Seth Rollins recently shared insights into how The Shield, the wrestling faction consisting of Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose, was originally scheduled to break up at WrestleMania 30. This significant event was intended to unfold with Reigns facing Ambrose in a singles match, where Rollins would serve solely as a special guest referee, excluding him from the contest itself. The Shield ultimately parted ways in 2014 following Rollins’ betrayal on an episode of Raw after WWE Payback. Despite the split, the trio reunited several times between 2017 and 2019, until Ambrose departed WWE for AEW under the ring name Jon Moxley.
Discussion of a Shield Triple Threat at WrestleMania
During an appearance on The Sal Licata Show, Rollins reflected on the possibility of a triple threat match featuring The Shield members at WrestleMania. He confirmed that the notion had been considered, explaining that the faction’s original breakup was supposed to take place during WrestleMania 30. The planned scenario involved Roman Reigns wrestling Dean Ambrose while Rollins acted as the special guest referee. Rollins described how this approach was eventually discarded, allowing them to extend their run by several months, including notable six-man tag matches against Evolution.
When The Triple Threat Match Finally Occurred
The triple threat match of Rollins, Reigns, and Ambrose was ultimately held at the Battleground pay-per-view in 2016. According to Rollins, all three wrestlers opposed the decision to hold the match at Battleground instead of WrestleMania, as they believed such a high-profile encounter deserved to take place on WWE’s biggest stage. He noted that this choice was overruled by WWE management at the time, referring to the authority figure no longer involved with the company.
“And to this day, I think at least for me it’s one of the bigger regrets I have, that we didn’t get to do that match properly and tell the proper story um at at the biggest PPV of the year. So there you go.”
?Seth Rollins, WWE Superstar – The Sal Licata Show
Significance of the Triple Threat Match Timing and Its Impact
The triple threat bout between Rollins, Reigns, and Ambrose stands out as an important moment in each wrestler’s career and in The Shield’s storyline. Holding the match at Battleground instead of WrestleMania deprived fans and the performers of a grander platform to fully realize the story they wished to convey. Rollins acknowledges the missed opportunity as a lasting regret, emphasizing how pivotal WrestleMania typically is for storytelling in WWE. The Shield’s breakup and subsequent reunions remain a noted chapter in wrestling history, influencing character trajectories and fan engagement across WWE and AEW.
