THE SHIELD FACTOR: WHY SETH ROLLINS BELIEVES SPLITTING THE TEAM SAVED THREE LEGENDARY CAREERS
Is the Shield reuniting? Seth Rollins shuts down fans as Roman Reigns prepares to battle CM Punk at WrestleMania 2026.
Seth Rollins has always been a lightning rod in wrestling, and he still feels the fallout from breaking up The Shield. Back in June 2014, he took everyone by surprise; he just turned on Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose with a steel chair, siding with Triple H and The Authority. That moment didn’t just shake up The Shield. It changed wrestling for good.
He talked about it on Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe not long ago, saying that one decision flipped the whole industry on its head. The three of them, Rollins, Reigns, and Ambrose, had found their groove as a team. But splitting up was the push they all needed. If they’d stayed together, no way would they have become the stars they are now. Still, after all these years, Rollins gets grilled by grown adults! asking him why he did it.
“I still get asked about that. Seriously, it’s been 12 years, and people come up to me and say, ‘Why’d you break up The Shield?’ These are adults! They watched it as teens, sure, but come on. You know it’s not real. Does it really hurt that much? Wow,” he said. He just can’t believe a scripted moment from so long ago still hits people so hard.
No one can argue with what The Shield did for wrestling. All three guys are either holding or chasing world titles in WWE and AEW. Right now, Rollins has his own battles. He’s heading toward WrestleMania 42, but he’s coming off emergency surgery for a hernia, and that’s thrown his plans into chaos. Wrestling Observer Radio even reported that his big match against a returning rival might be off the table.
Roman Reigns, on the other hand, is gearing up for a huge showdown with CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship. And with Elimination Chamber coming up in Chicago on February 28, 2026, everyone’s watching the top stars. On the February 16 episode of Raw, Je’Von Evans punched his ticket to the Men’s Elimination Chamber by beating GUNTHER and Dominik Mysterio. Now he’s in there with Randy Orton, LA Knight, and Cody Rhodes.
For the women, Asuka, Rhea Ripley, Tiffany Stratton, and Alexa Bliss have already made it in. WWE is feeling the heat about ticket sales for WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium, so they’re leaning hard on the stories and history of their biggest names to pump up excitement for the two-night event in April.
THE BACKSTAGE FAREWELL: WHY WWE STARS ARE SAYING GOODBYE TO LEGEND ASUKA
IYO SKY and Charlotte Flair lead tributes to Asuka as reports surface that the Empress of Tomorrow is stepping back from WWE.
Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer reported that Asuka was saying her goodbyes backstage, and right now, people are calling her "semi-retired". What that actually means is still up in the air. Nobody really knows if Asuka plans to stick around WWE for occasional special matches or if she’ll head back to Japan and keep wrestling there.
“The story I heard is that she is semi-retired,” Meltzer explained, according to WrestlePurists. “I haven’t really gotten an exact definition of 'semi-retired', but I guess people were wishing her farewell backstage.”
He also said, “I don’t know if she’s wrestling in Japan; I don’t know if she’ll do things here and there, but semi-retired is what I was told.”
Asuka’s journey with WWE started in 2015, kicking off in NXT. She wasn’t just another face; she became the longest-reigning NXT Women’s Champion ever, holding that title for 510 days, and went on an unreal 914-day winning streak. Over the years, she racked up five WWE Women’s World Championships and five WWE Women’s Tag Team titles and picked up big accolades like Money in the Bank and the Royal Rumble.
WWE even ranked her as the fifth greatest female Superstar of all time, just behind Trish Stratus, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Chyna, according to Fightful.
After WWE Backlash, IYO SKY posted an emotional message to Asuka on X (formerly Twitter) after defeating her at the event. She wrote about how much it meant to share the ring and learn from Asuka, calling it an “irreplaceable treasure", and thanked Asuka for everything. That post, along with the photos she shared, only fuelled more talk about Asuka’s possible retirement.
SKY, who’s become one of the most popular and respected wrestlers on the WWE roster over the last couple of years, isn’t alone in showing love for Asuka. After the backlash, stars like Bayley, Natalya, and Charlotte Flair also thanked Asuka for everything she’s done for the business. At 44, Asuka’s impact is impossible to ignore.
BEYOND GUNTHER: ANALYZING THE FOUR POWERHOUSES DESTINED TO LEAD WWE RAW NEXT YEAR
Discover the four WWE superstars, including Bron Breakker and Jacob Fatu, ready to lead Monday Night Raw into a post-Gunther era.
For the last few years, WWE Raw has pretty much belonged to Gunther. He dominated by sticking to his guns, hard work, no-nonsense wrestling, and that old-school fire. When his music hits, you can feel the tone shift. It’s hard to find that kind of presence. You don’t just swap him out and expect things to stay the same.
But that’s the thing about Raw. It never just sits still. The show keeps turning over stories' twists, rosters shuffle, and sooner or later, new faces get their shot. If there ever comes a time to find someone new to lead the red brand, there are four guys who look ready to take over. Each brings something different to the table, and you’d feel it right away.
Jacob Fatu could steal the spotlight.
Jacob Fatu’s the first name that jumps out. When he hits the ring, you notice. He just has that look, as he belongs in the big moments. The guy’s got a rare mix of speed and brute power; other heavyweights struggle to keep up.
Lately, he’s been right in the thick of things, getting involved with some of the top storylines on Raw and even rubbing shoulders with Roman Reigns. That’s not by accident; management doesn’t give you those spots unless they see something real. It means they’re thinking long-term with Fatu.
What makes him stand out is the energy. He’s this controlled, dangerous wrecking ball, but he knows when to push and when to hold back. If Raw needs a new anchor, someone to build around in title matches and feuds, Fatu slides into that role and makes it feel natural.
He’s not a finished product yet, and that’s a good thing. There’s room for him to grow, tell deeper stories, and really connect with the crowd. He’s got that spark fans latch onto because he never looks fake or forced.
Oba Femi brings something new.
Then there’s Oba Femi. For a new guy, he commands respect. From the jump, he’s looked like a real contender, strong in the ring, confident on the mic, and totally believable even against the veterans.
What sets Femi apart is his calm. A lot of new stars go for flash, but he’s got real presence. He can stand toe-to-toe with anyone in the locker room, which is huge if you’re thinking about someone fresh at the top.
Give him a real push and let him be his own kind of dominant. Don’t make him copy Gunther; let him be the force that shakes things up. If WWE puts energy into him, fans will feel it. They tend to back new stars who earn it.
Bron Breakker is the natural choice.
Number one, though? That’s Bron Breakker. He just checks all the boxes: famous family, athletic as hell, and already tested in big matches. If you want someone ready right now, it’s him.
He’s shown he can handle main event pressure. He hits hard, he moves quickly, and he’s comfortable being the centre of attention. When he’s on TV, the pace just picks up. People pay attention.
And people already know him. They’ve seen him grind through NXT and now main roster battles. That history helps. If he ends up carrying Raw after Gunther, it’ll feel right.
Replacing someone like Gunther won’t be easy. People will compare. Expectations will be sky-high. But Breakker has the charisma, the intensity, and the experience to pull it off.
In the end, Raw works best when it changes without losing its soul. Whether it’s Fatu’s wild energy, Femi’s fresh vibe, or Breakker’s complete package, these guys are ready for the spotlight.
When the time comes to pass the torch, Raw won’t shrink. It’ll just reinvent itself once again with these names leading the charge.
