Rookie Year 2020 - Grading the debuts of WWE stars on RAW and SmackDown

#4 RETRIBUTION on WWE RAW and SmackDown - C-

The new group has been a huge talking point for the last few months

Some people probably think that even this grade is too high but it isn't the fault of the performers. RETRIBUTION were given some strange names but T-Bar and Mace seem like fine names. The others, however, don't do the performers any favors. WWE's visual presentation of all of the stars has been good except for Slapjack. He needs a new mask, and once that happens, it'll be an instant upgrade.

The WWE stars behind those masks are all talented in their own right. Dominik Dijakovic/T-Bar has helped redefine what it is to be an athletic big man in wrestling alongside Keith Lee. Shane Thorne/Slapjack has always been a good worker and has had untapped charisma. This writer hasn't seen much of Mace/Dio Maddin in the ring, but he's an imposing and physical star.

We all know that both Mia Yim and Mercedes Martinez are great in the ring, and have been important parts of NXT during various eras. We've only had one official match featuring the group which ended in a DQ. Causing havoc and assaulting WWE stars is fine but the rhetoric in the promos isn't anything new. Once again, it is what they are given to say, but they could make it sound menacing.

If some of the members get new names and we get more backstory behind their actions, then the group will obviously increase their standing. Fans should keep an open mind regarding the group's potential because outside of a match with the Hurt Business, they haven't had an official feud as of yet. Instead, they've targeted the all of WWE and mainly RAW over the last few months.