First of all, a big thank you to everyone checking out PSS. We
have been getting a spike in traffic on the site and I hope you are all
enjoying the new content. Secondly, a huge thank you to The Ken Reedy Show and Real Fantasy Wrestling for sharing our content. Both are
fantastic platforms for wrestling and fantasy fans. I highly recommend you
check them out.
Now I know this forum is for all sports
writing and not exclusively for wrestling pieces. However, I will be honest--my
Penguins just got swept by the Bruins, football season seems ages away, my
co-writers have done a fantastic job covering the NBA, and since I work in
baseball I really need a break from it. While I do have a few choice thoughts
for the NHL right now, I feel they may be safer staying in my head and not
being released into the web universe. I do not want to alter your opinions of
me anymore then I already have.
With that being said, I have been dying,
literally, for the chance to write about The Shield.
Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean
Ambrose--A group of guys so perfect for each other their names literally roll
off the tongue. If you are any bit knowledgeable of professional wrestling
outside the main WWE/TNA federations, then you most likely remember Ambrose
from his CZW, DragonGate days, Rollins from ROH. I consider these two the main
"wrestlers" of the stable as Reigns was merely a football player
turned wrestler by WWE developmental. It helped that he is Samoan and related
to The Rock and Rikishi, but aren't all Samoans somehow related?
I was able to see Rollins and Ambrose
wrestle in the WWE before they formed The Shield. Rollins at a NJ house show as
Tyler Black (editor's note: his name had already been changed to Seth Rollins, but he did wrestle as Tyler Black in ROH). He put on a fantastic match against Tyson Kidd and
actually went over, which was my first sign that he was going to be moving up
the talent rankings. Ambrose was in a dark match the Raw after Wrestlemania 28.
Ambrose was actually allowed to cut a promo and then proceed to win his match,
another red flag pointing to his future brilliance.
When The Shield first debuted at Survivor
Series, I don't think anyone could have predicted the wave of change and
momentum they would bring with them. Finally a group of guys who can actually
work the microphone and wrestle! Again some better then others in this regard,
cough Reigns cough, but in the end they form a perfect fusion of talent,
muscle, and skill.
The delay of their in-ring-debut was
fantastically booked. I was beyond thrilled when they dropped the
potential of revealing a "leader" or "organizer" of the
group because I felt this would have immediately killed any credibility they
had collected. Their wrestling chops alone are a reason to watch The Shield.
These guys are legitimate workers and I will even include Reigns in that
sentiment. While Reigns does not have the same training or past experience as his
teammates, he really does do his job in the ring. He makes others look awesome
and when he hits people it looks devastating.
The Shield even work as a team. As obvious
as that sounds, "OMG Joan a stable that works together, you must be
nuts!?" you know exactly what I mean. From their joint promos, to their
entrance, to the way they wrestle, The Shield works as a unit. A well oiled
machine that will actually isolate a wrestler in 6-man and tag team matches.
Sounds like common sense, but it is a form of tag wrestling that I feel is hardly utilized.
Keeping this in mind, not only are The
Shield a great addition to the WWE roster, but they make an excellent addition
to your fantasy wrestling teams! They routinely finish in the top for points in
not only nightly contests, but weekly as well. For the past month, The Shield
have participated in matches on Raw and Smackdown, whether they are 6-man tag matches,
or a tag and singles contest in the same night.
As Ray has mentioned in his break-down of
fantasy wrestling scoring, The Shield are the group most likely to accumulate
points for double-team moves. If they are placed in a championship match, which
is not uncommon for Raw and Smackdown shows competing for ratings, that is an
extra 5 points right off the bat for being in a championship match. For
pay-per-view contests, this championship tidbit could be the difference in
winning and losing for the week.
Playing The Shield does put you at the
risk for losing points if they decide to attack someone in the back/ring or get
disqualified in a match. However, the points they earn wrestling far out-weigh
the potential negative. As I've mentioned, Rollins, Ambrose, and even Reigns can
actually wrestle, not just break out the 5 moves of doom. Any time they isolate
a wrestler in a 6-man or tag match, you can basically watch your points rack up
with each strike, suplex, and submission hold.
For all the reasons listed above, I have
no problem inserting all 3 members of The Shield into my nightly and even
weekly line-ups. Granted their prices are up there--- Ambrose $13,400; Rollins
$12,650; Reigns $12,400. However, if you are willing to take the hit and can
compensate with less expensive talent to fill out your roster, I can almost
guarantee you won't be disappointed.
This past Raw (6/3) the point totals for
each Shield member:
Ambrose- 33.25
Rollins- 20.45
Reigns- 22.4
Granted for my weekly, Ambrose only added one point for Smackdown scoring because he did not wrestle, however
Rollins and Reigns made up for his lack of contribution by scoring 19 each in
their tag team match.
Please keep in mind, fantasy wrestling is
extremely hard to predict performances for because there is no guarantee who will
be appearing on each show. It is completely in the hands of the WWE and all we
can do is try to make predictions and maximize our chances of winning by
playing high scoring talent that routinely appear on television.
Right now, the wrestlers you can count on
making television appearances and wrestling are The Shield. They are carrying
the company on their shoulders. As long as the WWE feels comfortable leaving
them in this position, I see no reason to take them out of my fantasy wrestling
roster. I believe in The Shield to carry my fantasy team to continued success.
Do you believe enough to take a chance?
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