Aryan
Main Eventer
Could The Shield be getting a brand new member soon? Well, one recent report indicates this could be a future development.
Changes are almost certainly afoot with the company's top heel stable. WWE storylines have been strongly hinting that Roman Reigns is on the verge of splitting up with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins.
By the look of things, WWE is giving the star a major solo push in 2014.
Per Bryan Alvarez in this week's (subscribers-only) F4W Newsletter, the expectation within the company is that management will elect to replace Reigns rather than disband the group following his departure:
The feeling this week is that when Roman Reigns does his babyface turn and split from the Shield, likely in February, that he'll be replaced with a new guy in the group. The name Mason Ryan has been thrown around as a possibility.
While adding a new name to The Shield is an interesting idea, you have to wonder whether Mason Ryan would be a good addition to the stable, all things considered.
from WWE.com It's Batista! No, wait. It's Mason Ryan.
The muscle-bound Welsh star received a strong push in early 2011 as a New Nexus member and CM Punk's right-hand man.
Sadly, he didn't take off as a star. His in-ring work was awful, his promos were mediocre, and he struggled to make a meaningful connection with the fans. It felt like WWE had called him up before he was ready.
Unsurprisingly, Ryan was off television by the end of 2011 and has spent the last two years in and out of NXT, as well as dealing with various injuries.
While bringing him back as The Shield's new member would rejuvenate his ailing career, it's hard to see how he could fill the gap left by Reigns.
For one thing, Reigns is a great in-ring worker. Ryan, while not nearly as bad as he used to be, isn't.
Reigns also has a certain charisma and presence, which Ryan lacks. It's doubtful he would have the same chemistry with Ambrose and Rollins.
