The Shield’s WWE Raw Reunion Leading to a Heel Turn For The Hounds of Justice?

The Shield surprised the pro wrestling world with its recent reunion on WWE Monday Night Raw. Roman Reigns was mere seconds away from defending the Universal Championship against Mister Money in the Bank Braun Strowman, when Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose came down to the ring.

The trio then dispensed their own brand of justice on Strowman. They put Braun through a table and left him for dead on the floor. The Shield was back together again and suddenly the entire landscape of Raw had changed. But The Shield didn’t exactly blow the roof off of the Barclays Center. In fact The Hounds of Justice were booed for their efforts.

Part of the problem with attacking Strowman is that Braun is extremely over as a babyface. The Monster Among Men didn’t sneak attack Reigns. He didn’t take a cheap shot to begin the match. Strowman did nothing but look Roman Reigns in the eye and tell him what he intended to do. There was no malice and no anger in Strowman’s words or actions. Braun was clear and concise with his motives. There was no reason to beat him down because he was not a threat at the time.

Watch The Shield reunite on Raw:

The Shield reunite to stop Braun Strowman from cashing in: Raw, Aug. 20, 2018

The only thing Braun Strowman threatened was Roman’s new Universal title reign. So is that why Ambrose and Rollins came to the ring? Was this reunion really about bringing The Shield back together or was this about protecting Roman’s championship? To understand what The Shield’s return means, fans must first understand the complexities of the situation. First and foremost is Roman Reigns’ love/hate relationship with the WWE faithful. 

Roman is hated because of the perception that he was shoved down the throats of WWE fans. It’s because of that belief that The Big Dog is jeered in nearly every arena all over the country. What began as just a mere rumbling three years ago has morphed into a phenomenon. This is not just a case of the live crowds chanting “John Cena sucks,” while John has fun with it. This is real hate for a guy that does nothing but give maximum effort every time he steps through the ropes.

Three years after Roman’s ascension to the top of WWE and he is still hears the boos even though fans can see it’s not making a difference. The company is not changing the way it books Reigns. The crowd reaction has not forced WWE to reconsider Roman Reigns as the top guy and if it ever did, no one would be the wiser. He’s still the man, he’s still on top and that does not appear to be changing any time soon. Yet the fans continue to hate him.

But when it matters most, the live crowds respond positively to him. It may not be a consistent occurrence but it happens nonetheless. It may be due to a promo, or it may be due to a match. But somewhere along the way, Roman has made a connection that defies explanation, yet it’s there all the same. At this point, it’s not unusual to hear a live crowd split down the middle when Reigns is in the ring. That’s because no matter how much fans may hate him, no one can really deny that he is doing all he can to get over. There is a certain respect level that comes with that knowledge.

Watch Roman’s interview after SummerSlam:

Roman Reigns "came to win" against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam: SummerSlam Exclusive, Aug. 19, 2018

So what happens when two of WWE’s most popular babyfaces come to the aid of Roman Reigns, who is not the victim of an unjust assault? The knee-jerk reaction is to cheer Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. Why wouldn’t it be? Dean and Seth are indeed over. The fans love them. There is a certain nostalgia that comes with seeing them dressed in the Shield riot gear. But is that enough to warrant cheering for them even though they’re siding with the company’s most hated hero? WWE certainly seems to believe so.

But the more time that passes since The Shield’s reunion on Raw, the more the entire spot looks like nothing more than a desperate act. “We need Roman to be the protagonist and this will help.” That does indeed seem to be the ongoing narrative of Reigns’ WWE career to this point. But will the time come when fans truly understand that and see the reunion for what it is?

The biggest problem with jumping Braun Strowman is that Braun Strowman is a top babyface in every sense of the word. Of course that is ironic, mostly because of the similarities between his career and Roman’s. Strowman came from out of nowhere, started with a faction, then was catapulted to the top in one main event moment after another. He may have earned it by now, but its safe to say he didn’t deserve it in the beginning. This entire scenario perfectly describes both Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns, yet fans absolutely love Braun. But why?

Is it because he’s just so good at what he does? Is it because he’s just so entertaining? Or is it because he’s not Roman Reigns? How much of Braun’s appeal is predicated on his ability and how much is predicated on anti-Roman sentiment? Why should any of that matter, as long as Strowman is getting over?

Watch Twitter reaction to The Shield’s reunion:

Full reaction to The Shield reunion: WWE Now

But when WWE took the big entertaining monster and put him in the crosshairs of The Shield, they all but demanded that the fans hate The Hounds of Justice. Strowman was looking for a fight with the polarizing protagonist, not his beloved brothers. This is not the same villainous big man that fought Reigns in 2017. This Braun Strowman is a man’s man and would rather fight like a man than sneak attack anyone. He works alone. He doesn’t need hep. But Roman doesn’t work alone. Not anymore.

The Shield were heels in the beginning but they got over because heels are cool. The fans decided their fate, just as they decide the fate of every WWE Superstar when it comes to positive or negative response. So if The Shield is turning heel, how long can it really last before the fans love them all over again? Don’t they love them now? Isn’t booking Braun in this angle detrimental to his character because it paints him as the enemy? 

The fact is that The Shield’s third run is just beginning so there’s no way to really know what the endgame is. But the dynamic seems all wrong this time and that fact is more than just a small issue for WWE. All three men are in the throes of an identity crisis. The same can be said of Braun Strowman. No one really knows where all of this is going of course. Better yet, no one really knows where it’s supposed to go. 

 

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcst, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes,YouTube, iHeart Radio, boinkstudios.com and live every Friday at 12pm EST on Wrestling Rumors Facebook Live