Roman Reigns Celebrates Seven-Year Anniversary of The Shield’s Debut

Monday marked a special day in WWE history, as Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins both pointed out on Twitter. On that same day seven years prior three men — Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose — hit the ring during a WWE Championship triple threat match between CM Punk, John Cena and Ryback and helped Punk retain his championship. The trio would go on to be known as The Shield, and in the years that followed the three would establish themselves as WWE’s dominant faction of the 2010s before breaking off as three main event stars. Combined the trio have held world championship gold nine times and have all reach the level of being Grand Slam Champions.

“7 years ago. 3 hungry dudes ready to take over the world debuted in @WWE,” Reigns tweeted. “Multiple world championships. Main events around the world. Money made. Families grown. Taking our own paths but will always be brothers. #TheShield”

Though they initially broke up in 2014, the three reformed the faction several times in the years that followed. The last reunion came about earlier this year when the news broke that Ambrose, now Jon Moxley, planned on leaving the company when his WWE contract expired at the end of April. The three competed in their final match together at the WWE Network event The Shield’s Final Chapter on April 21, defeating Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley in a six-man tag match.

Both Reigns and Rollins have spoken highly of Moxley after his departure, though Rollins ruffled a few feathers when he commented on Moxley signing with All Elite Wrestling.

“I knew Ambrose needed some time away from WWE but the thing is, he just loves wrestling, he loves the industry, he just wanted some freedom and do his own thing and that happens, you know?” Rollins said during a media conference call leading up to SummerSlam. “And that happens for everybody and I understand his position and why he wanted to go over there and that’s on him.

“But, now he’s competition, now he’s the one trying to take dinner off my table so good on him but we’re going to do our best to continue to be the best here at WWE and those guys want to step up to the big leagues to give it a shot? Then by all means but we’re going to knock them dead just like we do everybody else,” he continued.