A year before their faction’s debut, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins knew they had chemistry in the ring.
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Seth Rollins: “That was the moment that showed the three of us were of one mind and one goal”
Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins first appeared on WWE programming on Nov. 18, 2012, at Survivor Series. They were mercenaries for CM Punk, helping him retain the WWE title in a triple threat against John Cena and Ryback. It wouldn’t be for another eight days that they announced their intentions, or even named their group, but the future for The Shield had already been written a year before.
“I think it was 2011,” says Rollins, who, more than a decade later, stands out as one of WWE’s most popular stars. “That was the first real moment for us.”
Rollins and Ambrose (now the backbone of AEW as Jon Moxley) became closely aligned during their time together in WWE’s developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling, a precursor to NXT. Though they may not have realized it at the time, they were one massive piece away from becoming one of the most influential factions in wrestling history. Fortunately, as it just so happened, Joe Anoa’i did not have the NFL career he had envisioned. That led him back into the family business of pro wrestling, where he eventually became Roman Reigns.
“Mox and I were already on the same wavelength,” Rollins says. “We knew what we wanted to do to change the business and the way it was perceived. We knew Roman had the work ethic to be in that group. But from this moment on, there was a different level of respect between the two of us and a different understanding.”
In a sweaty, un-air-conditioned workout facility in Florida, Rollins and Reigns engaged in their first must-see bout.
“That was a time when no one knew who we were,” says Reigns, who has evolved into the industry’s single most compelling star. “They were training us like dogs, training us good, and I turned it up on Seth big time that day.”
The ring was nondescript, yet this was a platform to stardom. During a drill led by former wrestling star and current WWE coach Terry Taylor, there was a breakout moment—one only a few eyes witnessed.
“I remember it very specifically,” Rollins says. “Terry was working with the talent that day, working with a few of us on basically picking up the intensity for short sprints of time. A lot of what we were doing at that time in the training facility in Tampa was mindless work. It’s summer in Florida; it’s roasting inside. We’d been toiling away in developmental, and it was all very frustrating.”
There was a drill where talent had to show Taylor what it looked like to go from zero to 100 in mere seconds. No one could perfect it—until Rollins and Reigns reached beyond the boundary and breaking point to make magic, creating the final piece of The Shield in the process.
“You had five or ten seconds to blow yourself sky high,” Rollins says. “Roman and I, we were paired together, and whatever we did, it wasn’t to Terry’s liking. We both looked at each other from across the ring, and there was this clarity and communication between the two of us. We were like, ‘We need to get out of this ring as soon as possible.’ We knew what had to be done.”
Reigns recalls the story with a distinct fondness, though his version is slightly more nostalgic than Rollins’s account.
“I remember it well, and I know Seth remembers it,” Reigns says. “I beat the hell out of him.”
Unsurprisingly, Rollins’s memory of the moment is crystal clear.
“Roman was on the offense, and I was on the defense, so I knew what was going to happen,” Rollins says. “Roman knew how to bring it, and he got us out of this drill.”
Rollins took the drubbing. The drill was finished, mercifully, and in a short time, the industry would be forever changed.
“Mox and I were already on the same wavelength, and that was the moment that showed the three of us were of one mind and one goal,” Rollins says. “That allowed us to be The Shield. Without that mindset, there is no Shield, and the last ten years look a lot different.”
Courtesy of WWE
That day marked a seminal turning point for the pro wrestling industry. Reigns is the face of WWE, Moxley is synonymous with AEW and Rollins is putting the finishing touches on a Wrestler of the Year performance, consistently delivering the best matches over the past 11 months.
One of the most multifaceted performers in all the industry, Rollins turned babyface last week on Raw, opening a window for a showdown against Reigns in the main event of next year’s WrestleMania. While there would be sizzle behind bringing The Rock back for a title match against Reigns, there would be more substance with Rollins chasing Reigns. Their Royal Rumble match in January was absurdly entertaining. Despite a lackluster DQ finish, the match was full of suspense, and the aftermath—with Reigns laying out Rollins with a steel chair, expressing his frustration with his inability to beat Rollins—was masterfully executed.
“Early on, we found out we were going to be the guys for the company that could pull the wagon as far as we wanted if we worked hard enough,” Reigns says. “If we didn’t step up, someone else would, so we’ve always done everything in our power to put ourselves in the right position.”
Moxley will headline AEW’s All Out pay-per-view Saturday. He is the lone Shield member to forge his own path outside of WWE, creating spectacular moments in AEW, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and across the indies.
“Looking back, it was like we were kids,” Moxley says. “The first few months of The Shield were f---ing intense. It was a different time back then. We weren’t necessarily welcomed with open arms by everybody, but we didn’t give a f---. We were going to push the pace and have good f---ing matches. Before long, everybody wanted to start working with us.”
Wrestlers from all over the world still want to work with Moxley, Reigns and Rollins. They are the standard setters, poised to determine the immediate future of wrestling.
“We created that ‘Shield work ethic,’” Moxley says. “The people we were around have that, too. Claudio [Castagnoli] is an old riding partner of The Shield. Hell, Bryan [Danielson] was our opponent in our first match.
“I still have that. We all do. It makes us who we are.”
The (online) week in wrestling
- Vikingo is coming to the United States.
- The tag team title picture in WWE was muddied with two different sets of champions, but The Usos have passed Demolition and The New Day’s record as longest-reigning champs—and it feels especially right considering they are the only tag champs in WWE.
- Kaito Kiyomiya and Timothy Thatcher worked a phenomenal match last week in Pro Wrestling NOAH with the GHC heavyweight championship on the line, which ended after 37 hard-fought minutes with Kiyomiya retaining the belt.
Daniel Cormier on his guest referee appearance in WWE: “I looked like I worked at Foot Locker”
Daniel Cormier had long entertained the idea of coming to WWE. He finally made his debut last month, serving as the special guest referee in the Fight Pit bout between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle at Extreme Rules.
The match served as an excellent main event, yet ultimately became overshadowed by the stunning return of Bray Wyatt. For a perfectionist like Cormier, who was a multidivision champion in UFC and world-class amateur wrestler, the guest spot did not meet his high standards.
“I was dressed like I should have been going to get shoes from the back,” Cormier says with a laugh. “I had fun, and they’re great, but I looked like I worked at Foot Locker.”
Cormier’s charm was on display as he discussed the event. Plenty of potential exists if he ever decides to wrestle inside a WWE ring.
“Afterward, they were like, ‘What do you want to do next?’” Cormier says. “I was like, let me lose some weight if I want to do anything next, and then I’ll come back.”
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Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.