10 Greatest In-Ring Alliances In WWE Royal Rumble History
7. The Shield - 2014
Long before Roman Reigns became a 'Tribal Chief,' Seth Rollins became a 'Messiah,' and Dean Ambrose became 'Jon Moxley' again, as The Shield, the trio were one of the most popular and dominant factions since their 2012 arrival.
Months before Rollins turned on his brothers and defied their union, The Shield were still one of the most commanding forces in the company. When the three men joined up in the 2014 Royal Rumble match then, fans expected the group to tear the other wrestlers apart, which they absolutely did.
During the Rumble match, The Shield members accounted for exactly 50% of eliminations (albeit, most of them via 'The Big Dog.')
Like several other teams, though, inner-competition led to their demise.
Ambrose tested his luck by trying to take out Reigns, which resulted in 'The Head of the Table' eliminating not only the 'Lunatic Fringe' but also Rollins. This was the first dent in The Shield, as later, 'The Architect' was swooned by The Authority and betrayed his brethren. Soon, the men would head down extremely varying (and often disproportionate) paths...for better or worse.