The Shield's 10 Biggest Moments In WWE

Is it just me, or is it a little bit silly how much everybody loves The Shield?

Look, I'm not being a 'hater'; I'm a Shield fan as much as anyone*, but the half-decade of mania surrounding Rollambreigns is quite startling in its intensity.

[*Maybe not literally anyone; I'm looking at you, Tumblr.]

I think I know why, though. I know why we love The Shield and their wet hair, and I know why we pray at their black, kevlar altar. It's because they're really cool, isn't it? They're

so

cool. They're attractive and muscular, and they work as a cohesive unit with their own distinct strengths and abilities. They come through the crowd, which is the entrance we'd all give ourselves if we were badass wrestler-folk. They look like a really sexy SWAT team.

But I'm going to pretend that we have a collective sense of substance, even though we obviously don't and are absolute suckers for anything even slightly cool. I'm going to imagine that we

actually

love The Shield because they have one of the most compelling overarching storylines in WWE history.

The story of Dean, Seth, and Roman is a wonderful one, featuring camaraderie, dominance, betrayal, revenge, forgiveness, and so on. Okay, yes, it also has plenty of moments where the boys do really cool stuff, or just hang out and look very awesome.

Let's look back on five wonderful years of The Shield, and let's try not to get too wrapped up in the surface-level rad-ness of the trio, okay? Let's try to scratch the surface just a little.

Stop retweeting super cool Shield gifs immediately. This is important.

10. The Debut

Why It Was Cool: 

Two of developmental's most exciting guys and Roman Reigns hopped the barricade during the Survivor Series 2012 main event. They were dressed entirely in black and seemed like a cohesive unit. They isolated Ryback and delivered the first ever

Shieldbomb

(as Michael Cole now seems to be calling it) through the announce table. This helped CM Punk win. CM Punk was cool, ergo these guys were also now cool.

Why It Was Important: 

Many watching fans would have had no idea who these guys were at the time - no idea that Seth Rollins was a former ROH World Champion, or that Dean Ambrose had recently teased an intriguing worked-shoot feud with Mick Foley online. Despite this, everything about the way WWE presented The Shield (and the way they presented themselves) made it obvious that all three were earmarked for stardom.

9. Holding The Gold

Why It Was Cool:

At Extreme Rules 2013, Ambrose defeated Kofi Kingston in just over five minutes to win the US Championship. Later in the show, Reigns and Rollins beat Kane and Daniel Bryan to win the tag titles. Champions are cool, and all members of a stable holding gold simultaneously is also cool. Also, despite being heels, none of The Shield interfered in the match they weren't involved in. Bad guys who happen to also be good at wrestling are

so

righteous and totes dreamy.

Why It Was Important: 

When a group holds simultaneous championships in WWE, you

know

they're going to be a big deal. It happened with Evolution a decade prior, and the two young members (Orton and Batista) are now surefire future Hall of Famers.

8. Warring With The Wyatts

Why It Was Cool: 

Elimination Chamber 2014 saw a match between The Shield and The Wyatt Family that can only be described as 'balls to the wall'. Our guys lost, but losing can still be cool if it's done in a rad manner. Being divided and conquered is absolutely one such way. Wyatt took Dean into the crowd and returned without him, Seth was slammed through the announce table, and Roman bravely resisted before finally falling. Everyone was like "Wow, I think I'm gonna really like this Reigns guy. He's so resilient and brave." Haha.

Why It Was Important: 

This was the event where everyone realised that The Shield could really

go

. Yes, Roman may have improved considerably

after

the breakup of the trio, but tag matches allow for guys to cover each other's weaknesses while showing off their strengths - and that's exactly what happened. We also saw the separation of the three members into distinct roles: Ambrose as the deranged leader, Rollins as the unflinching daredevil, and Reigns as the enforcer.

7. Turning Face

Why It Was Cool: 

Heels are cool, but it's always cooler when a molten hot bad guy turns face, allowing the fans to cheer them without any reservations at all. That's exactly what happened when The Shield had enough of The Authority telling them what to do in March 2014. They celebrated by utterly squashing Kane and the New Age Outlaws at WrestleMania XXX, and even entered wearing skull-themed facemasks. As if they weren't badass enough...

Why It Was Important: 

Turning face really helped maximise the popularity of The Shield (and, I imagine, sell a boatload of merchandise) - but it also sowed the seeds for what was to come. Defeating the old guard at 'Mania was symbolic in its rapidness; here were three guys being put over

strong

.

6. Defeating Evolution (Twice)

Why It Was Cool: 

When The Shield defeated the reformed Evolution (minus Ric Flair) at Extreme Rules and Payback 2014, they perhaps reached peak coolness. That second victory in particular - an elimination match which saw all three members survive - ended with the trio posing above the prone body of Triple H. The

audacity

. (Also, both matches were good, and putting on good matches is always cool.)

Why It Was Important: 

This was the high water mark before everything came crashing down, and makes for poignant viewing in hindsight. Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns enjoyed their ultimate moment of collective triumph at Payback -

and it would last less than a day

. The best swerves happen when you least expect it, and this victory played a huge role in veiling WWE's intentions.

5. The Break-Up

Why It Was Cool: 

Rollins, you heartless snake! I hate you! We all hate you! How could you do this? To your

brothers

!? You were so great together! Nobody could beat you, and you threw it all away - to align with

Triple H

!? I feel sick. This is horrible. This is disastrous. Also, this is

so

awesome and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Why It Was Important: 

Everybody thought it would be Ambrose. From the moment The Shield started to

really

gain momentum, talk of a split started to arise. However, all the clues pointed to Dean turning on the others and striking out on his own - from the end of his record-setting US Championship reign to his generally unhinged demeanour. It was a wonderful piece of misdirection from WWE, and proof that subtlety can still exist in their storytelling when they really want it to.

4. Money In The Bank 2016

Why It Was Cool: 

All three members of The Shield held the WWE Championship in one night! First Rollins beat Roman (clean!) to win the belt, reversing his Spear with a sweet jumping Pedigree - and then hitting a normal Pedigree to make certain, because Reigns is very tough. Smart strategy there; I'm surprised more haven't tried it on the Big Dog.

Then

, Ambrose gained the ultimate revenge for Seth's betrayal, cashing in the MITB title shot he earned earlier in the show. Bonus irony points due to Rollins' cash-in antics at the previous year's WrestleMania.

Why It Was Important: 

After two years of (usually) staying out of each other's way, this brought all three members of The Shield back into the same storyline. In their time apart, Reigns had become WWE's golden boy, Rollins had become the

actual

golden boy, and Ambrose was in danger of being the group's whipping boy. He finally won big here, and also gained cathartic revenge on the man who betrayed him.

3. The Shield Triple Threat

Why It Was Cool: 

All three members of The Shield in a triple threat!? This was the match we'd been asking for for

ages

! Yes, the build was a little shaky due to Roman's wellness policy violation, and subsequent suspension - but he was back in time for Battleground 2016. To make things even more exciting, the WWE Championship was on the line.

Why It Was Important: 

I'll be honest, this is the weakest moment on the list in my opinion, and perhaps the only aspect of The Shield saga that I don't enjoy at all. It's still an important moment in their history, for sure, but WWE's decision to overshadow the trio's climactic three-way clash with brand warfare was flat out dumb. Nobody cared about Stephanie and Foley vs. Shane and Bryan. We wanted to see the guys put on a storytelling masterclass, with over two years of buildup to draw upon. Realistically, this could (and should) have headlined WrestleMania. Instead, it fell pretty flat. Ugh.

2. Survivor Series 2016

Why Was It Cool: 

So it turns out The Shield are too cool to respect traditional things like arbitrary Survivor Series allegiances. This was proven in 2016 when they forgot themselves for a moment, briefly reforming to slam AJ Styles through the announce table. Extra cool points: this would have really annoyed Shane McMahon, as it jeopardised Team SmackDown's chances of winning the match - and it's always nice to see his cockiness become anger.

Why Was It Important: 

Despite murmurings of a Shield reunion from the moment they broke up, this was the moment WWE made us realise that it was actually going to happen - just not quite yet. Still, all three guys were now babyface (if you count Reigns as a face despite the constant booing), meaning that something could be right around the corner. We held our collective breath, until...

1. The Reunion

Why It Was Cool: 

'The boys are back in town! / The boys are back in town!'

Bawwwm bawwwwwwm.

Why It Was Important: 

The Shield's recent reformation has opened the door on the next chapter of their multi-year epic. If we count their rise and face turn as Act I, Rollins' betrayal and their individual pursuits as Act II, and this as Act III - and if we follow standard fictional convention - 

that means major stuff is going to go down soon

! At the time of writing, nothing untoward has happened yet - but my money's on a second betrayal, this time by Dean Ambrose. Whatever happens, it seems as though the story of Shield is in good hands. WWE care about this one, and when they care, good things tend to occur.

10. Cody Rhodes Vs. Rey Mysterio (WrestleMania 27)

The intro of this article spoke of the opposite ends of the WrestleMania match gamut, the ecstasy and the agony.

The Undertaker and Triple H's fight into near-oblivion certainly represents the ecstasy, while its diametric opposite was that Michael Cole/Jerry Lawler match that is arguably the  worst WrestleMania match that surpassed one minute. On the shoulders of that Cole/Lawler backwoods atrocity, among some other low points, WrestleMania 27 is seen as one of the weaker 'Manias.

The undercard did boast some enjoyable fare, including a Captain America-cosplaying Mysterio taking on a pre-All Elite Rhodes that blended Patrick Bateman, Ted Bundy, and The Phantom of the Opera in one disturbingly-vain package.

Centered on an angle where a crazed Rhodes believed Mysterio had damaged his good looks, the two blended quality wrestling with some one-upmanship, particularly when Rhodes looks to employ weaponry.

The "Undashing" one eked out a win after 12 minutes, earning plenty of vocal love from the diehard Mania crowd, and the match went a good way in separating Rhodes from his Legacy lackey past.

9. Junkyard Dog & Tito Santana Vs. The Funk Brothers (WrestleMania 2)

Like WrestleMania 27, the second incarnation of 'Mania is generally placed on the lower end of the rankings.

Outside of the Steel Cage finale, The British Bulldogs winning the Tag Team belts, and Andre the Giant's Battle Royal win, there isn't all that much else (okay, the rather-needless three time zone set-up) that stands out historically. And that's a shame, because the match that went on before Hulk Hogan and King Kong Bundy's closer may have been match of the night, even edging out The Bulldogs vs. The Dream Team.

There's a lot to love here: JYD is still absolutely fantastic, while Santana is still an underappreciated wrestling god, and the two were ideal for the classic tag formula.

But even their shared greatness pales to 41-year-old Terry Funk bumping with endless vigour, taking hard falls onto concrete and even tables, back when the very idea of ECW was a mere glint in some milkman's eye.

This match kicks ass in any era, and in 1986, it's controlled chaos done extremely well.

8. Matt Hardy Vs. Jeff Hardy (WrestleMania 25)

This is what we mean by "overshadowed".

When I say "WrestleMania 25", you salivate and say, "Oooh, Shawn vs. Taker!" And you're damn right to do so,because most people would agree that that particular epic belongs in the top five WrestleMania matches ever.

And it's true, virtually everything else from 25 pales before the mighty Michaels/Taker battle for the ages - diminished Pipers and Snukas, horrible battle royals, IC title squashes, dull main events - but there is one exception.

The suddenly-wicked Matt Hardy was doing all he could to, umm... erase his brother? Eradicate his brother? Cancel his brother? Surely, there's a better word out there, one that accurately sums up the means by which Fragmented Matt went all hammer-and-tongs on his kid brother in an Extreme Rules match?

There were Attitude Era-style stunts and violence to go along with some subtle human chess on Matt's part, giving WrestleMania 25 the sort of undercard car wreck that keeps it from being merely a one-match show.

7. The Rockers Vs. Haku & The Barbarian (WrestleMania 7)

Within a year, Marty Jannetty would be extracting glass from his forehead on the floor of The Barber Shop, but for now, he and Shawn Michaels were still the same "tag team specialists" that enthralled crowds, mixing the frenetic athletics of The Young Bucks with the salesmanship and timing of The Revival.

Given enough time, The Rockers could steal any show they damn well pleased, though thanks to Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage's career-ending match, they had to settle for second place on this night in Los Angeles.

Haku and The Barbarian were the opponents in WrestleMania 7's opener, but they were more than just two beefy roadblocks for The Rockers to try and overcome. Both were highly-skilled, deceivingly-athletic brutes that not only bumped off of The Rockers' most dazzling strikes, but could fire back with punishing offense that looked great.

The two duos were natural foils, and with 10-plus minutes with which to work, they kicked off WrestleMania 7 with an absolute bang.

6. The Undertaker Vs. Diesel (WrestleMania 12)

It's a bit of a strange pehenominam that Undertaker's best WrestleMania matches didn't begin until he was in his forties - the battles with Shawn Michaels, Triple H, CM Punk, Edge, and Batista marked a seven-Mania run that began when "The Deadman" was 42.

There are a few decent matches pre-"life begins at 40" for Undertaker, and the one in this entry was probably the first WrestleMania match of his that you could call "pretty good."

The fifth win in Undertaker's Streak came against an outbound Kevin Nash, whose last day with WWE sat two months ahead. The pair had issues since the end of 1995, and after each cost each other the WWE Championship at consecutive pay-per-views, the monsters collided at WrestleMania 12.

By this time, Undertaker was toning down some of his character's inhumanity, and his more energetic brawling matched up well with a Diesel that was proud to do the honours for a man he respected.

It's a very good power-based brawl, even if most people remember 12 more for the Iron Man closer.

5. Chris Jericho Vs. Christian (WrestleMania 20)

WrestleMania 20 made the bloated duration of a WrestleMania night work by mixing in some shorter bouts in between the heavier entries, making the night feel like an old school WrestleMania in some ways.

Most memories lie with the now-heartbreaking conclusion of Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero standing tall, the excellent matches that each won, Undertaker's grand re-entrance, and The Rock clowning Ric Flair.

Jericho and Christian, meanwhile, had an intriguing grudge, and they boosted the show's undercard with some fantastic wrestling. Their feud centered around Jericho's curious puppy-dog crush on Trish Stratus, and Christian trying to knock some sense into his lovesick friend (WWE realises the fans knew Jericho was married, right?).

The match itself was as thrilling as it was workmanlike, with Christian even busting out a Texas Cloverleaf for the occasion (which should make it an Ontario Maple Leaf).

A controversial finish involving Trish would lead to the innovator of Stratusfaction's shocking heel turn and alignment with Captain Charisma.

Overall, this match will remind just how underrated Christian truly was, and that WrestleMania 20 had more great memories than just the contemporary choices.

4. The Steiner Brothers Vs. The Headshrinkers (WrestleMania 9)

Ahh, WrestleMania 9 - in a shipment of 34 bags of grain, this would be the one that has the dead mice inside.

Between Bret Hart's WWE title reign, Hulk Hogan usurping the spotlight, and Undertaker trying to get something decent out of a glorified Bayley Buddy covered in minks, WrestleMania 9 was pretty gosh-darn bad. In fact, once you get past the first two matches, you're swimming in a septic tank the rest of the way.

The opener was Shawn Michaels vs. Tatanka for the IC title. The second match was this tag team brawl.

When you put the Steiners and Headshrinkers together, you have four men who go the extra mile when it comes to jacking someone's jaw, and this match is as violent as you can get without resorting to deathmatch implements.

At one juncture, Scott Steiner takes a flapjack over the top rope and appears to just die. In another stunning moment, Rick catches one Headshrinker in a Powerslam - while sitting on the other's shoulders. It's some high-concept material, setting a high bar that nothing that followed came close to clearing.

3. The Chicago Street Fight (WrestleMania 13)

When the dust settled on Bret Hart and Steve Austin's masterpiece of a Submission Match, it was hard fathom anything ever topping it.

History is even kinder to the match, as not only does the action hold up, but Austin's success in the six years after add more gravity to his blood-soaked limp up the aisle, under a torrent of applause.

It's a "chill" moment like nothing before or since, and really, what could follow that?

Ahmed Johnson, The Legion of Doom, and The Nation of Domination had their work cut out for them that night, sitting in a rather unenviable position. But all things considered, they delivered what was expected of them and then some, brawling with no end in sight during 11 minutes of pure anarchy.

There's barely a structure, and nary a breather, as the six men, plus the Nation's various underlings, just beat the hell out of other from bell-to-bell, and even after the second bell. The match is a template for the hardcore matches that followed over the years, with no contrivance, and no filler.

2. The Undertaker Vs. Ric Flair (WrestleMania 18)

Nothing from WrestleMania 18, not even a pretty good Triple H/Chris Jericho main event, was going to be the topic of conversation that the Hulkamania rebirth was.

To have watched that match in the moment was to have been mesmerised by the entire scene, everything else from inside the SkyDome be damned.

Tucked into the undercard was a very good fight with a story to it, and it's an often overlooked bit of WrestleMania lore.

First off, the match is historic simply because the win brought Undertaker's WrestleMania total into the double digits, which Undertaker silently acknowledged (thus beating Tye Dillinger to the punch by more than a decade).

But the match itself saw an ageing Flair fighting a losing battle against a remorseless fiend that tormented his friends and family, all with a smile on his face.

Flair almost brings Undertaker to his knees after several valiant comeback attempts, but neither those, nor Arn Anderson's wicked Spinebuster, could slay the resilient monster. It's more than just a bloody battle - the character motivations therein add so much to what could've been just a one-note hardcore match.

1. The Ultimate Warrior Vs. Rick Rude (WrestleMania 5)

The Warrior gets a lot of deserved grief for different reasons, and in the realm of wrestling, his "workrate" takes its share of lumps. Others have noted the inspired fare that Warrior has produced with skilful opponents, three of which took place at WrestleMania.

He and Randy Savage wove a masterful tale at WrestleMania 7, while he and Hulk Hogan created the gold standard for hero-vs-hero epics the previous year.

His IC title match with Rude at WrestleMania 5 may take third place in this trio, but it's nonetheless a great showing.

"Ravishing Rick" may have had his cowardly traits as a character, but as a worker, Rude could sell like crazy, as well as deliver credible offense.

His upset victory over Warrior saw him take to the air with a sky-scraping Missile Dropkick, before doing all he can to match power with his muscular rival.

When reined in and working to tell a story, Warrior was an effective performer, and with a versatile pro like Rude across the ring, they could do so much together.

Their rematch at that year's SummerSlam is perhaps even better than their WrestleMania 5 battle, but both more than worth a look.