Reason why RETRIBUTION were absent from Clash of Champions

RETRIBUTION has gotten a mixed reaction so far. However, based on the buzz they've been getting on social media and the viewership on YouTube, attention is not something they've been short of.

RETRIBUTION have also been an important part of WWE programming, appearing on both Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown, but primarily the red brand. The faction recently started their first rivalry against one of WWE's newest and hottest groups, The Hurt Business.

What has been somewhat surprising, however, is the fact that RETRIBUTION have had no presence in the three pay-per-views that have taken place since their arrival. SummerSlam, Payback, and now Clash of Champions passed without the group making an impact.

According to Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet, the reason behind RETRIBUTION's absence at Clash of Champions was COVID-related. None of them tested positive, but they reportedly came into proximity of someone who did.

Regarding RETRIBUTION not being cleared to compete at the moment, sources tell me all 5 members tested negative for COVID-19. However, the group's members each have to quarantine themselves for two weeks because they came into proximity with someone who tested positive.

— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) September 28, 2020

While we're not sure what it means for their television appearances, they could end up being off TV for a couple of episodes, if not more. As mentioned, RETRIBUTION have been a focal point of WWE television as of late. It's clear that the group of NXT call-ups will continue being a pivotal part of storylines on RAW (and potentially SmackDown) for a few months to come.

Who are the members of RETRIBUTION?

It appears as though the five core members of RETRIBUTION are Mia Yim, Mercedes Martinez, Dio Maddin, Dominik Dijakovic, and Shane Thorne. In the storyline, they have signed WWE contracts for some reason. T-Bar (Dijakovic) stating that it was cheaper for WWE to hire RETRIBUTION, rather than cover the costs of all the damage to the security personnel.

Yes WWE is paying us to destroy their company, because we were successfully destroying it regardless. They think if we are under contract then they can contain/manage our chaos. But they will be unsuccessful. Stop overthinking literally everything. #RETRIBUTION

— T-BAR (@TBARRetribution) September 26, 2020

The faction has also started showing their presence on Twitter, with T-Bar, Slapjack (Thorne), Mace (Maddin), and Reckoning (Mia Yim) being the most active of the group.

These are simply the core members of RETRIBUTION and as we've seen, there are many more who are essentially extras. It's going to be interesting to see when they come back and how WWE decides to handle them.