The Shield are officially back together for the first time in three and half years, but there is a lot about the trio you might not know. It's all very exciting even if it is a yet another thinly veiled attempt by WWE to try and get the fans cheering for Roman Reigns. On the October 9, 2017 edition of Raw, we witnessed The Shield creating new memories together as an official unit for the first time in years by laying waste to The Miz and then dismantling Braun Strowman. It will have undoubtedly had fans reminiscing about the abundance of moments Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose created when they were first together. Despite this being the second go around for the trio, there are likely still a few things that you don't know about The Shield, and here are five of those things.
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5. Evan Bourne Is Responsible For The Shield
OK, to say that Evan Bourne was responsible for The Shield might be something of an exaggeration, but there is an argument to be made that without his input years ago, the faction would have been very different. Back when Seth Rollins was still known as Tyler Black, he was offered a contract by WWE and TNA while having the option to go Ring Of Honor instead. It obviously left The Architect with a lot to think about, and he went to a friend for help. That friend was Evan Bourne. Evan being well versed in WWE recommended that his friend Seth take up the offer from WWE. Thankfully, Rollins took Bourne's advice and the rest is history.
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4. They Pulled Double Duty On NXT And The Main Roster
There are not many Superstars who are afforded the opportunity to perform on the main roster while still making appearances on NXT. Perhaps the most famous instance to date is when Kevin Owens came after John Cena while still holding the NXT Championship. Well a lesser known NXT Champion that made the jump to the main roster before he lost the title was Seth Rollins. NXT was not so much of a big deal back when this happened, so the fact that Rollins was the champion in NXT was completely ignored on Raw, and SmackDown. The Shield were doing their thing on the main roster picking guys apart, but also making their way down to Florida for NXT tapings.
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3. The Original Shield Triple Threat Happened In FCW
At Battleground 2016, fans were treated to one of the most hotly anticipated matches in recent history, a triple threat between all three members of The Shield. The WWE Championship was on the line, and to many fans' surprise, it was Dean Ambrose who emerged victorious. What you might not know is that match had happened years before. Prior to their time on the main roster or even NXT, the three Shield brothers squared off against one another for the opportunity to face Adam Rose for the FCW Championship. Roman Reigns, then known as Leakee, picked up the win by covering Dean Ambrose. Maybe Ambrose covering him four and a half years later was a long-term favor returned.
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2. Kassius Ohno Was Supposed To Be In The Shield
It's hard to imagine The Shield with different members than the ones it already has, but according to CM Punk, there was originally no place in the trio for Roman Reigns. Apparently, WWE wanted Punk to be a part of a heel faction but instead, the then WWE Champion suggested bringing Superstars up from NXT to watch his back. The Second City Saint suggested Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Kassius Ohno. WWE clearly loved the idea, except for the Ohno part. They went ahead with Punk's notion and replaced Kassius with Roman Reigns. As Reigns ascended up the pro wrestling pyramid, Ohno went the other way, being released from NXT and returning to the indy circuit as Chris Hero where he went on a legendary run in his own right. He's back in NXT now of course, but its always fun to wonder how different things would be with Ohno in the Shield instead of Reigns.
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1. Vince McMahon Wanted Them To Actually Carry Shields
In the build to The Shield's main roster debut, they were told that they were literally going to have to bring shields to the ring with them. The type that police use during riots and they would have Shield written on them in big red letters. The shields actually exist, as you can see from the photo, and the idea was abandoned just moments before they came to the ring. Vince McMahon happened upon the trio backstage not long before they were supposed to go out with shields in hand, and quite rightly decided there and then that they looked ridiculous and told them to lose the clunky protectors. If McMahon hadn't seen them, who knows how that debut would have gone and if the gimmick would have taken off at all.