Shield Tops New Day; Where Do Both Factions Rank All-Time After Survivor Series?

The Shield defeated New Day at Survivor Series on Sunday in a match that helped both factions further establish themselves as two of the greatest groups in wrestling history. 

WWE shared the result after an Extra-Large triple power bomb sealed the win:

Bryan Alvarez of Figure Four Online and Adam Pacitti of Cultaholic provided their initial takes:

When Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose reunited as The Shield several weeks ago, it immediately sent the WWE Universe scrambling to figure out some capable opponents for The Hounds of Justice.

New Day was likely the first triumvirate to come to mind for most, but it didn't initially seem as though WWE was moving in that direction.

Rollins and Ambrose were originally supposed to face The Usos at Survivor Series, and Reigns' status was up in the air due to illness.

After Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods cost Rollins and Ambrose the Raw Tag Team Championships on Raw due to a distraction, though, the wheels were set in motion for WWE's premier three-man units to clash at one of the year's biggest pay-per-views.

The Shield's first run was fairly brief from the end of 2012 until mid-2014, but they left an indelible mark on the business during that time.

From the moment The Shield debuted at Survivor Series 2012, they took WWE by storm and dominated everyone in their path.

That included WrestleMania wins over the teams of Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show, as well as Kane and The New Age Outlaws. They also defeated Evolution on two occasions before Rollins dissolved the group by hitting both Reigns and Ambrose with a steel chair.

Losses were few and far between for The Shield, and championship success was present throughout much of their run with Ambrose winning the U.S. title and the combination of Rollins and Reigns holding the Tag Team Championships.

What Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose have done since their first breakup adds further legitimacy to The Shield as well since they have all gone on to become world champions.

The argument can be made that there is no better or more impactful faction in wrestling history than The Shield.

It belongs in the conversation with The Four Horsemen, D-Generation X and The New World Order with a lack of longevity being its only downside.

New Day didn't come together with as much fanfare as The Shield, but it beat the odds to become one of the greatest trios in wrestling history in its own right.

Few bought in to New Day when it formed as a face tag team in 2014. Their characters seemed disingenuous, and it led to the crowd booing them and chanting, "New Day sucks."

That led to an eventual heel turn for the stable, which is when it truly hit its stride and began to show the WWE Universe what it was capable of.

Woods, Big E and Kofi displayed remarkable chemistry and comedic timing, which eventually led to a face turn and the development into one of WWE's most popular and over acts.

New Day also has accolades in spades, as they are four-time tag team champions, including being the longest-reigning tag champs of all time.

The group reached another level during its latest feud with The Usos, as it put on a series of spectacular matches and gained even more respect despite coming out on the losing end of the rivalry.

Although New Day has three members, it more closely resembles a tag team than a stable. New Day is the modern-day version of The Fabulous Freebirds, and depending on preference, it may have surpassed the Freebirds as the best three-man tag team in history.

The Shield and New Day's precise standing among the greatest stables ever is up for debate and based solely on personal opinion, but there is no denying the fact that they deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the best.

They proved Sunday that they belong on the same level, and their Survivor Series match is one that will be remembered and talked about as a bout that helped bolster their respective legacies.

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