Will The Shield Continue To Dominate At WWE ‘Hell in a Cell’?

The Shield’s recent reunion on Monday Night Raw has become the top storyline of the red brand. This is mostly due to Roman Reigns’ position as the Universal champion of course. But it’s also because of his status as WWE’s top guy. Anyone running with The Big Dog is running at the front of the company.

But that’s not to take anything away from Dean Ambrose or Seth Rollins. Both men are proven stars and both can deliver at a very high level. But this Shield run is less about the individuals and more about the unit. WWE brought The Hounds of Justice together and built them into the main event machines they are today. When it comes to The Shield, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. At least for now.

However many WWE fans do not expect this new run to last very long. Considering the history between the three men, that belief is understandable. Rollins was the one to betray his brothers in 2014, splitting The Shield into three pieces. From that moment, the trio went their separate ways and even though Reigns stuck with Ambrose, that loyalty disappeared when championships became involved.

Their first reunion was short-lived, thanks to Roman’s brief illness and then to Dean’s injury. It seemed as though perhaps the reunification was cursed. For whatever reason, The Shield was just not mean to ride together at that time. But that’s not why many fans feel The Hounds of Justice will fall apart. The reason for their second demise may be yet another implosion, this time at the hands of The Lunatic Fringe.

Watch The Shield wage war on Raw:

The Shield attack Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler: Raw, Sept. 3, 2018

Had he not been injured, Dean Ambrose may have been the man to bring it all crashing down during the first reunion. It seemed like the logical move. Rollins is one of the most popular Superstars in the company and Reigns is the top babyface. Ambrose however, has not run heel since The Shield first came to the main roster. There seemed to be no reason why he couldn’t make the turn; it would have been a new twist on an old story. He and Rollins potentially could’ve had the feud of the year.

Instead, Ambrose came back on the same page with Rollins and Reigns. The Shield is over and their storyline is working. But that doesn’t keep fans from wondering when The Lunatic Fringe will decide it’s time to go on his own. Is it possible that The Shield could once again fall due to betrayal from within? Nothing lasts forever, especially not in WWE. 

But the trio is doing the work and they’re doing it together. Their popularity is at an all-time high and the buzz they generate as a unit is hard to top. Of course a major component in their run this time is the feud they’re currently working against Braun Srowman, Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler. 

The Shield’s popularity is boosted this time because of this rivalry. This is the first time The Hounds of Justice have had viable competition to war against. Both teams are evenly matched and that’s helping this angle from all sides. Fans are getting lost in the drama of the feud because it does look as though The Shield has finally met a challenge it cannot overcome. Strowman has a world of momentum right now and his partners are the new Raw tag team champions. But what happens if they drop those belts at Hell in a Cell?

Watch The Shield get thrown out of Raw:

The Shield are forced to leave the building: Raw, Sept. 10, 2018

Ziggler and McIntyre will defend the championships against Rollins and Ambrose on September 16. Seth is the current Intercontinental champion but that does not mean he and Dean won’t win the titles at Hell in a Cell. If Seth and Dean leave HIAC with the titles, then The Shield will control the top three championships on Monday Night Raw. Is this the kind of dominance that fans can expect on September 16?

Of course if that title change does happen, then this rivalry will no longer be even. The Shield will be firmly in charge and will call the shots on the red brand. But maybe that’s the point. Maybe this feud is not about giving The Shield some real competition. Perhaps it’s about reminding fans of just how important the group is. WWE’s mission with The Shield the first time out was to get the team over. It was important that fans saw how talented they were as a unit first and then as individuals. 

But it wasn’t until The Shield became the hottest act in the company that fans began to see their potential as singles stars. Rollins began to shine during their six-man tag team matches. Dean’s insane antics made him stand out every time he was on camera. Roman’s dark and brooding routine was anything but routine. He was a main event guy in the making and everyone knew it.

The Shield was engineered to take over and it did exactly that. The group existed to get three new top Superstars over and it worked better than anyone likely believed possible. The future of the company was created in one storyline and the trio has been on top since then. WWE has its bankable main event powerhouses back together again and there’s no reason to believe The Shield won’t continue to dominate on Monday Night Raw. The same is obviously true of Roman Reigns.

Watch The Shield return to get revenge:

The Shield strike back at their attackers: Raw, Sept. 10, 2018

Some see The Shield reunion as nothing more than yet another attempt to get The Big Dog over as a babyface. That could very well be true but if it is, the move is indeed a good one because it’s working thus far. Roman is getting cheered again and that’s not only because of his association with Rollins and Ambrose. It’s also because of Strowman, whose heel turn was both surprising and disappointing. 

Strowman was incredibly popular and now he’s getting booed. Braun never needed help despite who he faced and now he’s constantly flanked by Ziggler and McIntyre. The Monster Among Men Is becoming Public Enemy No.1, which is precisely what WWE wanted. The Shield has a threat fight and fans have a reason to support The Hounds of Justice like never before. That includes Roman Reigns.

The Shield is doing what it was built to do. The storyline is good and the heat is moving everyone forward. Fans are invested in the rivalry and it’s working on every level. Only time will tell if The Shield is indeed going to run the red brand with all of the championships. But no matter what happens, no one can argue with the success of this angle. The Shield is riding high indeed and they’re just getting started.

 

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcast, 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