10 Wrestlers Who SECRETLY Elevated The Stars

The Authority was, to be kind, hardly the most original idea in wrestling. The powers that be playing favourites, keeping titles on a chosen few, running roughshod over TV - it's been done a fair few times. Thank goodness, then, for The Shield, who managed to inject the programme with what little excitement it managed to generate.

While Triple H hogged the mic and Randy Orton held the belt, the company’s three top developmental prospects continued to grow as a team and individual characters. This allowed Orton to stay in the main event spot (notching some disappointing matches against Bryan and Big Show) while Reigns, Rollins, and Ambrose tore it up in the midcard.

Their brief role as Triple H’s stooges is a less remembered part of The Shield’s run, but it did its job brilliantly, giving fans a preview of the company’s future while leaving no doubt as to who its present was.

The stable’s ascension to the top of the ladder was pretty fast; on their way, though, they served a fantastic purpose in and out of kayfabe.