10 Awesome WWE Ideas That Didn't Last

1. The Good Hounds Of Justice

After just over a year of terrorising the WWE roster in the name of all that is heel, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins began hinting at a babyface turn in the spring of 2014. They did so opposite The Wyatt Family, and the two factions had a couple of matches for the ages. The Shield continued their new good-guy status through WrestleMania season, dismantling Kane and The New Age Outlaws before continually besting Evolution in a series of matches.

The hottest babyface faction in WWE came to a shuddering halt when Seth Rollins turned on Ambrose and Reigns however, the good guy run of The Shield lasting just four months. It was brief but it was beautiful, crowds responding with such vigour that it is clear they want organically cool anti-heroes.

WWE could have got a lot more mileage and a lot more money out of The Shield running a little longer. It would have undoubtedly done a lot of good for Roman Reigns too, giving him the chance to work as a babyface whilst still being protected somewhat by his more experienced partners. Turning The Shield babyface was another great idea that simply wasn’t allowed to last.

A couple of babyface though ultimately abortive Shield reunions have came to pass since, but none have managed a sustained run. 2017's version felt like nothing more than a desperate attempt to get Roman Reigns over, hardly helped by the man himself missing their big TLC homecoming through illness. 2018 saw a partial restoration, before Reigns added his fist following his leukaemia diagnosis - only to have Dean Ambrose turn on him that night. It seems every effort to get the band back together is fighting against fate.

As WrestleMania draws - and Ambrose's time with WWE is seemingly coming to an end - The Shield has embarked on one final albeit disparate nostalgia run, but it's nothing like the 2014 vintage. After April, it's unlikely we'll see the trio seeking justice as a team for a while.