WWE SummerSlam 2017: Sheamus & Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose

Sheamus & Cesaro (c) vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose

Raw tag team title match

It all stemmed from one moment. One moment that fractured a brotherhood and led to one man’s inability to trust.

The moment that Seth Rollins betrayed the Shield and joined the Authority was the moment Dean Ambrose would not be able to trust him again. (Except for the time Dean, Seth, and Roman Reigns were just chilling backstage at Tribute to the Troops but let’s just forget that for a moment since that would undercut pretty much everything here.)

Ambrose was over on SmackDown when Rollins finally started to see the error of his ways and find himself again. When Dean was moved over to Raw after WrestleMania, he wasn’t buying the “new” Seth Rollins.

The two of them overall steered clear of each other until they had common enemies in the Miz and his Miztourage. When Dean found himself on the bad side of a 3 on 1 attack, it was Seth Rollins who made the save. Dean took the opportunity to fend off his foes, but didn’t even look Seth in the eye the entire time.

Backstage the next week, Dean made it known that he didn’t want anything to do with Seth Rollins. Seth claimed he had changed, but Ambrose knew better.

Nonetheless, they agreed to team up together 2 on 3 against the Miztourage and while the trust wasn’t there, the chemistry was. They dispatched of the Miztourage and looked damn good doing so. Afterwards, Seth Rollins offered out his fist Shield style but Dean wasn’t ready for that step yet. It takes a long time for deep cuts to heal.

The following week, the Lunatic Fringe made it known that people shouldn’t get their hopes up when it came to teaming back up with Seth. He told Rollins in a backstage interview that he still doesn’t trust him.

This encounter left Rollins a bit upset when he came across tag team champions Sheamus and Cesaro, who decided to rub it in. The Architect wasn’t having it and told them to choose who would face him tonight. It was Sheamus.

Seth won the match but afterwards received a beat down from both of the tag champions. And somewhat surprisingly, it was Dean Ambrose who made the save for his old partner.

We learned that Dean didn’t want to help though. He thought it was a scheme by Rollins to put Ambrose in a bad position. He’d have to make the save or he’d look like the bad guy. He made it clear he wouldn’t do it a second time.

And he didn’t. Next week, Seth Rollins faced Cesaro and again found himself on the other side of a post match beating. And this time Dean Ambrose didn’t come to his aid, just like he said.

Nonetheless, Seth made the save for Ambrose when he was in the same position later that night and that showed Dean something. Ambrose offered the Shield fist but this time it was Seth that turned away from it.

That brings us to last week, when the former Shield boys opened the show. They were close to finally burying that hatchet but they couldn’t bring themselves to make that final move. Seth would offer his fist and Dean would turn away. Dean would offer his and then Seth turned away. Both wanted to forgive but neither could make that final move.

Instead a fight broke out.

And in a way, it had to. There was just too much animosity between them, too many hurt feelings, for all that emotion not to manifest in physicality. Sure they’ve had matches before, but that’s when they were enemies. Now they really wanted to put their issues aside but there was just too much pent up anger to do so. Dean still hurt from the betrayal and Seth hurt from the fact that three years later, Ambrose still couldn’t trust him.

The tag team champions of Sheamus and Cesaro saw this as an opportunity to get some licks in on the duo they’ve had issues with. Little did they know that their attack would be the catalyst for the Sheild brothers getting over the hump. They could fight each other but they could fight even better together.

After they dispatched with the tag champions, they were finally on that same page and able to exchange that all important fist bump. Raw GM Kurt Angle liked what he saw and decided to make the title match for SummerSlam.

Will the chemistry between Ambrose and Rollins be enough to claim tag gold? Or are there still cracks yet filled that will allow the two that are the bar to retain their belts? Find out tonight at SummerSlam, airing at 7 EST on the WWE Network. And keep it here at CagesideSeats.com for all your SummerSlam coverage.