100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
82. Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs. Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns (Battleground 2013)
Looking back on The Shield's initial run in WWE is always a hoot, not least because it reveals that Roman Reigns was quietly more effective than some gave him credit for at the time. Both Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose had been independent wrestling darlings, so they were called upon to carry the can for the group in matches, but Roman held his own as a brooding powerhouse.
Reigns came alive when the story called for someone to act as a human brick wall for up-against-it babyfaces. Enter Cody and Dustin Rhodes (the latter under his iconic Goldust character) at Battleground 2013. Together, the real-life brothers fought to keep hold of their jobs on the WWE roster and make sure The Authority's Triple H and Stephanie McMahon couldn't fire their father Dusty from his position as an NXT trainer.
The match turned out to be a celebration of everything that's good about tag-team wrasslin'.
Cody showed the same passion that'd fuel his singles stardom a decade on, and Goldust played the crafty veteran who was equal parts motivated and concerned his body might give out on him. On the other side of the ring, Shield duo Rollins and Reigns were like sharks smelling blood; they were only in town to do The Authority's bidding and earn a huge payoff. Nothing more.
Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Title headlined the inaugural Battleground pay-per-view, but Cody and Dustin vs. The Shield easily could've gone on last without protest from the fans in Buffalo, New York. That's how much of a feel good thrill ride it turned out to be.