10 Mistakes WWE Has Already Made With RETRIBUTION
Why has RETRIBUTION failed SO badly?
RETRIBUTION is a good idea on paper.
A faction of estranged "Performance Center recruits" ravaging the main roster and creating a change in the status quo all works. The nWo and The Nexus are significant in this regard. Both acts were white hot during their inception, yet it was the booking leading forward that really hampered both groups.
RETRIBUTION, while a good idea, have not had the support of the company behind them. A group of incredibly talented performers have been slapped together to create a new anarchist faction on RAW because... reasons? The motivation is still lacking in this group and it seems that we won't be seeing any development going forward.
It seems that this was an idea brought forward by Vince McMahon just to get a small ratings pop. It coincided with the creation of RAW Underground (another shameless ratings grab). Both RAW Underground and RETRIBUTION were created with no foresight into how these acts will survive long term. While there are some very small positives to take away from RETRIBUTION so far, the majority of their run has been lacklustre maddening...
10. Revealing Mustafa Ali As The Leader
Mustafa Ali has been one of the most underutilised superstars under WWE's umbrella. He has a terrific move-set, he's quite a brilliant promo, and most importantly, he's a natural babyface. He has the ability to generate a positive, organic reaction through his matches and had previously been in line for two main event pushes.
Why WWE's creative team looked at Ali and decided to push him as the leader of RETRIBUTION is still a mystery. While the reveal was quite cool in isolation, it raises way more questions than it answers. Why is Ali so frustrated with WWE? Why is Ali aligning with the NXT wrestler when he never made his way through that system? How did he come into contact with this group of outcasts?
While there is potential for some of these questions to be answered going forward. It seems more than likely that WWE will brush all of this to the side. Instead, they will focus on establishing Mustafa Ali as a slippery heel. A role that doesn't fit this natural babyface.