Instant Feedback: Believe in Brotherhood

Just some brothers scrappin', that's all
Photo Credit: WWE.com

Brothers don't always see eye to eye. I should know firsthand. I am the oldest of two brothers by blood, and I am in many ways the black sheep of the family. We're not estranged, but our childhood wasn't exactly built upon sunshine, puppy dogs, and never disagreeing on anything. Having scraps with friends can sometimes lead to cattiness, sub-tweeting, or drifting apart, but when you scrap with your brother, more often than not, you're gonna throw hands. I've had more than a few fights within the family.

Not all the time are brothers bonded by blood. Some brotherhoods come together out of choice. The saying goes that blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb, the second part oftentimes left out to change the meaning of the chestnut completely. Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins didn't come together because they shared a similar blood lineage. They came together for something greater, even if the exact cause for their union is still somewhat nebulous. Their covenant was and may still be ironclad. They proved it night in and night out when they redefined a style within WWE if not pioneered it.

The last two months have been rough for the Hounds of Justice, and their internal beefs started coming to light. When Rollins hopped off the apron, presumably sick of Ambrose's and Reigns' shit, he lit the fuse. Tonight, the hounds scrapped. Their blows were inevitable. Even in a normal, real-life scenario, where relationships aren't made to be thrown away like they are in wrestling, a total meltdown is traumatic. No matter how close the group is, watching their relationship dissolve, no matter how momentarily, causes discomfort. If this scene had played out at a frat house or a locker room or even a living room, the endgame would be a group hug and plowing on.

But wrestling is different. Group dynamics are made to be broken and reunited and broken again, depending on how impactful the original pairing was. The strongest bonds contain the most energy to hold together. It's why nuclear fission produces such a catastrophic explosion. If any group of wrestlers were wound together like a nucleus, it would be the trio Reigns, Ambrose, and Rollins.

And so that direction is where The Shield is trending. Or maybe they won't. Maybe in this case, the payoff is a stronger unit than what started. The blood of the covenant is thicker than water, and whatever covenant The Shield made within the group has survived for nearly 16 months. In modern wrestling, that span of time is an eternity. If the group survived for that long, maybe they're in for the long haul. Tonight may just be a hiccup on the way to immortality. Brothers scrap, everyone knows that.

I know I'm just deluding myself. I guess I'm not ready for The Shield to go by the wayside.