The Raw Tag Team Championships are on the line at No Mercy.
The Hounds of Justice reunite.
Years after their implosion at the hands of Seth Rollins, The Shield has reformed. Well, mostly reformed. Rollins and Dean Ambrose have found themselves on the same page once again. The pair has even won the Raw Tag Team Championships in recent weeks. This is a big story going into No Mercy.
Not only the reformation of one of the strongest teams in WWE history but when the honeymoon will end. It can’t last, right? Rollins’ first betrayal was so severe it took years to heal some of the wounds. Their opponents at No Mercy, The Bar, have a similar story.
The Bar is battle tested and united by their past wars. Sheamus and Cesaro were embroiled in a blood feud that would see the two men go to the brink just to defeat the other. It was after they two had ended a best of seven series in a draw that then RAW General Manager Mick Foley forced them to become a team.
At first, they were trepidatious of the pairing and there was no trust. But through weeks of matches and victories, The Bar would win the RAW Tag Team Championships. Their bond would be strengthened with the addition of the gold.
Can The Shield clear The Bar?
The Bar would lose then regain the titles throughout the spring and summer leading to their most recent loss, to The Shield. Fast forward to No Mercy and once again The Shield will go toe to toe with The Bar.
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Now there are the standard obvious outcomes, one team wins, one team loses. But the narratives within the story are what gives this the substance. Is The Shield the cohesive unit they appear to be in recent weeks? Can Ambrose fully forgive Rollins for what he did years ago? Can The Bar maintain their brotherhood and win the titles for the third time? It is a far more interesting match than what is on the surface.
In recent weeks both teams have added allies to their respective stables. The Shield has become aligned with The Hardy Boyz through their shared dislike of The Bar.
Cesaro and Sheamus have a similar partnership with The Club as they have thrown themselves into the mix against the foes. So will The Club and The Hardyz be a factor at No Mercy? Just another wrinkle in the story.
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My thought is that The Shield will continue their win streak and defeat The Bar. A full Shield reunion including Reigns is a license to print money. I don’t see The Bar breaking up in any sense of the phrase, but I could see the possible cracks in the foundation. The Shield will retain their titles and I have a feeling that down the road they will help Roman Reigns regain the Universal Championship. Thus reforming The Shield to its full strength and to write another chapter in their story.