WWE Is Overplaying Its Hand with the Shield Storyline

During the WWE Payback main event on Sunday, a major storyline revolved around a possible Shield reunion.

Of course, it didn't happen—Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns resumed their fighting after sending Randy Orton through a table with a Triple Powerbomb—but with yet another callback to the fact that they used to comprise The Shield, it's almost fair to question whether or not the group ever broke up.

Yes, in theory, Rollins broke up the stable with one swing of a steel chair. But in the 11 months since the split, WWE has refused to let these three budding stars move on.

Even on their own, the majority of their feuds and motivations revolve around their tenure as part of a  successful stable.

If WWE ever wants its three young stars to grow, it needs to treat their history as just that.

The more WWE reminds fans of their ties to The Shield, the more difficult it becomes to take them seriously on their own. Furthermore, it will diminish the meaning of an eventual Shield reunion down the road.

Reigns and Ambrose are still competing to establish themselves as solo stars. Even Rollins, who is the current WWE World Heavyweight champion, is fighting an uphill battle to become a credible top star.

Contrasting these three journeys against their more notable past is a disservice to their growth. Not only will it keep fans talking about how these three should reunite, it will make it easier for them to grow restless with their fledgling singles careers.

WWE is better off treating The Shield like the Curb Stomp. Just edit these memories out of WWE programming for now.

The ghost of The Shield is like an invisible version of Paul Heyman that is liable to overshadow and outshine an unproven client. If these three are at the core of WWE's future, it's best to forget the past and move forward.

Alfred Konuwa is a featured columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ThisIsNasty and subscribe to his weekly wrestling podcast.