CLEVELAND — Samoa Joe incurred the wrath of The Shield last week, and the experience left him profoundly unimpressed. After managing to singlehandedly upend Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins’ bid for the Raw Tag Team Titles, The Samoan Submission Machine opened Team Red by unleashing a slew of insults in the direction of The Hounds of Justice — particularly in the direction of Roman Reigns, as part of Joe’s continuing efforts to goad the Intercontinental Champion into a fight.
He got what he was looking for, as Reigns answered Joe’s call, only to be waylaid by Cesaro & Sheamus, who instigated a brawl that also brought the remaining members of The Shield charging to the ring. Joe indeed got the better of Reigns in the scuffle with The Bar's help, but Ambrose — scheduled to face Joe later in the night — was quick to pick up the slack, throwing hands with Joe until Cesaro & Sheamus intervened, dispatching Rollins and feeding The Lunatic Fringe into a Uranage that ended the fight on Joe’s terms.