Recently, the renowned wrestler Roman Reigns was a featured guest on the “SI Media Podcast”. During that entertaining hour, Reigns looked back on The Shield’s unforgettable entrance into the ring at WWE Survivor Series 2012, a moment etched in wrestling history.
Reigns not only reflected on past moments, he also dived into the contemporary context of wrestling, contrasting it with The Attitude Era. He talked honestly about the greater liberties enjoyed by performers in that period while also speculating on how his current squad, the Bloodline, would have fared in those exhilarating times.
Here are some snippets of what Reigns had to share during the podcast:
Talking about The Shield’s introduction, Reigns said, “I’m not a wrestling archivist. But looking at my career trajectory, there’s no denying that our debut at the Survivor Series was momentous. The entrance of The Shield into wrestling lore is undeniably one of the exclusive occurrences in the history of Survivor Series, amidst a host of impressive debuts.”
Reflecting on the impact of Survivor Series on wrestling history, Reigns observed, “There’s an uncanny pattern of monumental beginnings at Survivor Series. The Rock and The Undertaker are fine examples. Charting it all out, it’s apparent that The Shield’s entrance marked a standout transition for the three debutantes, who grabbed the company’s reins and radically reshaped its outlook.”
When asked about WWE’s Attitude Era, Reigns commented, “In those times the performers enjoyed considerable latitude. They weren’t constrained by today’s regulatory groundwork. I often entertain the thought of the Bloodline lounging in a dimly lit bar, sipping whiskey, and making plotlines. There’s a whole panorama of mature themes out there. But, ultimately, they had to go onstage and risk physical harm while ensuring narrative consistency and character interaction. Despite the relaxed framework, there was a subtle balance they needed to maintain – a question of how much was too much. It’s a peculiar obligation, this need to respect the liminal space between risque and acceptable.”
The full conversation featuring Roman Reigns can be found in the linked embedded video.