7 Reasons Why The Shield Must Not Reunite At WWE TLC 2017
Jumping the gun on what should be one of 2017's biggest moments.
No Mercy 2017 was a great night for former Shield members. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins successfully defended their Raw Tag Team Titles with a show-stealing performance against Sheamus and Cesaro, while Roman Reigns was victorious in his long-awaited clash with John Cena. All three were among the night's biggest winners, and now, the attention returns to their seemingly inevitable reunion.
Pro Wrestling Sheet's James McKenna tweeted that WWE plan on having the trio reconcile at Tables, Ladders, and Chairs, which takes place on 22 October. Plans change, but McKenna has previously called Jason Jordan's unveiling as Kurt Angle's son and Asuka's upcoming TLC debut. He's a reliable source, and there's every reason to believe him.
The Shield are one of the greatest WWE stables of all time, but while their reunion sounds awesome on paper, it becomes increasingly problematic on closer inspection. The company won't just be jumping the gun if they do this at TLC, but needlessly burning something the fans have been looking forward to from the moment the group split, leaving everyone disappointed.
WWE only have one chance at sculpting a memorable Shield reunion, and they can't afford to do it at TLC. Here's why.
7. The Lack Of Quality Opposition
"Who will they face?" is the first question that comes to mind when contemplating The Shield's seemingly imminent in-ring return. The idea of them competing alongside each other sounds great in theory, but opponents are in short supply, and there's little time to throw a makeshift team together.
The Miztourage are a possibility, but they're not ideal. Miz is great, but Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel are a pair of goobers who shouldn't realistically be able to compete with The Shield. This booking would be a huge waste of the big reunion, even if the Intercontinental Title was up for grabs, but burning potentially huge moments is nothing new for WWE.
They could place the The Wyatt Family back together by sending Erick Rowan and Luke Harper to Raw, but it hasn't been long since the duo last split from their former master, and booking yet another reunion would likely draw eye-rolls from the crowd. Bálor Club? There's not enough time to put them together. Sheamus, Cesaro, and one other? Maybe, but it'd reek of desperation.
A memorable match requires opponents who are at least on-par with Reigns, Rollins, and Ambrose. Sadly, such an option just doesn't exist at the moment.