5. The Split Must Be Big
The Shield has been the most dominant force perhaps in the history of WWE. They are heralded as the strongest, most resilient and most successful faction of all time. They get main event spots on TV and pay-per-view while consistently having the best matches on the card. They have been together since 2012 and 16 months later they are still going strong. So when the time comes for The Shield to go their separate ways, it must be big. In fact, it must be epic. It's the only way for the gimmick to end, the only way to do justice and show respect for what The Shield accomplished and how hard the three men worked to get over. The end should become the stuff of legend; everyone should be talking about it the next day and it should be a highlight of the year that is remembered long after the fact. And it needs to happen in a live setting. Whether it's on Monday Night Raw or perhaps at WrestleMania 30, the event needs to be seen and felt as it happens. A split on the pre-taped SmackDown will not have the same impact; fans need to witness history as it happens. The most logical way for that history to happen is for Dean and Seth to turn their backs on Roman. A six-man tag team match would be the perfect way, as The Shield win most of the time in that environment. Imagine the shock among the live crowd as all three men put their fists in, only to then have Ambrose and Rollins take Roman out. The shock would carry over to the audience at home and suddenly Roman Reigns is on the fast track to babyface success. Roman's ascension to the top of WWE deserves a monster spark, an origin that becomes part of his story and is the proper beginning for a man believed to be the heir apparent to John Cena. And that origin should not come from a disbanding that is easy or civil; The Shield cannot end on a handshake or mutual decision. The fans need to care and they need to care that Roman is on his own, ready to make an impact.