There hasn't been a stable to storm the wrestling world like The Shield has since the original iteration of the nWo, back in 1996. At first, many in the Internet Wrestling Community were vocal about seeing Seth Rollins make the transition from ROH indie-darling to Major League player. Many of us were surprised and excited by the manic style of Dean Ambrose. But over time, Roman Reigns emerged as The Shield's de facto leader, and for good reason. Like The Rock, Reigns played professional football before coming into his own in the squared circle. He has shown a similar disposition in unlimited potential; with a combination of speed, size and athleticism that make you wonder if these two are actually the descendants of Milo of Croton. His back suplex side slam is something of a lost art, and we have never seen someone use the Spear with such effect, sans Bill Goldberg. Just six months in to The Shield's initial run, Reigns earned his first title. He went on to tie the record for most eliminations at the Survivor Series (with four of them) and then beat the record for most eliminations at the Royal Rumble (with thirteen). WWE Creative finally got their heads out of their asses and created an Order vs. Chaos angle with The Wyatt Family vs. The Shield in a stellar three-and-a half star match at Elimination Chamber that put big Roman Reigns in the spotlight. Fans clamoring for a breakup of The Shield looked as if they were about to get their wish, until The Shield began to jell again and make their turn to babyface. So it seems like we're in for more Triple Power Bombs and Justice served, at least for a while longer. But this guy is the total package. Expect a win at next year's Royal Rumble, and a big push in to Levi's Stadium for WrestleMania 31 before he becomes the new Face of the WWE.
Thom Fain is a journalist with more than a thousand bylines across the web. He's written for 155+ publications from local to international, covering topics like politics and sports. Thom enjoys the athletic spectacle of NJPW, and the excellence of its Japanese tradition.
