I see where you're coming from, but WWE need as many new singles stars as they can make, and in that sense the group has more than served it's purpose and has for almost 6 months. Part of the intrigue of these Shield/Wyatt matches for me has been the dissension amongst The Shield - don't think the matches would've been the same without it.

This break up has been brilliantly booked thus far, it's planting seeds into the destination of each one's persona once they do fall away, and the friction has been very organic. It's been the best break up angle since Evolution, and in many respects this one was a lot harder to write (Evolution kind of wrote itself).

Should get some good responses on this thread

I agree with you about the rematch btw, The Shield should've won on Raw to set up the tie breaker at WM. Couldn't think of a better way to open the show than that match

I agree that the dissension has added to the intrigue but surely the powers that be can see that the crowds are completely awash in these fresh and innovative stables.

It's like watching a brand new product. The single matches have been stable for some time because nobody can step up.

Look at Randy Orton - great in Evolution but a piece of cardboard as a singles competitor.

I'd even say look at the reaction to the singles match on raw between Reigns and Bray - the crowd were interested sure but nothing like the carnage that 6 men can bring.

They're all relatively young in wrestling years so I say run with it.

The last thing I want to see is more generic singles matches at main events - the Bray Wyatt vs Cena match is terrible booking. They've killed off one of the best feuds in years just so poster boy Cena can steal some of the limelight.

The single matches have been stable for some time because nobody can step up.
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have been *stale

It's a risk they have to take, and a lot of it is up to the wrestlers themselves to shine with their own personalities. It's inevitable that at least one of them, probably two, will wither into mid-card obscurity, but if just one of them becomes a main-event staple for 4/5 years it'll justify their split.

Evolution is a fantastic example of the practical usage of a faction. Both Batista & Orton got to a place where they held significant main event appeal for 5 years before they showed signs of going stale - in Orton's case finding himself a clutch of fans who'll defend him to his death (me being one of them). As great as Evolution was, the product wouldn't have been any better if they'd staying together through 05-10.

I agree, the shield shelf life is on the horizon. When they came they were the quintessential "monster". They IMO broke the faction convention in that they were not a collection of individual characters with a collective focus. For me this forced us to re-think our approach as an audience.

The shield represented that primal fear of losing control. To see singles behemoths totally dominated by this group in which 2/3rds were average Joe types, had the same subjective effect as the Wyatt's in that the overall feel of the faction was that its predominant ideology was delivered through the eyes of a the guy next door.

This is why IMO, the crowd had that "euphoric" reaction to their matchup because they were experiencing a subconcious overload, which needed to happen before the shield (in this case), could evolve as a generic faction of individually recognized players.

So again IMO, the shield now have no choice but to split. Staying together much longer will destroy the potential masterpiece for me.

That's just my take.

I love your comments Mike, can never just read them once

Wrestling to me has always been about individuals, people who possess that special showmanship spark that just separates them from the rest of society (it has too being that wrestling's contrast is that of any typical con). The Nexus had the same vibe, supposedly, and that group sucked..... imo anyway.

What got The Shield over was a finely tuned combination of good branding and the knowledge that two of it's members were highly rated performers from other organisations - ones which didn't fit the generic WWE mould which only enhances the intrigue given how they were initially booked.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all in favour of factions, they're critical to wrestling's capacity to reel in the viewers. But they should never be seen as more than a booking device for a bigger purpose and a fond memory in hindsight. It's like a football team achieving promotion, it's a necessary step which leaves a fantastic memory behind but it has to be just that.

Two companies in recent memory have attempted to hold the weight of a faction on their shoulders. One of them went bust, the other one is on life support

Didn't they sort themselves out on Smackdown? Looked pretty definite to me but I wouldn't be surprised if another incident happened on Raw tonight to blow them apart again.

I'm gonna watch tonights Raw for sure. I think it will give more clues to the future of the group.

I've found myself getting excited at the beginning of the week recently, knowing I can finish my shift and get home at 10:00am Tuesday to watch the Raw taping. I haven't been like that in years. All down to the Shield, the Wyatts and the genius that is Cesaro.

The bubble is bound to burst, but for now I'm hooked.

I cant wait for tonights batista promo!

RAW was pretty pants with the exception of the hilarious Danial Bryan fan invasion which sees him now stipulated to feature in the WWEWHC match if he beats HHH.

Yes! Yes! Yes.

It's funny that WWE can script a 'hijacking' better than the fans can. You know that was Vince's way of sticking up two fingers to that pathetic Chicago crowd last week