Coming off of the Payback pay-per-view, The Shield was riding high. They had defeated Evolution for the second time and were undeniably the hottest act in wrestling. Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns were the most popular stars in the company, surging at just the right time. Then it happened. Triple H had vowed to have a so-called "Plan B." He, Randy Orton and Batista may have failed to eliminate The Shield but he would destroy them one way or the other. And he did, recruiting Seth Rollins to be the golden boy of the Authority. In a shocking moment, Rollins betrayed his brothers, wiping both Ambrose and Rollins out with steel chairs. In the aftermath of the shocking moment, Rollins would credit his desire to prove that he was the man behind the success of the Shield. He wanted bigger, better things for himself and the best way to do that was through an alliance with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. It worked. In short order, Rollins captured the Money in the Bank briefcase, became the lead heel in WWE and at WrestleMania 31, some 10 months after his rise to singles glory, he captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
