5 ways WWE can salvage RETRIBUTION
RETRIBUTION, the WWE faction made up of former NXT stars, has to be one of the most confusing elements of WWE television programming in ages. It's involved in an invasion angle, like the New World Order or the Nexus, except they were announced ahead of time and with fanfare.
The group spent weeks as anti-WWE outsiders, destroying property and attacking talent left and right. Then it was announced that the group had signed contracts with the company they intended to destroy.
Mustafa Ali, one of the most talented, charismatic, and underrated performers on the roster, was revealed to be the secret leader of RETRIBUTION. That reignited a spark of interest in the entire story, and then WWE didn't do anything with that momentum.
It's like a lightbulb in a room in a house... one person wants it on, another off. Both of them keep flipping the lightswitch each time they pass the room. Eventually, that bulb is going to burn out, which is a real waste of a lightbulb. Especially if it's one of those fancy but expensive eco-friendly LED bulbs that are supposed to last for years and are shaped like a spiral and... oh, sorry. Where were we?
The real shame here is that there's a lot of good stuff under the surface of this faction and angle, but that also means it's not beyond saving. In fact, there are a number of ways this entire situation can be altered and turn it into something epic.
How many ways? Well, here are five in no particular order.
#5 RETRIBUTION needs a way more specific goal
Something you've probably noticed is that each time RETRIBUTION loses a match, Ali is quick with an explanation as to why. Granted, these excuses are more in the line of a Pee-Wee Herman-esque "we meant to do that." It isn't the dumbest excuse ever used in wrestling, but it's certainly not very compelling.
And that's what's the problem - well, one of them, anyway - is with this group. Their entire goal of "we want to destroy WWE because it's greedy and stuff" is, technically, a goal. One that would be perfectly fine for a faction that's actually moving forward to accomplishing said goal. RETRIBUTION's not really doing that.
On RAW this past Monday, following yet another loss to the Hurt Business, Mustafa Ali tried to talk it off. He was saying "we win when you suffer," implying that as long as their opponents got beaten up, that's a win for RETRIBUTION.
If the faction is going to go that route, they need a way more specific goal than just "hurt people." It needs to be something clear cut, so even losses can seem like they're "all part of the plan."
Maybe get someone to help them get that focus...