WWE Raw: Why The Shield Reunion Isn’t For Everyone

The Shield are back in action on WWE Raw and will have a big match at TLC, but what does it all mean?

Allow me to make the assumption that most people have watched Game of Thrones. Like WWE Raw, GoT has inspired a hugely active fanbase, constantly raving and debating about developments in the show, significant or otherwise. If you’ve found yourself amid this fanbase, you might be aware of an unsubtle difference between how viewers react to the product.

For instance, some people will rue the fact that the most recent episode was lacking in epic battles or vicious murders, while others will giddily gossip amongst themselves about Littlefinger’s treachery or the meaning of Bran’s flashbacks. Conversely, some viewers will be ecstatic following a forty-minute, adrenaline-packed action scene, completely with sword-fighting and dragons. Meanwhile, other fans are flustered at the untimely death of a supporting character they believed would hold plot-significance somewhere down the line.

Broadly speaking, some people enjoy spectacle, others enjoy substance. Some enjoy how entertainment makes them feel, others enjoy what it makes them think. Neither one is the better way to enjoy, and most people can appreciate a healthy dose of both.

It’s because of this dichotomy that The Shield reuniting on Monday Night Raw has fans a little unsure of themselves. While some detractors often point to WWE being seemingly disinterested in their TV storylines, they are capable of adding depth to their product to appease those with longer attention spans. For evidence of that, you need look no further than The Shield.

The Saga of The Shield

Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns were three rookies in the WWE system who decided they were going to take on the world. Using strength-in-numbers and guerrilla tactics, they propelled themselves up the totem pole at a rate of knots. They aligned themselves with The Authority, they took on ‘The Deadman;’ they pursued Championships, took on Evolution, and then crumbled from within. Most importantly, it was all headed in the same direction: forward.

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Three rookies slowly-but-surely built themselves, through their actions, into three main-eventers and likely Hall-of-Famers. They went about it in vastly different ways, but they all scaled the mountaintop, and we were with them every step of the way. That’s a story that anyone can sink their teeth into, and made for captivating television week after week.

The problem is, were last night’s events the next chapter in this epic saga? It’s too early to say, but it doesn’t look likely.

WWE.com’s report on the event opens ‘The Shield has returned! Much to the elation of the WWE Universe WWE.’ WWE would undoubtedly love it if we all got caught up in the ‘The Shield Reunion’ hype, and never looked beyond all the pomp and fanfare for anything more significant. That’s because if you manage to get a glimpse past all the fist-touching, triple-powerbombing and ‘Oooohahhh’-ing, you’ll see there’s not much more to it.

F*** Substance, Get Ratings

It’s no secret that WWE launch long-term strategy out the window around this time of year. Football season has returned, and ‘Mania season hasn’t yet crept into view. Therefore, anything WWE can do to claw back some of the ratings they lose to the NFL, they will do. WWE’s status as the undisputed king of professional wrestling tricks us into thinking that as a business, they are invincible. But as a publicly-traded company, they are at the mercy of shareholders who won’t be blindly forgiving for a seasonal slump.

The Shield Reunion is a ratings booster that WWE will likely play out for as long as they can. The issue is, as characters, Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns have little reason to reunite other than providing a cool moment. Each man is a former World Champion, but Brock Lesnar’s absence gives them very little to strive for at present. On top of that, it’s not as though The Shield needed to return to fight off some new, equally-powerful evil. In fact, this all started because Reigns is a malcontent who can’t use words, so he uses his fists. 

Maybe they’re building to a heel turn from Ambrose or Roman? Maybe they’re setting the three up for a greater challenge down the line? But more than likely, they just needed to create some buzz to keep eyes on the product going into winter.

Enjoying the Spectacle

WWE are all about the margins. As with some of their WrestleMania decisions (having Goldberg walk in as Universal Champion over the less-recognisable Kevin Owens), they will always strive to get that next non-viewer watching. They care far less about the people who will be watching regardless. As a loyal WWE fan, you take what you are given. For many, The Shield Reunion is more than they could ever ask for. The ass-kicking, take-no-names trio is back on the hunt!

For the rest of us, we just need to try our best to enjoy the spectacle. TLC will undoubtedly be a car wreck, but save yourself the trouble and don’t go searching for the significance of their return. Spoiler alert, their motivation is quite simple: WWE needed buzz, and none of The Shield had anything better to do.

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I know it’s easier said than done, but if you can switch off the part of your brain that constantly asks ‘why,’ then you can take a leaf out of Mojo’s book and get hyped. The Shield are back.