The Shield

The Shield was a WWE faction made up of Dean Ambrose (later Jon Moxley), Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns, three wrestlers who would all go on to become world champions. The group made their initial appearance on November 18, 2012, at Survivor Series, where they stormed through the crowd and attacked Ryback during the main event, allowing CM Punk to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship.

From that moment, they presented themselves as soldiers of justice, always working as a unit and making their entrances through the audience in black tactical gear. In the months that followed, The Shield became one of the most dominant stables in WWE history. They built an undefeated streak in televised six-man tag matches from late 2012 until mid-2013, defeating stars like John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Randy Orton, Big Show, Kane, and even The Undertaker. Their teamwork and relentless style set them apart from other factions of the era.

At Extreme Rules 2013, The Shield hit their peak as a unit. That night showed just how dominant that had become. For the first time, all three members held gold at once. Dean Ambrose won the WWE United States Championship, while Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins walked out with the WWE World Tag Team titles. However, this run wouldn’t last forever.

On June 2, 2014, Seth Rollins turned on Ambrose and Reigns, aligning himself with Triple H and The Authority in one of WWE’s most shocking betrayals. From there, all three went their separate ways, each eventually rising to the top of WWE as world champions and headliners.

But even after the split, The Shield wasn’t finished. WWE brought them back together several times between 2017 and 2019, usually to face off against top factions or dangerous rivals. Their last ride as a trio came in April 2019 during a special event titled The Shield’s Final Chapter, which was billed as their farewell.

Looking back, The Shield changed WWE. Their arrival gave six-man tag matches new energy, their black tactical gear and crowd entrances became instantly iconic, and their team-first mentality set them apart from everyone else. Just as important, all three members went on to become top stars in their own right, which cemented The Shield as one of the most important and influential stables in wrestling history.