In the eyes of most fans, The Shield is one of the greatest factions in wrestling history. Some might even say they're the best and they're certainly near the top of the list during the 2010s. The trio featured Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose, who all went on to achieve great success together and separately.
The talented group each had a claim to being the leader and were evenly matched. During their tenure, they feuded with some other top teams and stables. Most of these were great but a few stood out and a handful were kind of lackluster.
10 Lamest: The Bar
On paper, The Shield against The Bar sounds incredible. In fact, the 2017 rivalry pitting Cesaro and Sheamus against the reunited duo of Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose produced some great matches. However, that kind of changed when Roman Reigns came into the picture.
The feud ultimately went too far over the top. They threw Braun Strowman and The Miz into the mix, leading to a messy clash at TLC. Also, this never got the chance to truly get going as Reigns got injured and the TLC match saw him replaced by Kurt Angle.
9 Greatest: The Usos
The Usos have gone on to become arguably the best tag team in WWE history. They may not have made it there without their first show-stealing match against The Shield. It happened at Money in the Bank 2013 on the Kickoff Show.
It remains one of the better Kickoff matches in history and was possibly the best thing on that night of wrestling. It only got better when the teams had other meetings over the Tag Team Titles later in the year. They would've ranked higher if the teams feuded during The Usos' peak after 2016.
8 Lamest: The New Day
This should've been something spectacular. The only trio on the level of The Shield in recent memory is The New Day. Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Big E have shown incredible staying power and consistency during their run.
The two teams set their sights on each other heading into Survivor Series 2017. While the match was very good, the feud left a lot to be desired. It was more based around brand supremacy rather than two of the greatest factions ever going at it.
7 Greatest: The Wyatt Family
There was no question that The Shield dominated WWE throughout 2013. They were constantly winning big bouts and having the best matches. However, by the time the summer rolled around, The Wyatt Family hit the scene.
The two trios ended up lining up against each other at Elimination Chamber 2014. They would go on to meet a few other times on Raw and Main Event, which each collision being something special. It felt like a big deal since it was two tremendous factions going to war.
6 Lamest: The Prime Time Players
Here's one that is so lame, most people don't even remember that it happened. It was short-lived and just under a year into The Shield's run. It came heading into Night of Champions 2013 and revolved around the Tag Team Titles.
The Prime Time Players, consisting of Darren Young and Titus O'Neill, were challengers for Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins during their title run. They barely had a rivalry, it was forgettable, and the match wasn't all that entertaining.
5 Greatest: The Rhodes Brothers
This is a feud that came from out of nowhere. For most of 2013, Cody Rhodes was in a heel team with Damien Sandow while Goldust wasn't even on the roster. That changed when Randy Orton beat Cody on an episode of Raw, causing him to get fired.
Goldust returned to fight for his brother's job and failed. It let to a match at Battleground against The Shield for their jobs. The emotional battle saw The Rhodes Brothers pick up the win and they then captured the titles on Raw shortly after. The teams continued to have great matches together for the rest of 2013.
4 Lamest: Big Show, Randy Orton, & Sheamus
It's the only entry on this list that isn't a regular tag team or faction. Still, this oddball trio played a major part in The Shield's early run. Big Show, Randy Orton, and Sheamus had all been beaten up by The Shield and wanted revenge.
Their match took place at WrestleMania 29 and it just so happened to be the debut of The Shield on the biggest stage. The match was solid but nothing special and it all kind of just led to another Big Show heel turn.
3 Greatest: Team Hell No
The Shield debuted at Survivor Series 2012 and made an immediate impact. They attacked several big stars but the question remained on whether they could deliver in an official match. There was no better opponent choice than Team Hell No.
Daniel Bryan and Kane teamed up with Ryback to face the trio in a TLC match at TLC 2012. It was one of the best debut performances in history. Team Hell No went on to partner up with the likes of Kofi Kingston and The Undertaker to have more great battles with the stable. They also lost their Tag Team Titles to Reigns and Rollins.
2 Lamest: The New Age Outlaws
There was just something about The Shield and WrestleMania that led to something disappointing. After being the best thing about WWE through all of 2013, it felt pretty lame that their WrestleMania XXX match was with The New Age Outlaws and Kane.
Billy Gunn and Road Dogg may have won the Tag Team Titles for a short stint in 2014 but they were way past their primes. The feud lacked but it was fun to see The Shield squash the legends at the PPV.
1 Greatest: Evolution
Thankfully, The Shield was put in a much better position once WrestleMania XXX ended. Their rivalry with The Authority led to Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista reforming Evolution. It was the top stable of the current era against the best from the Ruthless Aggression era.
It felt like a true case of two titans of the industry colliding. Their matches at Extreme Rules and Payback were both among the best of 2014. It also marked the end of The Shield, as after they swept Evolution at Payback, Seth Rollins turned on the group.