of a restricting ‘Big Dog’ gimmick and took his place at the Head of the Table alongside several familiar faces. The Bloodline story is one of the most captivating pieces of television produced in pro wrestling, and Reigns has been at the forefront, making many friends and foes, including Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes, along the way.
Zayn felt the wrath of Reigns after turning on him at the 2023 Royal Rumble to ignite The Bloodline’s implosion. He put aside his differences with longtime foe Rhodes to tag together in a Bloodline war. But those two haven’t got under the skin of the former Undisputed WWE Champion quite like his former tag team partner.
Reigns’ Move To Dark Side Set In Motion
The Tribal Chief learned not to trust anyone
The Shield were on top of the world in 2014 after wreaking havoc on WWE’s main roster following a destructive debut at Survivor Series 2012. Three of the most promising stars in the business headed for the main event, and many expected them to thrive as a trio.
Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins had just defeated Triple H’s revived Evolution when The Game came up with ‘plan b,’ which led to one of the biggest shocks in WWE history. Rollins hit Reigns with a chair to the back, stabbing him and Ambrose in the back to join forces with The Authority.
The Shield went their separate ways and became hugely successful singles stars. While Rollins thrived in his heel role, Ambrose shined as a rebellious babyface, but Reigns couldn’t get over after receiving a monster push. He lacked a compelling character, and bland promo work proved problematic.
Reigns made a vital change during the pandemic, aligning with Paul Heyman, a creative mastermind with a track record of propelling WWE talent to the top of the business. They created the Tribal Chief persona that led to enormous success, including a 1,316-day reign as Undisputed WWE Champion.
But Rollins played a role in Reigns’ turn to the dark side because he was the blueprint of how using a villainous gimmick gives you more flexibility. They have crossed paths several times since the betrayal, and the Visionary has constantly had one over the Head of the Table, ultimately costing him the title against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40.
Rollins Doesn’t Have High Hopes For Shield Reunion
Fans are longing for Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose to reunite
Dean Ambrose left WWE in April 2019 after becoming disillusioned with life in the Stamford-based promotion and opted to join AEW as Jon Moxley, to be given more creative control. He’s been one of the promotion’s top stars, while Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins have been massive successes in staying put.
This hasn’t stopped talk of the Shield one day reuniting as they did briefly before Ambrose left. There are storyline problems with their potential reconciliation, such as Reigns has been waging war with Rollins on the Road to WrestleMania 41.
Rollins, speaking in 2022, explained when he feels fans could next see the trio back together and asserted that they were a Hall of Fame-worthy stable (via Fightful):
“I think we’re all just too big stars with too big personalities at this point. We needed each other back then and now none of us need the other one. We’re at a point where we’re all standalone stars on a different level. So to have to kind of minimize that to fit into each other’s molds, I just don’t see it ever happening again. I think it would look a whole lot different than the next time you see us together. The next time you see us together it’s going to be when we’re inducted into the Hall of Fame. That’s going to be it.”
The Shield was one of the most interesting factions in WWE history. Their debut saw them take out Ryback in a triple threat against John Cena and CM Punk to ensure the latter retained the WWE Championship.
They spent several months attacking some of WWE’s top stars before it was revealed that Paul Heyman had paid The Shield off to help Punk. Reigns and Rollins held the WWE Tag Team Championships, while Ambrose held the United States Championship. Feuds with The Wyatt Family and Evolution helped cement the three as main event calibre stars before Rollins’ famous betrayal.
|
The Shield’s WWE Run |
|
|---|---|
|
Debut |
Survivor Series (November 18, 2012) |
|
PPV/PLE Matches |
19 |
|
Wins |
14 |
|
Defeats |
5 |
|
Best Match |
vs Wyatt Family (Elimination Chamber 2014) |
|
Best Feud |
vs Evolution |
Data courtesy of Cagematch – correct as of 13/03/2025.
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