Why stables are making a comeback in WWE Programming
This past week on RAW, we saw Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson win the RAW Tag Team Championships in a Triple Threat tag team match which also included The Usos and The Revival. The Good Brothers hit the Magic Killer on Jimmy Uso to score the pinfall in what was a great match from start to finish. With this win, all the members of The OC now have gold around their waist. With AJ Styles as the US Champion and The Good Brothers as the tag champs, The OC looks set to become a prominent feature on the red brand.
It is quite ironical because just a few months ago there were reports of Gallows and Anderson reportedly turning down huge money deals and refusing to re-sign with the WWE. However, it is said that the duo changed their minds when they were put together with Styles. And to their credit, they seem to have made the right choice, at least for now. Not only has The OC been featured prominently on the red brand, but they have also been able to win gold within a short amount of time.
While OC members have been killing it on the red brand over the past few weeks, The New Day has dominated SmackDown for the past few years. Kofi Kingston has been one of the most strongly booked world champions in recent memory and with Big E & Xavier Woods winning the SmackDown Tag Team Championships from Rowan & Daniel Bryan at Extreme Rules, all the members have gold strapped around their waists.
It seems like the days of stables being front and center of WWE programming are back. Factions have always been an integral part of professional wrestling. Some of the biggest names in the business wouldn't have reached the heights that they did had they not been a part of a legendary stable.
One of the biggest reasons why stables continue to be featured so prominently time and time again is due to the world of good it does for a Superstar. Factions help accentuate a Superstar's positives and hide aspects where they might be lagging.
Take The Undisputed Era's Roderick Strong for example. Strong is without a doubt one of the best in-ring performers in the WWE today. Every time The Messiah of Backbreakers steps foot inside the squared circle, you're guaranteed to see something special. But, despite being a great in-ring technician, cutting a promo isn't something the former ROH World Champion is really adept at.
When he debuted on NXT in 2016, Strong was presented as a singles star with a very intriguing backstory. But sadly, fans couldn't connect with the character as Strong's promos weren't enticing enough for the fans to get behind him and ultimately he ended up being just another face on the NXT roster.
Since joining The Undisputed Era though, Strong has become one of the major players in the black and yellow brand. Although he still needs to work on his mic skills, being in a stable that has Adam Cole - one of the best promo guys in the business - means that Strong doesn't have to speak up for himself on every occasion.
Another example of a stable helping advance a Superstar's career is Kofi Kingston. The Ghana-native has been an integral part of WWE for more than a decade now. Kingston has always been one of those Superstars who you never thought would become a World Champion. Although Kingston is a performer par excellence who deserves all the praise in the world, it can be argued that he wouldn't have reached the heights that he did had it not been for his association with The New Day.
For starters, Xavier Woods & Big E winning the Gauntlet Match is what got Kingston his one-on-one singles match against Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35. The New Day has been one of the most over acts in the company over the past few years. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that The New Day's popularity with the crowd was one of the reasons why KofiMania kicked off in full gear and ultimately culminated in Kingston winning his first world title at WrestleMania 35.
It is easy to see why WWE would want to go back to the concept of factions. They have helped create new stars or revitalize the fading careers of Superstars on numerous occasions. Besides, stables always have that coolness quotient which gets the fans invested in characters whom they never cared about before. They also add a tinge of excitement to routine, mundane programming and it is always good to see a faction run rough-shots over the entire locker room.