Many people have claimed to be responsible for the Shield gimmick. One of the latest to be added to this list? Wes Brisco, a former Impact Wrestling star. Here is the story.
The Ace and Eights
According to Wes Brisco, The Shield gimmick is a complete Ace and Eights rip-off. This is the statement made by Wes Brisco, which indicated he wholeheartedly believes The Shield gimmick is an Impact Wrestling invention.
“We wanted to be very successful. We wanted to treat it like it was our baby, our opportunity to set an example and create something totally different. because if you look at it, that’s what started The Shield because of us.”
“If you really look at it, we started before The Shield even came through the crowd, we had the mask on. Basically [they did] the exact same thing.”
The Shield Creation
Wes Brisco does have a point in stating that the Shield was created after the Ace and Eights. There are some similarities between the two factions too, but the delivery is quite different. So, is the Shield a true rip-off from Ace and Eights?
My Take On This
It is not uncommon for wrestlers to take some inspiration from other WWE shows. I bet you can find dozens of factions that are reminiscent of others. This does not only apply to the WWE, but also indie wrestling shows taking some inspiration from the WWE.
I have spent some time comparing the Shield with the Ace and Eights faction. I have to admit, there are some clear similarities. Still, the execution of the Shield has been a lot better than the execution of Ace and Eights; this is not an insult to the individual performers, but down to the creative departments of each brand. I must also state that there are many differences too, so I disagree with the statement that the Shield is a complete rip-off.
Still, I do not think we should be judging in this case. Even if the Shield obtained their inspiration from somewhere else, they remain one of the best factions in wrestling history. The Ace and Eights have their own claim to fame, so nobody really suffered from the cross of creative ideas.
What do you think about Wes Bisco’s claims? Let us know in the comment section below.
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