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Over the past week, we have been hearing about this new faction set to turn WWE inside out. A group of five anonymous wrestlers made an appearance on Monday Night RAW, throwing Molotovs on a generator outside the Performance Center. A day or so later, we learned that the faction called themselves RETRIBUTION.
But now, the stakes have been raised. RETRIBUTION appeared at the end of the latest edition of WWE SmackDown, attacking everybody in sight and tearing the place apart. And while the masked invaders might be stand-ins for the actual members of RETRIBUTION, what WWE does with the new faction is very intriguing, to say the least.
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It may have been born as a quick fix for their dwindling ratings, but WWE has a chance to actually create a compelling story involving RETRIBUTION. There is potential for this group to be more than the company might make it to be. They need to handle it with care, especially after how the Nexus turned out a decade ago.
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And hopefully, in a few months' time, RETRIBUTION is the hottest thing on WWE programming. There are several directions this storyline can move forward in, from the reveal of each member to their ultimate purpose as a group.
Here are five directions WWE could go with their newest faction, RETRIBUTION.
#5 One member of RETRIBUTION is revealed on every episode of RAW and SmackDown until SummerSlam
For maximum impact, WWE should find the right balance between intrigue and revelation. They will likely want to keep the members of RETRIBUTION anonymous for as long as possible, but this runs the risk of people completely losing interest in the group.
With two weeks left for SummerSlam, WWE could run a big angle with RETRIBUTION at the show. To keep viewers invested, they can reveal one member on every TV episode in the run-in for SummerSlam. So one of the biggest hooks for every RAW or SmackDown for the next two weeks is finding out who is a part of the new faction.
Starting from this coming week, a single member could make themselves known and state their purpose as a part of RETRIBUTION. Whether done in front of the fans or in a pre-recorded segment, this makes the storyline much clearer.
It would make for a compelling scenario and build to a much larger angle at SummerSlam, where the leader of RETRIBUTION is revealed. It could be anyone, from Tommaso Ciampa to Dominik Dijakovic, or possibly even Mustafa Ali. If WWE delivers a compelling multi-episode-long narrative, the ratings will instantly improve.
#4 RETRIBUTION reveals themselves at SummerSlam
Instead of having one member of RETRIBUTION unmask on every episode of RAW and SmackDown until SummerSlam, WWE could simply have the entire group reveal themselves at the same time. A SummerSlam reveal would go down as a very newsworthy development.
The company must not keep them masked beyond SummerSlam, especially after their failure to deliver on multiple stories in the past. Also, one of the main problems people had with RETRIBUTION's invasion of SmackDown was that the invaders were all pretty small in stature.
These concerns could be evaporated with a timely reveal of every member, effectively confirming the SmackDown invaders as stand-ins for the real creators of chaos. The post-SummerSlam season might be very interesting, depending on how RETRIBUTION is perceived post-reveal.
Hopefully, each member is given enough focus from the writers and they all have a distinct identity within the group. It would be tricky compared to the multi-week reveal of every member. Either way, RETRIBUTION must not be a flash in the pan that loses its effectiveness within a month or two. WWE has the chance to tell one heck of a story with the group.
#3 Lots of Championship gold for RETRIBUTION
Once WWE reveals the members of RETRIBUTION, whether one at a time or all in one swoop, they will need to come up with proper stories for the group. The group's first feud will be absolutely crucial.
Following their appearances on RAW and SmackDown, RETRIBUTION was quickly compared to The Nexus, who enjoyed a great start in WWE before things went south.
They must not make the same mistakes that were made with Wade Barrett and The Nexus. The gang of upstarts lost their first big match to Team WWE at SummerSlam and never truly recovered. RETRIBUTION has to keep on winning for at least a few months. Another issue that plagued The Nexus was the lack of Championship gold.
Yes, Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel became Tag Team Champions, but it happened way too late in the story and by that point, John Cena was running things for The Nexus. In the coming weeks or months, WWE would be smart if they put various titles on the members of RETRIBUTION.
While the World titles might be out of the question for the moment, the likes of Ciampa, Dijakovic could win the Intercontinental, United States, or Tag Team Championships. Sasha Banks and Bayley should also beware, as RETRIBUTION might possess a couple of female members.
#2 RETRIBUTION vs. WWE is built for Survivor Series
Along with multiple members of RETRIBUTION winning Championships, WWE could add more Superstars to the faction. They could adopt a "with us or against us" mentality, which sees various main roster stars join their cause. RETRIBUTION should be kept strong for a few months and can play a big part at Survivor Series.
The brand warfare concept has become pretty stale over the past few years and while the inclusion of NXT in 2019 was fresh, it might potentially grow tiresome this year. The fact that RAW, SmackDown, and NXT all emanate from the same place makes competition between the brands feel pointless.
WWE should instead have the overriding theme of this year's Survivor Series be 'RETRIBUTION vs The World'. As the faction grows in numbers and chemistry, they could become a larger threat to the status quo over time. And it could all come to a head at the November pay-per-view, in a series of singles and elimination matches pitting members of RETRIBUTION against both, RAW and SmackDown.
It fits the idea of WWE wanting to keep a tagline for each pay-per-view while keeping things fresh. If RETRIBUTION still has momentum by Survivor Series, it will likely be considered a success from WWE's standpoint. They should really aim to play the long game with this faction.
#1 The SmackDown Hacker is a part of RETRIBUTION
One of the primary reasons why WWE fans are skeptical about RETRIBUTION is the way the SmackDown Hacker angle was abruptly dropped. What was a weekly Easter egg initially turned into a consequential storytelling device, But the SmackDown Hacker was slowly petered out in the past couple of months. This was probably due to Mustafa Ali's move to RAW.
An idea that had so much potential had seemingly been squandered. But what if that is not the case? What if WWE decides to branch the two together? It is certainly plausible, especially considering the RETRIBUTION invaders were dressed in the same black hoods that the hacker wore.
All the messed up sounds and lights on RAW and SmackDown over the past week could be courtesy of the hacker, who has taken things to a higher level through the chaos caused on TV. If it is revealed that RETRIBUTION is linked to the SmackDown Hacker, it would be a storytelling masterstroke from the company.
A tie-in between the two angles seems like the logical thing to do, considering the similarity in anonymity and technological disruption. Hopefully, the SmackDown Hacker is ultimately revealed to be the leader of RETRIBUTION. It makes sense, revives an abandoned story, and might even restore the fans' faith in WWE's creative team.
The storytelling possibilities for RETRIBUTION in WWE are endless. It is only a matter of how much effort the company is willing to put into the new group. If they want a sustainable increase in ratings, WWE must put in the effort. It is time to turn potential into substance and doubters into believers once and for all.
