The Shield members converged on WWE Raw to bid their farewell. (Source: WWE)Drew McIntyre made an impact on two members of The Shield even as they bid farewell at the start of WWE Raw in Pittsburgh. He ambushed and brutalised Roman Reigns and then faced Dean Ambrose in a Falls Count Anywhere Match – a bout demanded by The Big Dog’s unpredictable Shield brother. After brawling with The Lunatic Fringe all over the arena, The Scottish Psychopath ended the match in gruesome fashion.
At the start of the show, The Shield addressed the WWE Universe after a successful coming together on WWE Fastlane. Despite the success, Road to WrestleMania made things difficult for the trio to keep going on and had the blessing of Roman Reigns. Their farewell address, however, was cut short by Paul Heyman.
He, of course, had business to take care for his client Brock Lesnar with the Universal Champion to face Rollins at WrestleMania. Heyman re-emerged for the first time in weeks to remind the would-be Beastslayer of what, exactly, it is he’s looking to slay: he showed a highlight reel of Brock Lesnar in action, he even brought out Shelton Benjamin, a veteran of Lesnar’s collegiate wrestling room who was once described as the only man who could go toe-to-toe with The Conqueror in his youth.
Benjamin saw the opportunity and ambushed Rollins from behind, dishing out a series of Lesnar-esque German suplexes to The Architect in a display that was half rude-awakening, and half-reminder that Rollins’ run through the glory days with The Shield might have come with a steep price.
It wasn’t just a rude awakening for Rollins. It proved to be for the other The Shield members – Reigns and Ambrose too.
First, the former NXT Champion, McIntyre, ruined Reigns’ planned return to singles action against Baron Corbin by blasting The Big Dog with a pair of Claymores — the second of which sent Reigns careening face-first into the ringpost. And when Ambrose took up his brother’s honour by demanding (and receiving) an anything-goes, Falls Count Anywhere Match with McIntyre from Triple H, the Scot handed Ambrose a grueling defeat.
The Scotsman’s stated mission, as he told Ambrose, was to tear The Shield apart one by one, and he certainly did his part. They battled into the concourse, destroying the concession stand and the merch table before moving to the commentary table, where McIntyre drilled a pencil into his opponent’s temple and sent The Lunatic Fringe into the LED board.
The finishing touch to the brutality was threading Ambrose’s torso through the guardrail of a staircase, where he was easy pickings for a baseball-slide Claymore that ripped the railing from its foundation and put Ambrose down for a three-count on the arena floor.
Even as The Lunatic Fringe got back to his feet, he was in for further misery. The Scot drilled Ambrose with a final Claymore to send Raw off the air, leaving his opponent in a heap.
WWE Raw Results:
Shelton Benjamin attacked Seth Rollins after The Shield’s farewell address
Seth Rollins def. Shelton Benjamin
Bobby Lashley def. Finn Bálor to become the new Intercontinental Champion
Dana Brooke confronted Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey
Aleister Black & Ricochet def. Bobby Roode & Chad Gable
Alexa Bliss revealed the host of WrestleMania 35 on “A Moment of Bliss”
Braun Strowman tore apart the car that Colin Jost sent him
Nia Jax def. Natalya via Disqualification
Batista demanded that Triple H face him at WrestleMania
Kurt Angle def. Apollo Crews and revealed the date of his farewell match
Drew McIntyre def. Dean Ambrose (No Disqualification, No Count-out, Falls Count Anywhere)
