The Shield appear to be on the same page, for now, after last week’s SmackDown broadcast. Are the trio on the verge of breaking up, or is there much more mileage left for Ambrose, Reigns and Rollins as a unit?
Daniel Bryan had his wish granted on Raw after flooding the ring with supporters, and will get his WrestleMania match with Triple H. How does the visual of Bryan surrounded by fans hijacking the show rank alongside other top Raw moments? And, has this match addition to WrestleMania XXX greatly increased our interest in the card?
Also, Zack Ryder has launched another YouTube series, Zack Ryder’s Last ReZort. Will this be Ryder’s ticket back to the top, or is it all downhill from here?
1. The Shield teased a split on last week’s SmackDown with their “Shield Summit”. Is there still mileage for the trio in WWE, or have they been usurped by The Wyatt Family in terms of three-man teams? And, if Ambrose, Reigns and Rollins do go their separate ways, where will they rank in terms of all-time great trios?
Dion:
The Shield definitely have more mileage in them in my opinion, and I think they have more than The Wyatt Family. With The Wyatts, it’s all about Bray, whereas The Shield have three strong personalities, each with their own fan base. A split is inevitable, though I do wonder if the impending Cesaro and Swagger split will take centre stage for “break ups” over the next wee period. Trios and factions come and go and are quickly forgotten (remember Nexus?). I think these three have made enough of an impact to be rated quite highly, though.
Stevie:
I enjoyed the “Shield Summit”. Part of what makes the team great is that they are different in every way, physical and personality-wise, but that compliments the overall. They’ve got a lot of life left in them. Keep them going strong for another six months or so and we’ll have one of the greatest teams in the record books.
Blake:
I know that everybody’s pulling for a triple threat between the team members at WrestleMania, but I have a feeling that’s not going to happen. Although the trio are currently squabbling, I feel there is still enough juice left in the tank, plus all three seem to be reuniting. The group have been amongst the top trios in all of wrestling as far as I can tell, and I think they will stay like that for at least another month.
David:
The Shield have been left a little without a purpose coming into WrestleMania but there’s plenty more to be done with them before they’re forced to split up. They’re not quite the Freebirds in terms of three-man teams, but Ambrose, Reigns and Rollins changed the game when they first hit the main roster, and are largely responsible for the resurgence in tag team wrestling in WWE today. In the event they do have to split up, I hope it’s amicable, so the door’s always open for more tag matches down the line.
2. Daniel Bryan occupied Raw with great success this week, flooding the ring with WWE fans who refused to leave until his demands were met. Where does the “Occupy Raw” segment rank in terms of all-time great Raw moments?
Dion:
That was a great moment. And you have to give props to Triple H for making the moment, too. It certainly rates right up there with those in recent memory. You got the feeling that if Bryan signalled a walk out, the whole arena would have gone with him.
Stevie:
It was a great moment. I only wish It’d been before the Rumble match and this was how he got in it. But kudos to finding a really interesting way to write their way back to what people want to see. Must have been great for all the fans that got to be part of that! Apparently they got randomly selected on entering the arena and weren’t really certain what was going to happen.
Blake:
I’m probably going to have a fair few people disagreeing with me here, but I don’t think it ended up being all that great. It was a brilliant concept, but the execution just seemed to be lacking that extra oomph. So to answer the question, not that high at all.
David:
I think it’s got to be up there with the best segments Raw’s ever had. Austin’s beer bash with The Corporation, The Rock’s first “Rock Concert” in 2003, The Nexus dismantling the ring in their main-roster debut, and now Bryan occupying Raw.
3. Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H, Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena, and a 30-man Andre the Giant memorial battle royal have all been added to WrestleMania XXX. How excited are you about these additions to the card?
Dion:
Now that Bryan vs. Triple H has its added stipulation – now I’m interested. Wyatt and Cena will have a great match I’m sure, though I’m still surprised at this one. And the 30-man Andre the Giant memorial battle royal should be a lot of fun.
Stevie:
Well, we can thank CM Punk’s walkout for part of how Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H came to be. The added stipulation is the only thing saving WrestleMania. I’m not too interested in the rest.
Blake:
I think that these will be some tremendous matches which have been built to nicely or created out of a great respect. In saying that, didn’t we have the Royal Rumble two months ago…?
David:
I’m super stoked with the stipulation for Daniel Bryan versus Triple H – that’s the sort of thing that inspires you to head over to New Orleans and watch it in person. All in all the card’s looking a lot stronger than it was coming out of Royal Rumble.
4. The Young Bucks won the ROH World Tag Team Championships last week, and now hold three tag titles simultaneously. WWE’s tag team division also appears revitalised, with multiple pairings in action on Raw and SmackDown each week. In this age of tag teams, who is your favourite?
Dion:
It has been a great resurgence in the tag team ranks. I’m enjoying The Usos at the moment, and the New Age Outlaws have proven that they are still able to hang with anyone.
Stevie:
I love tag team wrestling. It’s great to see a renewed focus on that division. Are the Canadian Ninjas still together? They’re my favourite. But on TV, I’ve been loving the work of the Rhodes Brothers. Especially when they face The Shield. You’re guaranteed a great match every time.
Blake:
I would like to point out that this is not the age of tag teams, the WWE tag division is actually beginning to flounder again. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not so sure bringing back stars from the Attitude Era makes for the greatest wrestling matches. Regardless, my favourite current tag team is the greatest stable in WWE history: 3MB.
David:
WWE’s been brilliant with its tag team wrestling lately. That match between Cody/Goldust and Reigns/Rollins on this week’s Raw is one of my favourites for the entire year. I can’t pick between those two teams and The Usos in terms of a favourite, and having a three-way tie means things are looking very good at the moment.
5. Zack Ryder is back on YouTube with a new web series, Zack Ryder’s Last ReZort. Will Ryder recapture the magic of Z! True Long Island Story that led to his United States title run in 2011?
Dion:
No. Sorry Zack.
Stevie:
Poor Zack. No.
Blake:
I think that as long as Ryder is able to maintain his creative integrity, this could create the Ryder Evolution he was talking about. I don’t know if he’ll be winning championship gold again, but we’re already talking about him and that is how these things start.
David:
I’m certainly hopeful, but I feel like Ryder effectively played all his cards back in 2011, and we saw how that worked out. Still, at least there’s that Andre the Giant memorial battle royal!
