Although WrestleMania plans for Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins are now set in stone, their journey to the Grandest Stage of Them All could have been very different.
That’s because WWE decided to pull the trigger on what the fans had been calling for years - a Shield reunion which saw plenty of twists and turns and in the end, it didn’t even happen.
REUNION
With The Big Dog suffering from meningitis, it saw Monday Night RAW general manager Kurt Angle step in as a replacement at the TLC event while Triple H donned the tactical vest during live events.
When it was time to reunite, Dean Ambrose was injured and the prospect of seeing a full-blown Shield reunion disappeared very quickly - meaning a WrestleMania 34 clash between Rollins and The Lunatic Fringe was also scrapped.
Fans are understandably upset that it didn’t happen, and while Reigns feels the same way because of Ambrose’s injury, he recently revealed to NBC Sports that not having the reunion worked out better as they wouldn’t have had enough time to put enough effort into The Shield, like they did previously.
But he didn't rule out another crack at a reunion down the line.
According to Wrestling Inc, the number one contender for the Universal Championship said: “We just chalked that up to, it is what it is. It was just stuff that was out of our control. The thing that really hurt the most was losing Ambrose. Not only just for The Shield reunion, but he carries a lot of weight. He's a cornerstone for what we do.
EFFORT
“As a former Shield member, he's always going to be my brother. I consider him to be one of those guys that we can rely on, he's a workhorse. He lasted longer than all of us as far as injuries go. It took longer for him to go down and take some time off than anyone else who came up during our time period.
"That just speaks to the type of person Ambrose is. It definitely helps sell tickets when the people know the Lunatic Fringe is on the card. We're dying to get him back not only from a wrestling standpoint, but just to have him back travelling with us. It'll be great to have another good brother and a good friend on the road.
"It just wasn't meant to be, but I think it worked out better that way. Everything happens for a reason and going into this WrestleMania season, I don't know if we were going to truly put as much time and effort into The Shield as we should have.
"We all still have huge aspirations as singles competitors to continue to rise our stardom and maybe when we get a little more beaten and battered, we can rely on each other and come back for that reunion."
When you think about it from that point of view, perhaps not getting the Shield reunion wasn’t the worst thing. We fondly remember The Shield because of how new and exciting the team was, but it’s clear they have grown a lot since then and will still have their own careers to focus on.
At the end of the day, fans would rather have a Shield where that’s the priority, and not an attempt where it can tarnish the legacy they have created.
What do you make of Roman Reigns’ thoughts on The Shield’s failed reunion? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.