WWE

In Support of WWE’s Newest Stable

Published

9 years ago

July 23, 2014

Of course they’ll get compared to the Nation of Domination. Of course they’ll be put up against TNA’s stable of MVP, Bobby Lashley and Kenny King. One of the most natural things that a fan base can do is make comparisons. LeBron James will always be compared to Michael Jordan, even though their games are quite different to the trained eye. If something new is presented in sports or entertainment, one of the most common reactions is “who/what does this remind me of?” Race often comes into play when pondering these comparisons, even if it’s simply at a subconscious level. It’s going to happen; society has proven this. A white perimeter player will be compared to Kyle Korver before Ray Allen. Yasiel Puig and Yoenis Cespedes are compared to Bo Jackson, not Jose Canseco. WWE is no different. As long as minds are open, and visibility can go beyond these aforementioned tendencies, we shouldn’t beat ourselves up about it. Instead, the goal should be to not place significant weight, and see beyond them. Sure, you’ll compare the new stable of Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and Big E to the Nation of Domination. Think about it for a minute, but then move on; think about how they’ll be different. Think about how they’ll be better. Realize they could end up being more similar to the Flock or Nexus. Go ahead and put them up against MVP, Lashley and King, but why not the Main Event Mafia too? In that spirit, here’s a look at why this new stable in WWE can succeed, and it has nothing to do with race.

Xavier Woods is a legitimate PhD candidate; in real life. He’s already the holder of a Masters degree in Psychology and is working toward his PhD. That’s pretty awesome. How this hasn’t been written into his character yet is beyond me, but we saw hints of this on Monday. He’s a great speaker, something we saw for the first time on Monday. Xavier’s real-life experience gives his character something we haven’t yet seen in WWE. Hell, his first segment on the mic was brilliant; with Woods telling his new buddies “we take.” Clearly, the overall direction hasn’t been revealed yet, but one thing is for sure: Xavier Woods deserved something. Maybe this is it.

Kofi Kingston needs change. Athletic spots in battle royals are cute, but that cannot be his entire WWE legacy. Sure, they’ve placed the Intercontinental and United States Championships around Kingston’s waste, but who really cares? Relegating Kofi to being a high-flier without a personality is a disservice to someone who gives a ton to the company, on and off the screen. Notable figures in the business such as Jim Ross have been begging WWE to turn Kofi heel to give him a boost. Perhaps they won’t make this new stable a traditional heel faction, but at least this is change for Kingston. He deserves it.

What happened to Big E? Less than a year ago, there was a hypothetical debate over who would get the WWE World Heavyweight Championship first: Big E or Roman Reigns? That debate ended quickly. Big E is the one performer of the three who has main event potential, and if backed by a faction, could get there using a different route. Many successful stables produce a main event superstar. The Brood gave us Edge. Straight Edge Society gave us some guy that we all have trouble letting go of. The Shield might give us three. Big E could be the next.

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Sources: WWE.com

Photo credit: WWE