WWE's Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and AEW's Jon Moxley Reflect on Legacy of The Shield on 10 Year Anniversary

By Matthew Aguilar

10 years have somehow passed since The Shield started their takeover of WWE, which all kicked off at Survivor Series in 2012. At the time they were enforcers for CM Punk, but they would go on to become one of WWE's biggest factions and launch three of wrestling's future heavy hitters. Reigns is currently having the best run of his career as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and head of the Bloodline, and Rollins has built yet another standout year for his resume and is the current United States Champion. Meanwhile, Moxley has been one of AEW's biggest stars since joining the company and is currently holding the AEW World Championship for the third time, and all three stars reflected on their beginnings in The Shield in a new interview with Sports Illustrated.

Rollins and Moxley (then going by Dean Ambrose) bonded quickly in FCW, which would eventually become NXT. "Mox and I were already on the same wavelength, and that was the moment that showed the three of us were of one mind and one goal," Rollins said. "That allowed us to be The Shield. Without that mindset, there is no Shield, and the last ten years look a lot different."

Reigns and Rollins would have a match that set the tone for what they would become. "That was a time when no one knew who we were," Reigns said, "They were training us like dogs, training us good, and I turned it up on Seth big time that day."

Eventually, all three would discover they were on the same wavelength, and that set in motion three amazing careers. "Early on, we found out we were going to be the guys for the company that could pull the wagon as far as we wanted if we worked hard enough," Reigns said. "If we didn't step up, someone else would, so we've always done everything in our power to put ourselves in the right position."

"Looking back, it was like we were kids," Moxley said. "The first few months of The Shield were f****** intense. It was a different time back then. We weren't necessarily welcomed with open arms by everybody, but we didn't give a f***. We were going to push the pace and have good f****** matches. Before long, everybody wanted to start working with us."

"We created that 'Shield work ethic,'" Moxley said. "The people we were around have that, too. Claudio [Castagnoli] is an old riding partner of The Shield. Hell, Bryan [Danielson] was our opponent in our first match. I still have that. We all do. It makes us who we are."

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