Where Does Dean Ambrose's Injury Leave Seth Rollins and The Shield?
Every feud, every angle, every big match WWE had planned for The Shield's comeback tour has to be set aside and put in stasis.
An arm injury will force Dean Ambrose out of action, leaving Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns without their brother-in-arms. Suddenly, the faction's reunion has to be rethought. And that's not going to affect Reigns nearly as much as it is Rollins.
On Monday's Raw, as Ambrose clutched his arm in pain at ringside, there was confusion about whether he was legitimately hurt or milking a scripted moment. Unfortunate news soon emerged. WWE announced, "Ambrose underwent successful surgery Tuesday night to repair a high-grade triceps tendon injury."
.jpg?w=256)
His recovery time may be lengthy.
When discussing a triceps tear former NFL player Ray Lewis suffered, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Umasuthan Srikumaran told Andrea K. Walker of the Baltimore Sun, "Most patients can expect to recover close to their full range of motion and strength at a year after surgical repair."
Pro wrestlers seem to recover faster than the normal human being, but even if Ambrose is back in four or five months, that's a long time for The Shield to be without their unhinged brother.
This isn't the same as Reigns' viral infection where he was out for a few weeks. To counteract his absence, WWE could roll out a patchwork version of The Shield by plugging in guys like Triple H and Kurt Angle. That short-term fix won't work this time around.
The Shield will be in limbo for months.
As Ambrose heals and rehabs his arm, Rollins and Reigns will have to focus less on their alliance. The Big Dog and The Kingslayer as a duo lack the same magic as seeing all three of The Hounds of Justice together again after being apart for three years.
Reigns will be fine. He's the intercontinental champion. He's been a keystone for Raw as he delivers lengthy title matches each week.
Reigns is likely en route to a WrestleMania showdown with universal champ Brock Lesnar.
The path for Rollins sans Ambrose is foggier. The Architect had been busy feuding with Cesaro and Sheamus alongside his tag team partner. His top goal was recapturing the Raw Tag Team Championship. Now, his motivation has to change as well as who he feuds with.
There's a good chance he clashes with Samoa Joe as a supporting player in the Joe vs. Reigns rivalry. But he'll need more than that.
As Finn Balor is finding out, though, there aren't a ton of top-notch heels available to feud with.
Rollins' best bet may be the emerging Elias. The guitar-strumming grappler has been one of 2017's breakout stars and looks ready to move up on the card. Clashing with Elias would be a step down for Rollins from his usual title hunts, but that could be an intriguing series of clashes with the right storyline.
The Shield vs. The Revival, The Shield vs. The Usos and other appetizing matchups will have to wait until late in the year when Ambrose's bad wing is healed. In the meantime, Rollins is destined to slip down in the card where he will be dependent on WWE finding creative ways to showcase him on his own.
.jpg?w=480)
