Last night, the WWE Universe saw the soldiers overthrow their all-powerful leader, as the Shield destroyed the King of Kings and the rest of Evolution in a six-man tag elimination match.
The match was likely the last encounter between the two groups. Batista is scheduled to take time off starting tonight and there is little focus on the rivalry in tonight’s preview for Raw, so it seems unlikely that the program will be continued.
Roman Reigns dominated Evolution last night, ultimately winning the contest by pinning Triple H.
With Evolution in their rearview mirror, one has to wonder where the Shield will go from here. They have already feuded with a good portion of the roster, and none of the members are really in line to challenge for a title, so it will be interesting to see what happens with the Hounds of Justice tonight.
One thing is certain though: all of the members are being booked strong. This was evident last night, as all three members of the group picked up an elimination against Evolution, with Roman Reigns ultimately securing the victory by pinning Triple H after hitting a spear.
It is obvious that Roman Reigns is being groomed as the first breakout star of the group. There were rumors that he and Triple H are being booked to square off at SummerSlam, but after last night’s emphatic victory by the Shield, that idea seems a bit less likely.
Assuming last night’s contest is the final time Evolution and the Shield meet, it was a fitting conclusion to a great rivalry. Their first contest at Extreme Rules is without a doubt the match of the year thus far. It appeared that last night’s matchup would surpass their first meeting.
After all, it had all of the ingredients of a classic match. It had the backstory between the two groups, it had the no-holds barred stipulation that would make the contest more exciting, and it also had a sense of finality due to the fact that most knew Batista was leaving after the event. It failed to live up to the hype of their first meeting, however.
– After WWE Payback went off the air, The Shield celebrated as Dean Ambrose threw chairs into the ring. All 3 members of The Shield then posed on top of the announcers table.
– CM Punk and AJ Lee were shown in the front row for Sunday’s Chicago Blackhawks vs. LA Kings game, which also took place in Chicago. Punk was tweeting throughout the game, which saw LA defeat Chicago in overtime to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Punk made up with Kings mascot Bailey after the game and tweeted:
Triple H recently tweeted the following, which contains a link to an Instagram photo of the Evolution leader working out in preparation for his battle with The Shield at WWE Payback on Sunday night.
Shield member Seth Rollins recently spoke to Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report to promote WWE’s new Greatest Factions DVD/Blu-Ray. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
The Shield Perceived As One Of Wrestling’s Greatest Factions: “You know what, man? Even if I really had the opportunity to sit back and really take that information in, I don’t know if it would ever become less surreal. You’re talking about guys who are legends in our business, who really paved the way for people like myself and Dean and Roman. That’s pretty impressive, to even be in the same breath as those guys. It’s just pretty wild.”
How Veterans Deal With His Fast-Paced Style: “It was mostly trial by fire. You get out there and, once you steal the show a couple of times, you start to earn the trust of those guys you’re talking about. They start to see that what you do works, and if they don’t have a better answer for you, they’ve just got to trust. It’s kind of like that in any working environment.”
“The guys know what they’re doing. They know how to work. They’ve been doing it for a long time. And when you come in with a new idea, people are going to be skeptical. But once they see that your style works too, that there’s multiple ways to stack this ice cream and it all tastes delicious in the end, they’re going to be more willing to work with you. That’s just the nature of politics I guess, right?”
The Shield Eventually Breaking Up, As All Great Factions Have: “You know, you say that, but I don’t know if these factions are all ever really dead. Because when Shawn (Michaels) and Hunter (Triple H) get back together and you get that “Are you Ready?” pumping on the Titan Tron, or when you get Scott (Hall) and Kevin (Nash) together and they put up the “Too Sweet” to each other, or you put Arn and Ric in the same room, they’re definitely not enemies.”
“It doesn’t always have to end badly. There’s a lot of longevity that comes with having a gang of friends with you throughout your career in this business. So there’s no telling when The Shield will run its course. If it ever will. We’re just happy riding this wave of success right now, trying to make this place a better place for everybody, wrestlers and fans alike, and we’re going to keep doing that until we can’t do it anymore.”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
His Debut As A Boxing Announcer: “I had a great time in El Paso at Fort Bliss broadcasting Golden Boy Promotions boxing event Monday night that aired on Fox Sports 1. It was a new experience for me professionally and one that I enjoyed. The feedback has been largely positive even from the established boxing community. Getting back into the groove after a somewhat long layoff on Monday Night TV wasn’t as difficult as I perceived that it might be.”
“We signed a one fight deal with @GoldenBoyBoxing and @FoxSports1 so, for those asking, I don’t know what the future holds as it relates to more boxing broadcasts but we’re open to it.”
Rumors Of The Shield Breaking Up: “Hoping that the Shield stay together at Sunday’s Payback event in Chicago. With WWE woefully low on top heroes those three can and will continue to grow into their expanded, main event level roles but are they ready to do so solo today? Nope. But they can get there if they steer the course. A hot, protagonist faction is marketable and the longer they can go forward as a unit as they are currently being booked the hotter one of more will be when they turn.”
“Some have speculated that Roman Reigns will defect on Sunday but I hope not. Patience is needed here but the pro wresting business isn’t known for it’s patience these days or so it seems.”
While this may have no impact on the WWE World Heavyweight Championship angle WWE is hyping up heading into Payback, new official WWE advertising recently came out that had Daniel Bryan listed as wrestling on the SmackDown television taping on June 24th.
The match on 6/24 for Bryan is listed as a six-man tag-team match, with The Shield and himself against Randy Orton and The Wyatt Family.
Several days after Bryan’s neck surgery, WWE sent out new advertising for their July 12th live event at Madison Square Garden, which is the company’s biggest annual non-televised show, which lists him in the main event against Triple H in a street fight.
Considering the fact that the 6/24 date is only a few weeks away, it would seem likely that if WWE wanted to, they could keep the title on Bryan since he would be back in the ring at a reasonable time.
The new issue of WWE Magazine features a fan Q&A section where Dean Ambrose refers to Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns as his “former partners.” When asked which WWE Superstars make him laugh, he replied:
“My former partners, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. I was probably the class clown of the group so I’d usually start the joking and ribbing. But those two are hilarious. Daniel Bryan is funny too but more because he’s funny looking.”
While this is by no means a sign that The Shield is breaking up any time soon, it’s a strong indication that The Shield was in fact planned to break up around WrestleMania time, as was rumored earlier this year.
Here’s a screenshot, courtesy of SEScoops discussion community member Undertaker316:
The contract that was used for the upcoming WWE Payback pay-per-view match between The Shield and Evolution had an interesting message at the bottom, to say the least.
The last paragraph of the contract from Monday’s RAW, which is seen in the photo below, reads as follows:
“World Wrestling Entertainment is a creative genius. The whole creation of the universe was fashioned by his ever-toiling hands. All living mortals should praise his name and image.”
WWE’s Twitter account just issued a ‘breaking news’ alert that tonight’s RAW will feature a contract signing between The Shield and Evolution ahead of their match this Sunday at WWE Payback.
If previous WWE contract signings are any indication, it seems highly unlikely that this one takes place without a huge brawl ensuing.
For more on tonight’s RAW, check out our RAW Preview.
Currently there are three matches officially announced for the upcoming WWE Payback pay-per-view on June 1st in Chicago, Illinois. Those matches are The Shield vs. Evolution in a No Holds Barred Elimination match, John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt in a Last Man Standing match and Bad News Barrett vs. Rob Van Dam for the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
Other matches likely for WWE Payback include The Usos vs. Luke Harper & Erick Rowan for the WWE Tag-Team Championships, Paige vs. Alicia Fox for the WWE Divas Championship, Sheamus vs. Cesaro for the WWE United States Championship, Adam Rose vs. Jack Swagger, Rusev vs. Big E. and Summer Rae vs. Layla with Fandango as special guest referee.
As far as the No Holds Barred Elimination main event, a possible scenario being considered is one that would see Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins eliminated early, leaving Roman Reigns to make a huge comeback on all three Evolution members by himself.
The match will be Batista’s final match in WWE for several months, and based on plans for the future, could be one of Triple H’s last for a while as well.
Following Monday’s taped edition of WWE RAW in London, England, here is your updated lineup for the WWE Payback pay-per-view, which takes place on Sunday, June 1st. It should be noted that not all of these matches have been officially announced yet, although are all planned for the PPV.
No Holds Barred Elimination Match
– The Shield vs. Evolution
Last Man Standing Match
– Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena
WWE Intercontinental Championship
– Bad News Barrett (c) vs. Rob Van Dam
WWE United States Championship
– Sheamus (c) vs. Cesaro
– Top NXT star Sami Zayn is now working on the WWE European tour live events. He defeated Damien Sandow in a singles match at the Rome live event earlier today.
– The following is a video of The Shield in the building prior to making their entrance through the crowd at RAW in Greenville, South Carolina this past Monday night.
As previously reported, Roman Reigns suffered a bad gash above his eye during his singles match with Randy Orton at the first event on the WWE European tour, which took place on Wednesday in Glasgow, Scotland.
This video shows exactly what went down – Roman Reigns attempts a spear on Randy Orton, who attempts to reverse the move into a powerslam. Both men cracked heads and Roman Reigns was busted open the hard way.
The latest edition of Michael Cole’s sit-down interview series, which again features Triple H, has been added to the official YouTube channel of WWE.
In the latest installment, the WWE COO discusses the WWE World Heavyweight Championship situation with Daniel Bryan needing surgery, Kane’s recent attacks and the upcoming definitive confrontation between The Shield and Evolution at the WWE Payback pay-per-view on June 1st.
Hunter said “it remains to be seen” if The Authority swill vacate the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but we’ll have a “definitive answer” on RAW, after Bryan’s neck surgery. He then knocked Bryan for not being an “A-Plus Player” and questioned if these are “the kind of rigors that a little B-Plus Player like Daniel Bryan can withstand.”
WWE kicks off their European tour today with their first stop in Glasgow, Scotland. With Daniel Bryan off of the tour due to injury, here is the updated list of talent that is scheduled for this part of the tour: Kane, The Shield, Big E, Rob Van Dam, Bad News Barrett, Big Show, Randy Orton, Mark Henry, Ryback, Curtis Axel, Paige, Layla, Fandango, Cameron, Naomi, Jack Swagger, Zeb Colter, Sin Cara, Rusev, Lana and more.
Originally, Bryan vs. Kane in a “Last Man Standing” match was being advertised, but with Bryan’s injury, that is obviously off the table. As of right now, no new opponent or match for Kane has been announced.
Also advertised for this leg of the tour is a six-man tag-team match featuring The Shield vs. Randy Orton, Ryback and Curtis Axel.
The Yes! Movement received the worst possible news this week on Raw, as their unlikely hero announced that he will require neck surgery this Thursday and will be out of action for an indefinite amount of time.
Early reports indicate that Bryan has a broken neck and will be out for at least one to two months, with his possible returning coming at SummerSlam. This is terrible news for Bryan, who after a long journey finally captured the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.
It appears that he also will not be appearing on television in any capacity for at least a few weeks, as the attack later in the show by Kane was likely a way to write Bryan off of television while he recovers from surgery at home. This leads one to wonder about the future of the WWE Championship, and also if Bryan can maintain momentum while missing at least a month of time.
After finally overcoming the Authority at WrestleMania, Daniel Bryan will miss significant time due to injury.
As of now, it is being reported that Bryan will not be stripped of the title. This could of course change at any moment, especially if the product becomes stale during his absence. If Bryan ends up missing the maximum amount of time, that seems like a very long time to go with essentially no champion.
In my opinion, if it is determined that Bryan will miss any more than one month, the Authority should strip him of the title. This could serve a few purposes. First, it would keep momentum strong by having the Authority still trying to hold Bryan down, especially with Stephanie McMahon being the storyline reason Bryan was injured in the first place after unleashing the demon Kane.
Second, it could allow for someone else to receive a push in Bryan’s absence. Imagine if a tournament were held for the WWE Championship similar to the one just held for an Intercontinental Title match. It could allow for a fresh face to hold the championship for a while and create interesting television over the next few weeks by having qualifying matches on Raw, with the championship match being held at Money in the Bank.
– Triple H announced on Monday’s RAW that The Shield will face Evolution at the upcoming Payback pay-per-view. This is a rematch from Extreme Rules, which saw The Shield standing victorious.
WWE Payback takes place on Sunday, June 1st from Chicago, Illinois.
– It was also announced on RAW that United States Champion Sheamus will face Cesaro on Tuesday night’s episode of Main Event on the WWE Network.
– The following stars are scheduled to miss this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, as they will be leaving for the company’s tour of Europe immediately after Monday’s RAW: Daniel Bryan, Kane, Randy Orton, The Shield and Big E.
Names that are scheduled for SmackDown this week include John Cena, The Wyatt Family, Sheamus, Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler, Big Show and Alberto Del Rio.
– WWE recently added the following talents to the official NXT roster page on WWE.com: Veronica Lane, Wesley Blake, Tye Dillinger, Marcus Louis and Bull Dempsey.
– The WWE DVD on Paul Heyman, “Ladies And Gentlemen, My Name Is Paul Heyman,” which is scheduled for an August 5th release, is scheduled to be built around Heyman as the guy who managed the guy who broke Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania. Among the people who filmed interviews for the DVD are Raven, Tommy Dreamer, Joey Styles, Mick Foley, Rob Van Dam, Jim Ross, Bill Apter and Stephanie McMahon.
– The Greatest Factions DVD that WWE is producing is set to be built around D-Generation X and the Four Horsemen as the key factions. The DVD will also cover the New World Order, The Nexus, The Shield, The Wyatt Family, Evolution, The Fabulous Freebirds, The Nation Of Domination, The Straight Edge Society and The Heenan Family.
– Yoshi Tatsu did some ring announcing at the NXT live event in Orlando, Florida on Friday night. Tatsu is scheduled to do some ring announcing on the upcoming WWE tour of Japan, so he may have been practicing at the NXT event on Friday.
– The latest edition of WWE Top 10, which you can check out below, looks at the greatest spears of The Shield star Roman Reigns.
WWE has changed direction with their original plans to break up The Shield.
Word got out before WrestleMania that the company was strongly considering breaking up the popular faction and on-air storylines teased dissension amongst the members. Around the time of WrestleMania XXX, it was reported that the breakup was delayed due to the strong responses they continued to get from WWE crowds.
Another factor believed to be at play is the grooming of Roman Reigns. He is still seen as a breakout star and a future main event player, but is not ready to go solo yet and will benefit from more time with Ambrose and Rollins.
The original plans would have had The Shield already broken up at this point.
The most recent internal list in WWE for down the line had Randy Orton, Batista and Roman Reigns near the top for future baby faces, right behind John Cena and Daniel Bryan. As previously reported, however, Orton is apparently going to remain a heel going forward.
Also as noted earlier, it looks like the company is going to keep The Shield as a unit for a longer period of time than originally intended. Based on some several-month-out projections, including suggestions made to the marketing division for items that won’t hit the marketplace for several months, The Shield is apparently going to remain a baby face group.
As of right now, WWE is pushing the following four retired wrestlers, in order, the most: Hulk Hogan, Undertaker, Steve Austin and Ultimate Warrior. Warrior was higher on the priority list a few weeks ago, but that was due to the fact that he tragically passed away.
For the month of April, more people purchased Warrior merchandise on the internet than anyone else in the company, including John Cena.
The latest internet merchandise numbers, in order, were Cena, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, The Wyatt Family, The Shield, Evolution and Hulk Hogan.
The latest arena merchandise numbers, in order, were Cena, Bryan, Randy Orton, Warrior, Rob Van Dam, Brock Lesnar, The Wyatt Family, Batista and Sin Cara.
It’s worth noting that Cena was head-and-shoulders above the rest of the top sellers at the arenas, with the second highest person on the list (Daniel Bryan) not even coming close to his sales figures.
As previously reported, WWE has plans for a Cesaro baby face push in the future. The general consensus is that when Cesaro eventually splits from Paul Heyman, he will enter into a program with Brock Lesnar, one that could possibly take place as one of the main events at this year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view.
Another idea for SummerSlam, while not yet confirmed, and is actually up in the air based on how things turn out for The Shield, is a Roman Reigns vs. Triple H main event at SummerSlam.
The idea seems to be that Cesaro goes over on Lesnar and Reigns goes over on HHH at SummerSlam, with the mindset being it would help elevate them to top-tier baby face status.
It’s worth noting that when WWE maps things out that far in advance, that plans change a lot as everything is a moving target that tends to change on a month-to-month basis.
