6 Ways To Make The Miztourage Appear A Threat To The Shield

Roman Reigns’ laugh on Monday Night RAW said it all. The Miztourage - The Miz, Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas - against The Shield - one of the greatest factions in history? Be serious.

Yet that indeed seems to be the direction WWE are heading towards for the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, at the Target Center in Minneapolis on October 22nd.

The Intercontinental champion had Reigns as his guest on Miz TV this week to discuss The Big Dawg's win over John Cena at No Mercy, but the conversation quickly turned to other matters. The Awesome One claimed that, if his Miztourage were around five years ago, nobody would remember The Shield, and teased a possible match between the two groups.

Reigns insisted that Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose were following their own path, but the later beatdown of Reigns by The Miztourage, and the subsequent three-pronged fist bump mocking The Shield, seemed to confirm reports that a six-man tag is planned for TLC.

A Shield reunion would be a popular and profitable move by WWE (although one ultimately designed to get Reigns cheered). The problem is that nobody believes that The Miz and his jobber henchman will beat The Hounds of Justice, and that could damage buy rates in a similar way that Miz and R-Truth versus The Rock and John Cena did at Survivor Series 2011.

WWE needs to change that perception, and make The Miztourage appear a threat. Here’s how...

There is certainly some poetry about The Shield reunion coming at TLC. It was at the same pay-per-view in 2012 that the trio had their debut match on the main roster, beating Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) and Ryback, in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match.

While The Shield have experienced previous success with this crowd favourite stipulation, adding weapons to the fray would help the heel team even the playing field; The Miztourage would stand no chance of hanging with their illustrious opponents in a normal tag match.

Dallas and Axel have very much been window dressing for Miz thus far, rarely appearing when not by his side. They don’t have recognisable move sets or any big-match credibility, and that could be partially hidden behind vicious chair shots and the use of tables.

Miz's Skull-Crushing Finale onto a chair to Reigns on RAW was a clear sign that this is where things are headed. The Shield would still be expected to win, but the no-DQ stipulation would increase Miztourage’s odds and open up the possibility of outside interference.