Big E finally won the WWE Championship after cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Bobby Lashley, and the hope among fans is that he'll be given the chance to have a decent run with the title.
It's taken the former NXT Champion a long time to reach this point, though he did find plenty of success as a member of The New Day after originally being paired with Dolph Ziggler on the main roster. Even as Dolph's enforcer, it was clear that Big E was a special talent, and he proved that in a mostly successful mid-card singles run; however, it was with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods that he truly excelled, though things could have been much different for him.
During a recent interview with Cincy360, Big E confirmed he was once eyed to join The Shield.
"I think it worked out the best for all of us," the new WWE Champion said of it not happening. "I couldn’t fathom now being a part of The Shield. I’m sure it would’ve been fun. I’m sure it would’ve been enjoyable. I think it was really best for Roman to be in that role as the big dude, the enforcer of that group. That dynamic wouldn’t have felt the same with me being there. It’s hard to fathom that almost a decade ago that for one brief moment I was considered as a possibility to be in that group."
The Shield actually debuted a good year or so before The New Day, finding success long before Big E, Kingston, and Woods. However, while his journey to the WWE Championship took much longer than Roman Reigns', the fan-favourite RAW Superstar is grateful for how things went for him.
"My route was definitely a longer one. It was a longer one getting to the accomplishments that those guys had years ago," he admitted. "But I’m glad for the more difficult journey. We would have not had the New Day if I was a member of The Shield. The Shield would’ve felt different. I think it all worked out for the best."
It's certainly interesting to think about what might have been. It's impossible to say whether Big E would have essentially taken Reigns' place as WWE's top star, but he's done pretty well without The Shield and The New Day without him...well, that just doesn't feel right.
Rumour has it Big E will face Reigns at Survivor Series, but time will obviously tell on that front.