In 2015, WWE began to expand its content on the WWE Network by presenting televised house shows. These one-hour WWE Network-exclusive specials did not show the entire card, but only a select few matches. The Shield's Final Chapter took place on April 21, 2019, at TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Illinois and featured wrestlers from the Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Livebrand divisions. The one-hour WWE Network special was livestreamed.[1][2]
Storylines
The event comprised a total of seven matches, three of which were shown for the one-hour WWE Network special. The matches resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[3][4] Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brands, while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows, Monday Night Raw, SmackDown Live,[5] and the cruiserweight-exclusive 205 Live.[6]
On January 29, 2019, WWE confirmed that Dean Ambrose had decided to not renew his contract that was expiring in April.[7] The following month, Roman Reigns, who took time off in October 2018 due to leukemia, returned.[8] Ambrose, Reigns, and Seth Rollins then reunited The Shield for a match at Fastlane, where they defeated the team of Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, and Drew McIntyre.[9] Although this had been promoted as The Shield's final match, one further match was scheduled, which featured both The Shield as a group and Ambrose's final match in WWE. That match was the one aired as the main event of the Shield's Final Chapter.[1]
The first televised match featured Finn Bálor defending the Intercontinental Championship against Elias. In the end, Elias tried to send Bálor off the ring apron through an announce table, but Bálor countered into a sunset flip for a nearfall. Bálor pinned Elias with a small package to win the match.[11]
In the second televised match, Bayley and Ember Moon took on The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott and Sarah Logan) (accompanied by Liv Morgan). In the end, Riott attempted to pin Moon while using the ropes for leverage and Morgan tried to add leverage from the apron, but the referee saw it and ejected Morgan from ringside. Moon then performed the Eclipse on a distracted Riott to win the match.[11]
In the final match, The Shield (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose) took on Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre, and Bobby Lashley. In the climax, Ambrose performed an elbow drop on Lashley, but McIntyre broke up the pin. Reigns performed a Spear on Lashley. Rollins performed The Stomp on McIntyre. Ambrose performed Dirty Deeds on Corbin before tagging in Reigns, who tagged in Rollins. The Shield performed the Triple Powerbomb on Corbin, and Rollins pinned him to win the match for The Shield. After the match, The Shield gave a heartfelt speech to the crowd about how much they have accomplished, and they performed their signature fistbump one more time as the event ended.[11]
