The former Shield brothers, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, started as allies to each other more than a decade ago and are now the faces of WWE. There's no doubt that these two know each other far better than any of the other guys in the locker room. In this video, we are going to take a deep look into the chemistry between the visionary and the tribal chief.
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#romanreigns #sethrollins #theshield #wwe #wrestling #sportskeedawrestling
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00:00 Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, they've been compared to Batman and the Joker, but in the
00:11 reality of WWE, it's a little more complicated than just that.
00:17 One thing we can say for sure is without each other, would they have the same superstar blockbuster
00:23 careers that they have had?
00:26 Their incredible broken brotherhood and backstabbing betrayals that have defined them since they
00:32 were in a faction together that was also definitive in the shield.
00:37 Since then, it has been maybe some of the most interesting stuff to follow long term
00:42 in WWE or pro wrestling overall.
00:45 Think of all the biggest WWE moments of the 2010s, how many do you think you can name
00:51 that have a long term effect the way that Seth Rollins chair shot to the back of Roman
00:56 Reigns had?
00:58 Yeah, breaking up the shield broke them out as individual superstars.
01:03 Have you ever noticed the demeanor of the overconfident tribal chief?
01:07 "Roman Reigns, we all have to acknowledge him, he's so confident!"
01:11 But once Seth Rollins is around, that tone sort of changes.
01:17 Why exactly is that?
01:19 Let's take a very deep dive into the insane psychology between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.
01:26 This is Sportskeeda Wrestling, let us know what you think in the comments below.
01:32 We must go back to where it all began, the shield, yes the hounds of mercenary justice,
01:38 a young trio who were ready to flip every table in front of them or maybe put someone
01:44 through every table in front of them in WWE.
01:47 They truly changed the landscape in the decade to come when they broke out big, premiering
01:52 at Survivor Series 2012.
01:55 The change in the landscape they did had far more than a lasting impact than you may think,
02:00 until it was decided by the company that the three main event superstars had to go their
02:05 own ways.
02:06 An unpopular decision at the time in splitting up the shield, it's easy to look back and
02:10 see that WWE was right in a long term way of making Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean
02:17 Ambrose into solo superstars.
02:20 Considering how the three men have become the gold standard of main event pro wrestling
02:24 in the past 10 years, the decision has proved to be fruitful, even for companies outside
02:30 of WWE.
02:31 But in the story we're going to focus on, it's that chair shot to the back.
02:36 It all goes back to the trauma caused by Roman Reigns in a way that still plays into his
02:42 character today.
02:43 June 16th, 2014, the chair shot heard round the world when Seth Rollins turned his back
02:51 on Reigns and Ambrose, ending the shield right after they defeated Evolution in a pay per
02:57 view main event.
02:59 Seth Rollins was being fast tracked into the main event by the Authority Group, led by
03:03 an evil corporate Triple H, while Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose were building their way up
03:08 as single stars on a much harder path to get there.
03:12 Roman Reigns was finding much more success in that department, being the hated good guy.
03:16 It was all coming to a head at WrestleMania 31 when Roman faced Brock Lesnar in the first
03:22 WrestleMania main event of his career.
03:23 And as you probably know, he was hijacked by Seth Rollins and a Money in the Bank cash-in.
03:28 One that we're not forgetting either.
03:30 At an epic moment, he would end up stealing the World Heavyweight Championship instead,
03:34 cashing it in at WrestleMania for the first time in its history, and costing Roman his
03:40 big moment.
03:41 Pinning him, not Lesnar.
03:43 For the second time, Rollins had one-upped Roman Reigns and did it in the biggest way
03:49 possible.
03:51 While Seth Rollins went on to carry the WWE on his shoulders for six months as WWE World
03:56 Champion, Reigns was being built back up so that fans would be more receptive to him.
04:02 When it came time for their paths to cross once more, Roman emerged as the clear number
04:08 one contender, and was getting cheered against Rollins as well.
04:13 But then the weight of carrying WWE on his shoulders proved too much for Rollins and
04:18 his legs, and they buckled, trying to lift Kane and tearing his ACL and MCL during a
04:24 live event overseas.
04:25 The number one man in the company found himself sitting on the sidelines while Roman Reigns
04:30 went on to pursue the WWE World Heavyweight title.
04:34 He won it, and only to lose it to Sheamus in minutes, and then won it back in a feud
04:39 involving Mr. McMahon.
04:41 Roman Reigns would lose the title again and win it back at WrestleMania 32, with Rollins
04:45 returning over a month later to reclaim the title he never lost.
04:50 At Moneybank 2016, the stage was set for the main event clash.
04:53 In an epic match, Seth Rollins shocked the world and ended Roman Reigns' world title
04:58 run in just two months.
05:00 Not only did he beat Reigns, but he did it clean, something that just didn't happen
05:06 to the Big Dog era of WWE.
05:09 He once again one-upped his former Shield brethren, but karma would come in the form
05:15 of Dean.
05:16 Dean Ambrose, who cashed in on a spent Seth Rollins right there and became WWE Champion.
05:23 That's what you get Seth Rollins, someone cashes in on you when you're cashed out.
05:28 Although it wouldn't have been surprising to see Roman Reigns win that match, considering
05:32 how early he was into his title run, it was revealed that he had failed WWE's wellness
05:38 test policy and was suspended for 30 days as a result of it.
05:42 So there were other factors.
05:43 By this point, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins were technically 3-3 in televised singles
05:48 matches and it was clear as day that Rollins was the one getting the upper hand when it
05:53 mattered most.
05:55 Once the summer of 2016 began, WWE finally took the right decision and capitalized on
06:01 Seth Rollins' popularity, leading to him becoming a good guy hero for the first time
06:06 in more than two years.
06:08 While he crossed paths with Roman Reigns, things would eventually culminate in a somewhat
06:13 less than positive Shield reunion in 2017.
06:18 The Shield was supposed to reunite in main event TLC 2017 in a 3-on-5 handicap match
06:26 only for Reigns to fall ill and Kurt Angle to replace him in the unforgettable tactical
06:32 vest moment.
06:33 Talk about iconic.
06:34 It was fun for Kurt Angle.
06:35 The Shield did get their reunion when they defeated The New Day at Survivor Series 2017,
06:40 but the big comeback came to an abrupt halt when Dean Ambrose suffered an injury which
06:45 would keep him out of action for most of 2018.
06:48 While Seth Rollins went on to pursue the Intercontinental Championship, Roman Reigns continued his ascent
06:53 to the top with a fourth consecutive WrestleMania main event, winning the Universal Championship.
07:00 Once Dean Ambrose returned, there was a small two-month window where the Shield had an on-and-off
07:06 reunion before Roman Reigns would unfortunately have to bow out in a battle with Leukemia.
07:12 At that moment, the three brothers looked more united than they had ever had.
07:16 As you know, that truly wasn't the case because that same night that unfortunate announcement
07:21 was shared with the world, Dean Ambrose went on to betray Seth Rollins the same night.
07:29 What followed was an unfortunately forgettable rivalry with Rollins and Ambrose, and after
07:33 Reigns returned quicker than expected, they had one final reunion with the Shield before
07:39 Ambrose parted ways with WWE and went on to All Elite Wrestling.
07:44 This is where Ambrose's story comes to an end and we dive deeper into the real focus
07:48 people here, Rollins and Roman Reigns.
07:50 Two years after all of this, they would only cross paths in 2021, both Rollins and Roman
07:57 Reigns being bad guys at the same time for the first time in the singles runs of their
08:04 career.
08:05 It marked a massive change in their dynamic, which we'll get to very soon.
08:10 Rollins would indirectly help Roman against Edge, but it wasn't just because he wanted
08:15 to help the Tribal Chief, it was because he wanted to spite his current rival at the time
08:20 that rated R, Superstar Edge.
08:23 Remember how we mentioned that chair shot from 2014?
08:26 It still had ripple effects to this current day.
08:30 It was exemptified in January of 2022 when Seth Rollins was announced as Roman's Universal
08:37 Title Challenger at the Royal Rumble, and this was Tribal Chief Roman Reigns hitting
08:43 prime gear, really cementing his current in-wrestling Darth Vader-esque character.
08:50 Roman Reigns was sitting and watching the end of Smackdown in his locker room when somebody
08:55 knocked multiple times.
08:57 It wasn't a regular knock, it was timed like the intro of the Shield's theme song.
09:02 Oh, did you hear that?
09:03 In comes…
09:04 Your old buddy, now villain Seth Rollins.
09:10 When Rollins arrived, the expression on Roman's face changed entirely.
09:16 No longer cool, collected and calloused, maybe a little shaken in his boots.
09:21 The feud itself may have only lasted three weeks, but it gave the biggest insight yet
09:27 into the true psychology between two of WWE's top decade players.
09:32 No matter how much Roman tried convincing Rollins that he was the greatest of all time,
09:37 he knew deep down he could never beat Rollins when it mattered most.
09:45 On the Smackdown before Royal Rumble in St. Louis, the psychological battles between Reigns
09:52 and Rollins were roaring, and boy did the Tribal Chief get mentally whooped in a way
09:58 that he hadn't seen in years.
10:00 Roro could overlook the past defeats he had at the hands of Rollins, but that moment,
10:05 that chair shot that rattled his spine in June 2014, was still ringing in the back of
10:13 his mind.
10:14 There was a complete change in his demeanor.
10:17 Reigns told Rollins that while he tried to forgive him before, he realized that he could
10:23 never forgive him for what he did to him and his boy, Dean Ambrose.
10:29 When Roman Reigns said, "I hate you," Seth Rollins maniacally responded with a laugh
10:36 and told Roman Reigns that he was a joke, and his title reign was a joke, and that the
10:42 bloodline and his entire family was a joke.
10:46 Roman Reigns couldn't control his anger, and he shoved Seth Rollins, who urged him to play
10:52 into his anger and beat him down further.
10:56 Embrace the dark side, oh yes, another Star Wars reference.
11:00 Knowing he was getting beaten psychologically, Reigns attempted to walk away before trying
11:06 to get a sneak attack in on Rollins, who dodged him and walked away with the W.
11:12 Even at the 2022 Royal Rumble, Rollins played into Roman's insecurities by walking through
11:19 the crowd with the shield entrance and the shield gear.
11:23 That moment, that intro, the song hitting everything, Roman Reigns' face went pale.
11:29 It played into the match perfectly because a desperate Reigns once again found that he
11:34 wasn't able to win the mind games when they matter against Reigns.
11:41 So what did he do?
11:42 He took the easy, sleazy way out, getting himself disqualified when he wouldn't go out
11:48 and let the guillotine go despite Seth Rollins' warnings with the rope break.
11:54 So Roman couldn't beat Seth Rollins, and let it be known when people say that Roman Reigns
11:59 is the greatest championship reign of all time.
12:02 The one man he couldn't beat when he was defending that title.
12:05 I mean beat him, force him to submit or pin him, was Seth Rollins.
12:09 Once the bell rang, the signal of the finish, Roman took a chair and made sure to repeatedly
12:15 smack Rollins on the back in an act of sheer hatred and frustration that had 8 years of
12:22 emotional build up.
12:23 WWE was able to get out of that Royal Rumble with Roman Reigns as the champion, and Seth
12:29 Rollins came out of that match with a whole lot more credibility.
12:32 They would not cross paths for another 2 years when both men were holding world championships
12:37 in WWE.
12:38 Seth Rollins the world heavyweight championship which was made since no one could get a title
12:43 off of Roman, and Roman now the undisputed WWE Universal Champion who had united 2 world
12:50 titles at a previous Wrestlemania.
12:53 This time it was Rollins finding himself aligning with a former odd fellow opponent of his own,
13:00 Cody Rhodes, against the Rock and Roman Reigns of the Bloodline, leading to the biggest tag
13:05 team match in wrestling history at Wrestlemania 40.
13:09 It was the first ever proper Wrestlemania main event for Seth Rollins, unfortunately
13:14 he suffered defeat, and it wasn't him who got pinned, it was the Rock pinning Cody Rhodes.
13:19 The next night on Wrestlemania 40 with that tag team match the night before determining
13:23 the Bloodline rules advantage for Reigns against Cody, it was Miss Fortune opening the show
13:31 for Seth Rollins when he would lose the world heavyweight title clean down the middle against
13:36 the resentful Drew McIntyre who beat him in 10 minutes to win the title.
13:41 Him losing his world heavyweight title on night 2 of Wrestlemania 40 seemed like an
13:47 unfortunate inevitable side effect due to his rivalry with the Bloodline, injuries he
13:52 was dealing with, and just the weight of wrestling so much on the biggest wrestling weekend of
13:57 the year.
13:58 But it was the main event of Wrestlemania 40 night 2 where he had the biggest impact
14:02 of all, in a main event that was filled with all star interferences, Solo Sokoa, Jimmy
14:08 Uso trying to save the Bloodline, Jay Uso fighting them off, John Cena coming in out
14:14 of nowhere, GONG, The Undertaker chokeslamming The Rock, OH when the dust settled, The Shields
14:21 music hit, with Roman Reigns' reaction not being shown on camera.
14:28 Seth Rollins entered the ring in the tactical vest gear with a steel chair and toe only
14:33 to make history not repeat itself for a moment as he ate a superman punch at the hands of
14:39 Roman Reigns.
14:40 Yeah, he looked stupid at first, but considering how things played out, everything was masterfully
14:47 crafted and calculated by the architect once more.
14:52 He knew that if he made a shield entrance, if he brought the history back that made Roman
14:59 feel so triggered and vulnerable, that he wouldn't be a tribal chief, he'd be a
15:04 quivering big dog puppy once again.
15:08 Roman Reigns was in a position where he had that steel chair in hand and he could lay
15:13 out Cody Rhodes and finish his story before Cody could finish it and end their rivalry
15:18 for good or continue to play on the past bitter betrayals he suffered at the hands of The
15:24 Shield ending nearly 10 years before.
15:28 As you know, he chose to lay out Seth Rollins with a steel chair, directly leading to Cody
15:34 hitting him with three consecutive crossroads, pinning him, ending Roman Reigns' years
15:41 of long title reign and finishing Cody's story just like he promised.
15:47 Seth Rollins was quite literally Cody Rhodes' shield at WrestleMania.
15:52 It was true poetic justice, WWE weaving the thread with so many characters, verging on
15:59 a level of being convoluted but still delivering a purely golden moment.
16:04 Although WrestleMania 40 saw Rollins take two devastating losses within 24 hours, he
16:10 managed to live up to his word and played the biggest role in Roman Reigns' three
16:15 and a half year run as Universal Champion by ending it in such a special way.
16:20 It was truly a full circle moment for everyone involved and ushered Cody Rhodes in as the
16:25 new era player of WWE.
16:27 He may have lost, but he managed to take Reigns down, one upping him for what felt like the
16:33 millionth time in a decade.
16:35 Despite how this all played out, it's obvious that there's still a big story to be told
16:40 between Rollins and Roman Reigns, despite all that they've been through.
16:44 It's unlikely that we're going to see them for a while, but at some point their paths
16:48 may cross again.
16:50 Perhaps one final chapter, one final showdown.
16:54 If Cody Rhodes vs The Rock happens at WrestleMania 41, then who's to say Night One can't
16:59 be headlined by another emotional fight between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.
17:07 But given how different their characters are going to be when they meet, who's to tell
17:11 what will happen?
17:12 Maybe their roles will flip.
17:15 But if they are to meet one final time, who do you think should get the last laugh?
17:19 Roman Reigns?
17:21 Or will Seth Rollins eternally be the man who has the Tribal Chief in the palm of his
17:26 hand when it matters most?
17:28 Let us know in the comments below!
17:30 Until next time, thanks for watching!
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