Why WWE's New Faction Is Already Doomed To Fail

Shane McMahon
WWE

WWE's production is so overbearingly slick that it cannot allow itself to look bad. Try to disregard the inherent irony of that statement. Hey! Maybe this was all metafiction. Maybe last night's RAW was a commentary on how polished and off-putting WWE's look is. Maybe that's the renegade group's first order of business!

Or maybe it was all a load of complete b*llocks.

This new faction didn't even headline the discourse because WWE, in an insane short-term hailstorm of several sh*tty new ideas, tried to grab a rating as if it were an octopus, which is actually an insult to octopuses. Octopuses, unlike Vince McMahon, are capable of long-term thought. The beloved Octopus Paul correctly guessed every result of Germany's entire 2010 World Cup campaign. Vince McMahon, a week after promising investors a new star-making initiative, brought back the 50 year-old Shane McMahon, who debuted as a regular on WWF TV in 1998, for the good 'ol short-term boost.

On the subject of the bullsh*t that detracted from the new faction - for f*ck's sake, maybe don't bury the lede if the lede is going to literally f*cking change everything - 'RAW Underground' in itself illustrated, once again, that change is only ever cosmetic. It was framed as an illicit fighting ring. Sort of. 'Underground' has outlaw connotations, but the thing is is that the unsanctioned quality of the "fights" didn't feel remotely outlaw because "two wrestlers simply fight under the immediate orders of an authority figure or themselves without medical clearance or contractual agreement" is how WWE has operated in kayfabe for ages now. WWE can't break the rules because there are no rules to break. Moreover, if this was Shane McMahon commandeering the show, the constant camera cuts totally undermined that idea. Guys. Guys. Maybe Kevin Dunn isn't a beaver. Maybe he's a mole!

CONT'D...(3 of 6)

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!