The One Faction WWE Need To Push In 2019

by Michael Hamflett
Undisputed Era
WWE

WWE's main roster is desperately in need of a gang coming up and giving zero f*cks. Vince McMahon once loved the gimmick so much that he flooded his product with them, but that era is long past. Since the 1997/1998 heyday for factions, only The Shield and The New Day have used their strength in numbers to earn sustained acclaim across the A and B-Shows, and they're unsurprisingly two of the only acts to organically yield money-making men and matches from the last decade.

The chemistry underpinning the act doesn't need to change. Cole's allies seeing him for the slime he is can always come, but why rush to that climax when there's still much to be done?

The barren NXT tag league The Undisputed Era helped enhance wasn't too different from the desperate divisions that exist today. Midcard belts aren't in the rudest of health in spite of credible current Champions Samoa Joe and Finn Bálor, but match quality is creeping back up just in time for three well-drawn superworkers to slot right in.

And Adam Cole is WWE's next great main event hope.

Taking New York was like taking candy from a bay-bay for The Undisputed Era's long-locked leader. And his best weapon isn't even the already-iconic catchphrase, or his killer superkick. It's the glint in his eye. McMahon's pushed men like Adam Cole before because he's seen green in an instant. Tall, good looking and a full head of hair, pal, regardless of the rest. In this case, the rest is the best.

The quarreling quartet would be better served putting petty strifes to bed on NXT before putting goobers to the sword on Monday Night Raw. Such a situation is a rarity in 2019, but The Undisputed Era are a rare act with rare talent and an even rarer chance of actually making a success out of a call-up. Michael Cole tells us every week that the hideously lazy Superstar Shake-up is still ongoing and as such, the timing is perfect - let his namesake and his gang of thugs take advantage of this shoddy storytelling to forcibly re-write WWE's next chapter.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett